Chapter 10
The vampire Dashim was in trouble, big time, the night that was his friend had become his opponent. Shadows changed everywhere he went, images of a shadow, hunting him. The shadows no longer wrapped themselves around him to conceal his presence from mortals, now they twisted away unnaturally, hiding instead of him, his hunter.
He hurried silently down the main street that ran through the run down little Venezuelan town. The mortals were mostly in bed, though a few of the homeless were curled in doorsteps and in the alleys. And he could sense a few still about, thieves and the like.
Who was hunting him? They did nothing to hide their presence from him, but he could not hear their footfalls, they made not a sound. His keen hearing and smell could not detect them, and he couldn't see them. He left the town and hurried into the woods, and immediately wished he had not. He could sense others in the trees, creatures of some sort, watching him, a soft rustle of tree branches, how many were there? What were they? What did they want with him? He hurried down the broad leaf-strewn path, knowing that he could not go back, they were probably blocking him, he glanced back in fear. No one, but he knew they were there. He turned again, and stopped, his eyes going wide. Ahead in the middle of the path stood a figure.
The figure was tall, about six feet, and thin. He could see long dark colored pants tucked into the tops of boots; the figure wore a long cloak that nearly swept the ground. But the moonlight was on the other's back and so he couldn't see the face. But then the figure move and he could see, very clearly, the huge bow, with an arrow on it, which slowly rose until it was aimed right at him. A whispered word of magic in a language he did not know, soft and deadly. The arrow burst into flame as it was fired. Dashim gasped and turned to duck, the arrow struck him right between the eyes, even his vampiric speed wasn't fast enough to out-do the master archer. He fell with a cry of agony as the arrow pierced his brain and hot flames leaped from the arrow to his dead flesh.
With a soft thunk and a rush of horrible pain a second flaming arrow embedded itself in his neck, just a second after the first with the same perfect aim and power. Blood spilled from him, covering his clothes and the ground as he collapsed. The flames from the first were in his hair, eating him, burning, his flesh turning to charred ash. Blood poured from his neck and the flesh around the wound blistered and burned from the heat.
Hiiissst Thunk! Simultaneously eight more flaming arrows hit him, fired from the surrounding woods by the unseen creatures that had been lurking there. With a soft rustling of leaves eight figures appeared from the trees. Jumping down form branches and sliding out from hiding places, they moved silently through the forest, seeming to glide noiselessly over the ground until they were all about the first one.
In the light from the burning vampire they were revealed to be elves, tall, thin, creatures with beautifully sculpted well-muscled bodies. Five females, four males, deadly fighters all. Each elf carried a large longbow covered with graceful curving runes and designs. Each bore a large quiver of arrows, a sword, and at least one knife. They were all dressed alike in forest colors with long hooded cloaks. Hoods thrown back they all wore their hair long, held back from their faces, their sharp features and elegantly point ears making them easily identified, they watched the dying vampire burn for a few moments before turning the first one, their leader. A male elf with long rich dark hair and gold eyes, an exquisitely beautiful creature who seemed to be in command, the others waiting for his directions. When he spoke it was in Lu'hyari, the melodious elven language.
"We have been in the mortal realms long enough, our people will be anxious to hear of our success, let us return quickly." Within moments the elves were gone into the woodlands down a tiny trail used by deer, towards the border of their own land.
All that remained of the vampire Dashim, one of Voldemort's favorite agents, were a few small bits of ash and blackened earth.
** The Hogwarts staff nodded in approval as Arya, smiling widely, let the feather drop back onto the desk. The mute girl could not say incantations like others, but under Harry's excellent tutoring she could still manage quite well. Having just shown them the levitation charm she had been working on for weeks.
"Excellent Arya, try turning that feather into a paintbrush." The headmaster said, his eyes sparkling, leaning against the high windowsill Harry smiled and nodded to her encouragingly. Arya's progress was slow and tedious, so far she showed not the faintest hint of telepathy, but with Harry's aid in focusing exercises she could work magic. War Mage meditations, and centering exercises were working miracles, and Harry was of the opinion that they should be included in the regular school system.
With a precise gesture of her wand, her brows knit with concentration, Arya focused on the feather. Harry reached out and read her magic as it focused on the feather, reading the instructions she was weaving into it, the weaves of magic that the unconscious basis of all transfiguration.
A few moments later a paintbrush lay on the desk. The staff applauded, pleased.
"Now, Harry has taught you the disarming spell?" The headmaster asked, Arya nodded, casting a anxious look at Harry. "Would you demonstrate?" He asked, there was a long pause. "On Severus?" Snape threw the headmaster a furious glare, but he stood and pulled out his wand. Arya gave Harry another look.
"Ah perhaps that isn't a good idea, Arya has.a surprising amount of power and talent with this spell." Harry trailed off, then turned to Arya as the staff all gave them curious looks. "Just do the spell lightly, and try not to draw blood." Snape blinked and almost stepped back, looking just a little nervous. Arya nodded then turned to him, she paused, concentrating, then her wand snapped down to point at him and a blast of power shot from it.
Snape yelped in pain as the spell hit his hand, the wand leaped form his hand into the air, Arya caught it as it sailed towards her. Snape held his wand hand with his other, wincing in pain, when it finally ceased he straightened and looked at Arya, shocked. Harry smirked; it was a slightly more advanced version of the disarming spell he himself had invented. And it could do serious damage, thankfully Arya could not yet do anymore then draw a little blood, and she would never be able to do much more, Harry could blow the person's hand off their body.
Arya handed Snape back his wand, she then demonstrated the tears charm on professor Vector, making her eyes water badly for a few minutes.
"Amazing Harry, I never though she would have progressed so far just since the start of term. Albus said after Arya left, very pleased with herself.
"She's a good pupil, but I think she will be at her best with animals, potions, and divination, and while she may have a excellent disarming spell curses and hexes really aren't her thing at all, and transfigurations, and charms, are difficult. Though she's quite good at the tripping jinx." Harry replied, proud of his student. "I've given her a list of some easy spells to work on, and tips for the ones that are done in class, for while I'm away."
"Her telepathy? How is that going?" McGonagal asked.
"Not well, she hasn't shown the slightest hint of it, not surprising, I haven't actually done and real probing in her magic or mind, and she's young for telepathy to be showing already, give it a few years and she may develop it, I'm trying to find the potion that should give me some idea of any potential she may have for it, and when we can expect it to start showing." He said, trying to think of where in the immense archives and libraries of the War mages that particular potion was hiding itself.
"Well don't stress over it too much, you've got that group to lead, which should be difficult enough. Granger, Weasely, and Malfoy, all in the same group, I truly pity you Harry." McGonagal said with a sigh. Harry's eyes glittered with amusement. The other teachers agreed as they left, leaving only McGonagal, Albus, and Severus.
"It should be interesting," Harry said in an almost-purr, a small devious smile on his lips. They all stared at him as he looked out the window, "perhaps they may just end up becoming friends after I'm though with them, who knows?" The slightly threatening tone didn't escape the teachers, but no one said anything, though several anxious looks were exchanged when they though he wasn't looking.
"If they have any sense they'll all be asleep right now, not plotting to annihilate each other. They'll need their energy for tomorrow, you're still intent on hiking straight through the forest?" Snape asked Harry.
"Yes I am, and they're all so deeply asleep they wouldn't notice the roof caving in, I drugged their drinks at dinner." He added with a sly grin. Albus chuckled, McGonagal's eyes widened and she frowned just a little, and Severus snorted.
"I think that nutty hat was right for once, you should have been a Slytherin."
"I only did it out of concern for their welfare." Harry said indignantly, they all gave him disbelieving looks and he finally smirked, "and to test an especially powerful sleep potion I found in the Grand Library. They'll all wake up at exactly 6:50 tomorrow morning."
** It was early evening when Harry led the troop of tired students out of the depths of the forest and up a steep trail onto a line of high grassy hills that stretched out until they reached the high snowy mountains around the castle. The breeze was cool and crisp; the thick grasses a tan/brown color. Harry walked ahead of the group, alert and watchful, stopping a cluster of boulders he climbed up onto them and waited for the others to catch up. Diablo emerged form the woods, he had been following all day, staying hidden to practice his hunting. The huge painted horse raced across the flat grassy hilltop, delighted to be out of the woods and on grasslands again.
It had been a hard day for his twelve fellow travelers. Their muscles were unused to such constant use and strain. Wizards had very little real physical activity, and they were weak because of it. Harry and forced them to keep a up a brisk pace all day long, and it had taken them most of the day to learn the powerful tireless walk of a true traveler. They had stopped very briefly for lunch, and for nothing else, the castle had long since vanished behind hills and trees, they had covered many miles.
"Lets see, Parvarti take out your map and see if you can find where we are." Parvarti did as the others all sat down on the rocks. She found their location easily, "okay, now you and Carol are going to lead everyone to our campsite for the night. It's marked on the maps. I have something's I must do; I'll meet you at the campsite. See if you can set up some sort of small shelter on your own." Harry said, then he leaped onto Diablo and they took off back over the hill.
It took another hour and a half to reach their campsite. It was in a small grove of trees, sheltered on two sides by steep hills. A small stream running off the hills splashed down a five-foot waterfall and into a small pool. The group set out their 'sleeping bags', which were of elven make. A layer of cloth on the inside, a very thin layer of fluff from the m'carzee plant, a relative of cotton, then an outer layer of cloth made from tightly woven vine fiber coated with a potion to make it water resistant. The sleeping bags weighed next to nothing and could be packed into bundles the size of a tennis shoe.
Having been taught how to set up a campsite by Harry they managed well. Hermione, Susan and Dawn began making dinner while Carol and Ron kept watch. Martha, Jay, and Draco went out exploring, to see what was about. The others, Seamus, Danton, Blaise and Parvarti dug a latrine well away from the water and began attempting to identify all the plants they could find from the guide books Harry had insisted they bring.
It was late in the evening when Harry arrived back in camp, on foot, having sent Diablo to the Palace. The sun had just set and the sky was a maroon/blue, the star just beginning to come out. The twelve were eating dinner, a special kind of pasta the dwarves liked to eat on long marches. It lasted forever so long as it was kept dry, was light weight, highly notorious, and had a faint garlic flavor to it.
Harry paused on the edge of the campsite, listening to Draco and Ron argue.
"You got dirt all over my sleeping bag." Ron snapped angrily.
"It's on the dirt Weasel."
"And it was clean until you went and walked all over it!"
"Okay, I stepped on the very corner of it, the end your feet go at, and the dirt can be brushed off." Draco replied, annoyed, Harry, disgusted by their petty arguing, decided to step in.
"Hello," everyone jumped, Draco, and Dawn leaped to their feet, wand out. "Very nice reflexes both of you, sit down." Harry said smiling at them, the two sat.
"Where did you go?" Ron asked curiously.
"As we traveled I sense a Gate near here," they all gave him confused looks.
"A what?" Hermione asked.
"A Gate, into the Ways, and unstable one that shouldn't be here. I closed it." Harry explained, sitting down with his back against a tree.
"You can control where those Gates appear?" Dawn asked him, he seemed to be very interested in the Ways.
"No, I can only try to, the Ways have accepted me though and they do what I say so I do have some control over them." Harry said, picking up his pack he went to the steep side of the cliff, he climbed up it and found a flat spot where he unrolled his sleeping bag. About five feet above them, with a steep hill at his back and an interrupted view of everything else.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the last of the pasta.
"I already did, I'll take first watch tonight, who wants second? We'll need two people."
"I will," Dawn volunteered.
"So will I," Ron said.
"Third watch?" Harry asked, Hermione and Draco volunteered for it, glared furiously at Draco, who ignored it for now.
Susan and Carol took fourth.
Harry came back, with a wave of his wand bright blue balls of light went zooming up into the trees about them while several other hover just overhead.
"When you're done with dinner take out the blank book I asked you to bring and we'll start working on a few healing spells. But before that you all need to write a paragraph about today's travel, so that when it comes time to write your report to send back to Hogwarts you'll have something started already. Who wants to write tonight?" Hermione volunteered and they started summarizing the day's travel.
** Harry sensed the darkness around midday; the darkness that he knew instantly was death eaters. It was the last day of their journey, this evening they would reach the elf lands, and he had expected to find some trace of the death eaters near the border, but had hoped to avoid them.
The group was doing very well, with minimal quarrels. Ron had managed to get dirt in Draco's breakfast and was accusing Draco of dripping a bit of ink on his pillow, Draco was angry at Ron for pushing aside a tree branch so that it snapped back in Draco's face.
"Everyone there are death eaters about, we'll have to careful, go quietly and try not to leave to many footprints, this way, step on the moss where you can." He led them off through the woods, forgetting about the trail.
"They could be anywhere." Ron's terrified whisper was painfully audible. "What'll we do?"
"You will be quiet, just follow my lead and let me worry about the death eaters." Harry replied, appearing beside them so suddenly that Ron jumped.
"If they attack?" Hermione asked him.
"Why should they? They don't know we're here, and they're not that close, over a mile away, I'm just taking another route around them. It's going to be a rougher trail be we'll reach the border sooner." Harry replied, and strode off into the forest again, the others following silently.
The group arrived at their campsite earlier than usual, having traveled faster and faster as their muscles grew stronger. A process aided by a strengthening potion Harry had slipped them their first morning on the trail at breakfast.
Draco was exploring, looking around the area near the campsite for bear dens of anything similar, when he thought he heard screams. Hurrying ahead across the flat hilltop he saw the edge of the hill, Harry's instructions about such a situation coming immediately to mind. *If you are suspicious about when is over the top or edge of a hill of cliff lie on your belly and crawl forward, never simply walk over standing up, you present a perfect target that way* Draco knelt down and crawled forward, again hearing screams blown to him by the wind. Looking over the edge of the hill he could see only shrubs and, further down, forest, and on the edge of the forest, an eighth of a mile or so away, was a tiny run-down shack. Curious he crawled back and went around, coming down the side of the hill and approaching cautiously.
Screams were coming from the shack, but heavy curtains covered the windows. Again Harry's advice came to mind. *be wary of any wards placed around any buildings you might find. Death Eaters use hard-to-detect wards to alert them of anyone approaching. *
"Lanirat Icantis Revealis," Draco whispered, pointing his wand at himself. With this spell he would be able to see just about any wards as masses of transparent colors coating the shack. There were none, though a dim blue light appeared, silencing charm, he thought, the spell he'd just used telling him instantly what spells he saw.
Five black robes figures were sitting on rickety chairs that looked like they might collapse at any moment. A person lay in the corner, *she's dead* Draco realized with shock. The screaming person was a young man chained to the low table. A sixth figure stood over him, as the figure straightened Draco saw the long black knife it held, dripping blood. Blood ran off the table, dripping onto the floor.
Draco jumped back, horrified, accidentally brushing against dried leaves blown up against the shack, the crackling pierced the air. Then he heard a chilling voice form inside the shack.
"Someone's out there, go, get him." Draco knew that voice, knew who it must be, Voldemort.
He ran around the back of the shack, running for the woods, terrified. He heard the door bang open, looking back he stumbled, catching a tree he steadied himself and ran on.
"Draco," he stopped, "up here," he looked up, ten feet or so above him a figure in black seemed to appear from the shadows of the tree trunk, standing on a branch. The figure drew and wand, an instant later Draco found himself up on the branch as well.
"Harry?" The other didn't reply, instead he leaped to another branch a bit higher up, another wave of his wand and the leaves on the branches and twigs about them grew larger, and more appeared, screening them from sight.
"Lena against the tree trunk, don't move and don't look at them, they will sense you staring." Draco obeyed instantly, for a few moments there was silence, al he could here was a soft breeze rustling the leaves, and the pounding of his own heart. Then voices.
"They've got to be here somewhere." It was in a frustrated way; he could hear people moving about below.
"If we don't find him Master will have a fit." Someone else said. Where had Harry gone? The branch above him was deserted. Draco looked around, but there was no sign of the other.
"Muggle you think?"
"No, well, it could be, but how would they get here?"
"Those things of theirs, planes?"
"Right, muggle then, no witch or wizard would be out here."
"What about an elf?"
"Imbecile! We haven't seen them in a month, and we're miles away from the border, why would they be out here?"
"Why not just cast a spell to locate them?" Draco tensed, his mind going blank with fear. He didn't even hear them cast the human detection spell, until the air around him started to glow red.
"Up there!"
"Stup-" The death eater was cut off abruptly as he was sent flying nearly forty feet back wards as Harry launched himself into the attack. His long black staff with its diamond orb whipped down to point to the death eaters.
"Xivar!" Sharp whistles rang out as a huge storm of ice shards was sent flying at the death eaters. Harry slammed the staff into the ground twice then made a furious motion with it, sending death eaters spinning everywhere, gashes appearing all over then. He held a hand out, their wand leaped into it, and shattered in mid air. Howls of dismay and pain filled the air. Harry made a quick motion with one arm, the death eaters were all sent tumbling backwards as if blown by a strong wind. They staggered to their feet again, Harry looked up into the trees, a grin suddenly appearing on his face, he advanced on the death eaters. Draco watched with interest and amazement at Harry's fighting.
"Hello young one, you alright?" Came a soft voice behind him.
Oooh cliffy, sorry, couldn't resist.
The vampire Dashim was in trouble, big time, the night that was his friend had become his opponent. Shadows changed everywhere he went, images of a shadow, hunting him. The shadows no longer wrapped themselves around him to conceal his presence from mortals, now they twisted away unnaturally, hiding instead of him, his hunter.
He hurried silently down the main street that ran through the run down little Venezuelan town. The mortals were mostly in bed, though a few of the homeless were curled in doorsteps and in the alleys. And he could sense a few still about, thieves and the like.
Who was hunting him? They did nothing to hide their presence from him, but he could not hear their footfalls, they made not a sound. His keen hearing and smell could not detect them, and he couldn't see them. He left the town and hurried into the woods, and immediately wished he had not. He could sense others in the trees, creatures of some sort, watching him, a soft rustle of tree branches, how many were there? What were they? What did they want with him? He hurried down the broad leaf-strewn path, knowing that he could not go back, they were probably blocking him, he glanced back in fear. No one, but he knew they were there. He turned again, and stopped, his eyes going wide. Ahead in the middle of the path stood a figure.
The figure was tall, about six feet, and thin. He could see long dark colored pants tucked into the tops of boots; the figure wore a long cloak that nearly swept the ground. But the moonlight was on the other's back and so he couldn't see the face. But then the figure move and he could see, very clearly, the huge bow, with an arrow on it, which slowly rose until it was aimed right at him. A whispered word of magic in a language he did not know, soft and deadly. The arrow burst into flame as it was fired. Dashim gasped and turned to duck, the arrow struck him right between the eyes, even his vampiric speed wasn't fast enough to out-do the master archer. He fell with a cry of agony as the arrow pierced his brain and hot flames leaped from the arrow to his dead flesh.
With a soft thunk and a rush of horrible pain a second flaming arrow embedded itself in his neck, just a second after the first with the same perfect aim and power. Blood spilled from him, covering his clothes and the ground as he collapsed. The flames from the first were in his hair, eating him, burning, his flesh turning to charred ash. Blood poured from his neck and the flesh around the wound blistered and burned from the heat.
Hiiissst Thunk! Simultaneously eight more flaming arrows hit him, fired from the surrounding woods by the unseen creatures that had been lurking there. With a soft rustling of leaves eight figures appeared from the trees. Jumping down form branches and sliding out from hiding places, they moved silently through the forest, seeming to glide noiselessly over the ground until they were all about the first one.
In the light from the burning vampire they were revealed to be elves, tall, thin, creatures with beautifully sculpted well-muscled bodies. Five females, four males, deadly fighters all. Each elf carried a large longbow covered with graceful curving runes and designs. Each bore a large quiver of arrows, a sword, and at least one knife. They were all dressed alike in forest colors with long hooded cloaks. Hoods thrown back they all wore their hair long, held back from their faces, their sharp features and elegantly point ears making them easily identified, they watched the dying vampire burn for a few moments before turning the first one, their leader. A male elf with long rich dark hair and gold eyes, an exquisitely beautiful creature who seemed to be in command, the others waiting for his directions. When he spoke it was in Lu'hyari, the melodious elven language.
"We have been in the mortal realms long enough, our people will be anxious to hear of our success, let us return quickly." Within moments the elves were gone into the woodlands down a tiny trail used by deer, towards the border of their own land.
All that remained of the vampire Dashim, one of Voldemort's favorite agents, were a few small bits of ash and blackened earth.
** The Hogwarts staff nodded in approval as Arya, smiling widely, let the feather drop back onto the desk. The mute girl could not say incantations like others, but under Harry's excellent tutoring she could still manage quite well. Having just shown them the levitation charm she had been working on for weeks.
"Excellent Arya, try turning that feather into a paintbrush." The headmaster said, his eyes sparkling, leaning against the high windowsill Harry smiled and nodded to her encouragingly. Arya's progress was slow and tedious, so far she showed not the faintest hint of telepathy, but with Harry's aid in focusing exercises she could work magic. War Mage meditations, and centering exercises were working miracles, and Harry was of the opinion that they should be included in the regular school system.
With a precise gesture of her wand, her brows knit with concentration, Arya focused on the feather. Harry reached out and read her magic as it focused on the feather, reading the instructions she was weaving into it, the weaves of magic that the unconscious basis of all transfiguration.
A few moments later a paintbrush lay on the desk. The staff applauded, pleased.
"Now, Harry has taught you the disarming spell?" The headmaster asked, Arya nodded, casting a anxious look at Harry. "Would you demonstrate?" He asked, there was a long pause. "On Severus?" Snape threw the headmaster a furious glare, but he stood and pulled out his wand. Arya gave Harry another look.
"Ah perhaps that isn't a good idea, Arya has.a surprising amount of power and talent with this spell." Harry trailed off, then turned to Arya as the staff all gave them curious looks. "Just do the spell lightly, and try not to draw blood." Snape blinked and almost stepped back, looking just a little nervous. Arya nodded then turned to him, she paused, concentrating, then her wand snapped down to point at him and a blast of power shot from it.
Snape yelped in pain as the spell hit his hand, the wand leaped form his hand into the air, Arya caught it as it sailed towards her. Snape held his wand hand with his other, wincing in pain, when it finally ceased he straightened and looked at Arya, shocked. Harry smirked; it was a slightly more advanced version of the disarming spell he himself had invented. And it could do serious damage, thankfully Arya could not yet do anymore then draw a little blood, and she would never be able to do much more, Harry could blow the person's hand off their body.
Arya handed Snape back his wand, she then demonstrated the tears charm on professor Vector, making her eyes water badly for a few minutes.
"Amazing Harry, I never though she would have progressed so far just since the start of term. Albus said after Arya left, very pleased with herself.
"She's a good pupil, but I think she will be at her best with animals, potions, and divination, and while she may have a excellent disarming spell curses and hexes really aren't her thing at all, and transfigurations, and charms, are difficult. Though she's quite good at the tripping jinx." Harry replied, proud of his student. "I've given her a list of some easy spells to work on, and tips for the ones that are done in class, for while I'm away."
"Her telepathy? How is that going?" McGonagal asked.
"Not well, she hasn't shown the slightest hint of it, not surprising, I haven't actually done and real probing in her magic or mind, and she's young for telepathy to be showing already, give it a few years and she may develop it, I'm trying to find the potion that should give me some idea of any potential she may have for it, and when we can expect it to start showing." He said, trying to think of where in the immense archives and libraries of the War mages that particular potion was hiding itself.
"Well don't stress over it too much, you've got that group to lead, which should be difficult enough. Granger, Weasely, and Malfoy, all in the same group, I truly pity you Harry." McGonagal said with a sigh. Harry's eyes glittered with amusement. The other teachers agreed as they left, leaving only McGonagal, Albus, and Severus.
"It should be interesting," Harry said in an almost-purr, a small devious smile on his lips. They all stared at him as he looked out the window, "perhaps they may just end up becoming friends after I'm though with them, who knows?" The slightly threatening tone didn't escape the teachers, but no one said anything, though several anxious looks were exchanged when they though he wasn't looking.
"If they have any sense they'll all be asleep right now, not plotting to annihilate each other. They'll need their energy for tomorrow, you're still intent on hiking straight through the forest?" Snape asked Harry.
"Yes I am, and they're all so deeply asleep they wouldn't notice the roof caving in, I drugged their drinks at dinner." He added with a sly grin. Albus chuckled, McGonagal's eyes widened and she frowned just a little, and Severus snorted.
"I think that nutty hat was right for once, you should have been a Slytherin."
"I only did it out of concern for their welfare." Harry said indignantly, they all gave him disbelieving looks and he finally smirked, "and to test an especially powerful sleep potion I found in the Grand Library. They'll all wake up at exactly 6:50 tomorrow morning."
** It was early evening when Harry led the troop of tired students out of the depths of the forest and up a steep trail onto a line of high grassy hills that stretched out until they reached the high snowy mountains around the castle. The breeze was cool and crisp; the thick grasses a tan/brown color. Harry walked ahead of the group, alert and watchful, stopping a cluster of boulders he climbed up onto them and waited for the others to catch up. Diablo emerged form the woods, he had been following all day, staying hidden to practice his hunting. The huge painted horse raced across the flat grassy hilltop, delighted to be out of the woods and on grasslands again.
It had been a hard day for his twelve fellow travelers. Their muscles were unused to such constant use and strain. Wizards had very little real physical activity, and they were weak because of it. Harry and forced them to keep a up a brisk pace all day long, and it had taken them most of the day to learn the powerful tireless walk of a true traveler. They had stopped very briefly for lunch, and for nothing else, the castle had long since vanished behind hills and trees, they had covered many miles.
"Lets see, Parvarti take out your map and see if you can find where we are." Parvarti did as the others all sat down on the rocks. She found their location easily, "okay, now you and Carol are going to lead everyone to our campsite for the night. It's marked on the maps. I have something's I must do; I'll meet you at the campsite. See if you can set up some sort of small shelter on your own." Harry said, then he leaped onto Diablo and they took off back over the hill.
It took another hour and a half to reach their campsite. It was in a small grove of trees, sheltered on two sides by steep hills. A small stream running off the hills splashed down a five-foot waterfall and into a small pool. The group set out their 'sleeping bags', which were of elven make. A layer of cloth on the inside, a very thin layer of fluff from the m'carzee plant, a relative of cotton, then an outer layer of cloth made from tightly woven vine fiber coated with a potion to make it water resistant. The sleeping bags weighed next to nothing and could be packed into bundles the size of a tennis shoe.
Having been taught how to set up a campsite by Harry they managed well. Hermione, Susan and Dawn began making dinner while Carol and Ron kept watch. Martha, Jay, and Draco went out exploring, to see what was about. The others, Seamus, Danton, Blaise and Parvarti dug a latrine well away from the water and began attempting to identify all the plants they could find from the guide books Harry had insisted they bring.
It was late in the evening when Harry arrived back in camp, on foot, having sent Diablo to the Palace. The sun had just set and the sky was a maroon/blue, the star just beginning to come out. The twelve were eating dinner, a special kind of pasta the dwarves liked to eat on long marches. It lasted forever so long as it was kept dry, was light weight, highly notorious, and had a faint garlic flavor to it.
Harry paused on the edge of the campsite, listening to Draco and Ron argue.
"You got dirt all over my sleeping bag." Ron snapped angrily.
"It's on the dirt Weasel."
"And it was clean until you went and walked all over it!"
"Okay, I stepped on the very corner of it, the end your feet go at, and the dirt can be brushed off." Draco replied, annoyed, Harry, disgusted by their petty arguing, decided to step in.
"Hello," everyone jumped, Draco, and Dawn leaped to their feet, wand out. "Very nice reflexes both of you, sit down." Harry said smiling at them, the two sat.
"Where did you go?" Ron asked curiously.
"As we traveled I sense a Gate near here," they all gave him confused looks.
"A what?" Hermione asked.
"A Gate, into the Ways, and unstable one that shouldn't be here. I closed it." Harry explained, sitting down with his back against a tree.
"You can control where those Gates appear?" Dawn asked him, he seemed to be very interested in the Ways.
"No, I can only try to, the Ways have accepted me though and they do what I say so I do have some control over them." Harry said, picking up his pack he went to the steep side of the cliff, he climbed up it and found a flat spot where he unrolled his sleeping bag. About five feet above them, with a steep hill at his back and an interrupted view of everything else.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the last of the pasta.
"I already did, I'll take first watch tonight, who wants second? We'll need two people."
"I will," Dawn volunteered.
"So will I," Ron said.
"Third watch?" Harry asked, Hermione and Draco volunteered for it, glared furiously at Draco, who ignored it for now.
Susan and Carol took fourth.
Harry came back, with a wave of his wand bright blue balls of light went zooming up into the trees about them while several other hover just overhead.
"When you're done with dinner take out the blank book I asked you to bring and we'll start working on a few healing spells. But before that you all need to write a paragraph about today's travel, so that when it comes time to write your report to send back to Hogwarts you'll have something started already. Who wants to write tonight?" Hermione volunteered and they started summarizing the day's travel.
** Harry sensed the darkness around midday; the darkness that he knew instantly was death eaters. It was the last day of their journey, this evening they would reach the elf lands, and he had expected to find some trace of the death eaters near the border, but had hoped to avoid them.
The group was doing very well, with minimal quarrels. Ron had managed to get dirt in Draco's breakfast and was accusing Draco of dripping a bit of ink on his pillow, Draco was angry at Ron for pushing aside a tree branch so that it snapped back in Draco's face.
"Everyone there are death eaters about, we'll have to careful, go quietly and try not to leave to many footprints, this way, step on the moss where you can." He led them off through the woods, forgetting about the trail.
"They could be anywhere." Ron's terrified whisper was painfully audible. "What'll we do?"
"You will be quiet, just follow my lead and let me worry about the death eaters." Harry replied, appearing beside them so suddenly that Ron jumped.
"If they attack?" Hermione asked him.
"Why should they? They don't know we're here, and they're not that close, over a mile away, I'm just taking another route around them. It's going to be a rougher trail be we'll reach the border sooner." Harry replied, and strode off into the forest again, the others following silently.
The group arrived at their campsite earlier than usual, having traveled faster and faster as their muscles grew stronger. A process aided by a strengthening potion Harry had slipped them their first morning on the trail at breakfast.
Draco was exploring, looking around the area near the campsite for bear dens of anything similar, when he thought he heard screams. Hurrying ahead across the flat hilltop he saw the edge of the hill, Harry's instructions about such a situation coming immediately to mind. *If you are suspicious about when is over the top or edge of a hill of cliff lie on your belly and crawl forward, never simply walk over standing up, you present a perfect target that way* Draco knelt down and crawled forward, again hearing screams blown to him by the wind. Looking over the edge of the hill he could see only shrubs and, further down, forest, and on the edge of the forest, an eighth of a mile or so away, was a tiny run-down shack. Curious he crawled back and went around, coming down the side of the hill and approaching cautiously.
Screams were coming from the shack, but heavy curtains covered the windows. Again Harry's advice came to mind. *be wary of any wards placed around any buildings you might find. Death Eaters use hard-to-detect wards to alert them of anyone approaching. *
"Lanirat Icantis Revealis," Draco whispered, pointing his wand at himself. With this spell he would be able to see just about any wards as masses of transparent colors coating the shack. There were none, though a dim blue light appeared, silencing charm, he thought, the spell he'd just used telling him instantly what spells he saw.
Five black robes figures were sitting on rickety chairs that looked like they might collapse at any moment. A person lay in the corner, *she's dead* Draco realized with shock. The screaming person was a young man chained to the low table. A sixth figure stood over him, as the figure straightened Draco saw the long black knife it held, dripping blood. Blood ran off the table, dripping onto the floor.
Draco jumped back, horrified, accidentally brushing against dried leaves blown up against the shack, the crackling pierced the air. Then he heard a chilling voice form inside the shack.
"Someone's out there, go, get him." Draco knew that voice, knew who it must be, Voldemort.
He ran around the back of the shack, running for the woods, terrified. He heard the door bang open, looking back he stumbled, catching a tree he steadied himself and ran on.
"Draco," he stopped, "up here," he looked up, ten feet or so above him a figure in black seemed to appear from the shadows of the tree trunk, standing on a branch. The figure drew and wand, an instant later Draco found himself up on the branch as well.
"Harry?" The other didn't reply, instead he leaped to another branch a bit higher up, another wave of his wand and the leaves on the branches and twigs about them grew larger, and more appeared, screening them from sight.
"Lena against the tree trunk, don't move and don't look at them, they will sense you staring." Draco obeyed instantly, for a few moments there was silence, al he could here was a soft breeze rustling the leaves, and the pounding of his own heart. Then voices.
"They've got to be here somewhere." It was in a frustrated way; he could hear people moving about below.
"If we don't find him Master will have a fit." Someone else said. Where had Harry gone? The branch above him was deserted. Draco looked around, but there was no sign of the other.
"Muggle you think?"
"No, well, it could be, but how would they get here?"
"Those things of theirs, planes?"
"Right, muggle then, no witch or wizard would be out here."
"What about an elf?"
"Imbecile! We haven't seen them in a month, and we're miles away from the border, why would they be out here?"
"Why not just cast a spell to locate them?" Draco tensed, his mind going blank with fear. He didn't even hear them cast the human detection spell, until the air around him started to glow red.
"Up there!"
"Stup-" The death eater was cut off abruptly as he was sent flying nearly forty feet back wards as Harry launched himself into the attack. His long black staff with its diamond orb whipped down to point to the death eaters.
"Xivar!" Sharp whistles rang out as a huge storm of ice shards was sent flying at the death eaters. Harry slammed the staff into the ground twice then made a furious motion with it, sending death eaters spinning everywhere, gashes appearing all over then. He held a hand out, their wand leaped into it, and shattered in mid air. Howls of dismay and pain filled the air. Harry made a quick motion with one arm, the death eaters were all sent tumbling backwards as if blown by a strong wind. They staggered to their feet again, Harry looked up into the trees, a grin suddenly appearing on his face, he advanced on the death eaters. Draco watched with interest and amazement at Harry's fighting.
"Hello young one, you alright?" Came a soft voice behind him.
Oooh cliffy, sorry, couldn't resist.