The wind began to rush against the trio in what seemed like gun blasted
bursts of air. Draco clung to a nearby tree. Harry and Ron had been pushed
back against a wall of the Dark Wood Willows.
"Where is this wind coming from, Malfoy?" Harry barked but it only sounded like a muffled voice that not even Ron could hear. The entire swamp was domed over with black trees with large black drooping leaves so no gale this strong could be blowing from any direction. The odder thing was the leaves that belonged to the strange colored trees were as still as stone.
As sudden as it came it was gone again. Draco's breath had nearly been sucked from him and he was gasping, leaning again the rickety tree he had been holding onto. He would have stayed. He would have waited out as long as he had to until the house reappeared but he knew better. "We aren't supposed to be here. There's nothing for us here," he whispered. The tree began trembling under his hand.
Draco's hair stood up on the back of his head. He began looking franticly looking for the exit to the outside world but since it had closed, every wall looked the same. It was all one big mess of tangled branches and leaves. The trunks were all pressed firmly together as well.
"Harry!" he shouted. "Where did we come in at?"
Harry looked around his shoulder then did a 360 and looked back at Draco with a baffled look on his face.
"Malfoy you've got us lost, have you?" Ron said, in his usual insulting tone but he was also looking a little worried. The red head ran his hands up and along the closest wall. "This is probably a trap you've lead us into!"
This was a foolish statement for Draco was the more nervous of them all as he felt the walls beginning to throb with intense life now. The Malfoy's hands were now clasped on the handle of his blade. "Get out your wands. I didn't expect the house to be gone," his said, his voice rising with every passing word. He meant to tempt them. It was the only way. "These Willows are wild now and I have no control of them. The house tamed them and they were enchanted to obey us since they were planted but now the house is gone. They destroy anything they feel is a threat. Something must have happened to make them really pissed."
Harry had already pulled out his wand before Draco had to say anything and was looking around with his war face on. Ron on the other hand had pulled his out too but was brandishing it at Draco's befuddled face. "I don't believe that. I think you've led us into this place to kill us."
"Ron! The trees are alive! Can't you feel them?" Harry said but Ron paid no mind and prepared to curse Draco. He was lifted off his feet before he could utter a syllable. One of the Dark Wood's had lifted Ron up by his ankles with one its leafy vines and he dropped his wand.
Something loud and very OLD sounding came from all around them, as if the trees were talking to each other in different toned complaints. "Weasley," Draco called above the noise, "look for the door up there! There should be light through the leaves up there somewhere."
"Shut up you traitor," Ron bellowed trying to repel the other vines that were closing in on him. He paid no attention to Draco's desperate pleas.
Meanwhile Harry was running to help Ron, wand raised. The ground shifted under his feet and giant roots that had been sticking up from the ground rose out of the stinky swamp, scaring off the wild life that had been inhabited under its shade. The tree had obviously been rooted for quite some time as the tentacle looking things groaned when they wrapped themselves around Harry's torso. Harry quickly pulled himself up out of the tunnel it was creating around him but the tree locked its tight wooden grasp around his lower leg and raised him high into the air.
"Malfoy," Harry said, pointing to the left of Draco. "I see it! Over there near those rocks! WHOA!" He was jerked backwards and hit his back against another tree, stunning him. The tree he had run into actually came to life and turned Harry towards it.
Its eyes were wide and yellow but looked nothing like a cat's. It looked like someone had thrown a bucket of brown paint inside its iris's and then stuck large purple toothpicks in them to make the iris shaped like an umbrella. His nose was just one big crooked branch and his mouth formed shortly after with sharp wooden teeth.
It didn't look at Harry directly but at the blond haired boy in the green sweater that was racing towards the exit. Its vines shot out like a fired bullet and wrapped its leafy vines around his ankle. He fell face first in the smelly mud and nearly choked on it if the tree wouldn't have pulled him up. Draco used his new strength he had acquired at the Weasley's to pull himself up and slice the vines and he hurled back into the mud. The tree screamed with madness and that seemed to wake the others up. In a matter of seconds several yellow eyes glowed at Draco. He froze like a rabbit in fear.
"ARGH!" Ron choked, thrashing in the air. He almost looked like he was being held in the air by thin black wires. The vines were beginning to wrap around his neck and squeeze at a geriatric pace. "HARRY HELP!"
"RUN!" Harry screamed, snapping Draco out of his trance.
Vines shot at him from nearly every direction and he tumbled out of control a few times, trying to hack away at what felt like a million ropes lassoed out to hold him down but he wouldn't be held by anything anymore. He wasn't going to have to go back to Mrs. Weasley and tell her he had left her son to die and he was to be damned if Hermione was going to be left to his mother, alone and frightened. Even if he was to die, he would rather die protecting her.
He stabbed the thin baby Dark Wood Willow's that were on their way to making another sturdy wall and ripped them to the side. The outside was bright but Draco had paid no attention as he dashed to the side to avoid part if a branch from crushing him. He quickly hopped on Harry's Firebolt that was propped up against an old oak tree, the dagger jutting defiantly in front of him as if he were riding off into battle.
The trees were extremely mad since Draco had destroyed their most recent Willows and had begun to lean in, making the dome smaller and smaller. The speed of the magnificent broomstick was enthralling to him though there wasn't anywhere to fly or any time for that matter. Ron's face was turning blue and the tree had focused on Harry now who had been wrapped neck to toe in roots and he was getting very near to the tree's jagged teeth.
Draco sliced the vines on Ron's neck and dropped him to the ground at a lower altitude. "Weasley," he shouted, hovering near him. "When I cut you down YOU HAVE TO STUN THE TREE WITH YOUR WAND! LISTEN TO ME! I will catch Potter, just stun the damned TREE!"
Ron shot him a look of contempt but seen Harry and how close he was to being food for a tree and nodded his head without looking at Draco. He dashed off through the puddles of green swamp water to seek his wand out. He hardly had any room to rise now since the trees were closing on them so quickly. Branches slapped at Draco in nearly every direction he flew to but he had also been a seeker and it was beginning to be fun for him as the stealthy broom did most of the work for him. This was no times for games though.
Harry had passed out from being squeezed so hard and the scarred boy hung limply above its mouth.
"Weasley WHERE ARE YOU?"
From the fog that covered the ground, a voice belonging to Ron screamed, "CRUCIO!"
The two men who hadn't passed out in the roots of a giant living tree had never heard such a depressing sound in their entire lives. It was as if the earth itself was in a terrible pain and the sound of their cries sounded like a woman's muffled sobs echoing through empty halls. Ron however held fast to the curse with a look of pure hatred on his face. Where the vines had been on his neck left a nearly purple mark and had bled in some places. Ron was clutching the wound with his unused hand.
Draco swooped closely in between the jaws of Harry's capture and caught him. The other trees were howling their sad song even louder now as the older trees writhed with pain.
"Weasley, get on," Draco said, struggling to hold Harry on the broom and hold on himself.
Ron glared at the tree that was seemed to have a never ending voice of pain. "I don't need anymore of your help, you stupid ferret."
Draco's face flushed with anger at Weasley for the first time. Since he had arrived at the Burrow he had been under control but no more. He had always wished he had never known a Weasley but to let him just die here and under such stupid conditions, when Draco could use his help, was unthinkable. Ron was just being a stubborn child. Draco bit down on the collar of Harry's robes and leaned over him and pressing him against the broom so he didn't wobble. When he was sure he could hold Harry on Draco snatched Ron by the arm, and held on to the broom for dear life.
Draco was thanking his lucky stars that he didn't have to fly high because the broom was struggling enough carrying him and Harry, let a lone the red head on it's tail that was fighting Draco to let him go.
The Cruciatus Curse had lifted from the Dark Wood Willow tree and the agony that had glazed over its eyes was gone and rage had taken its place. It pulled all of its roots with all the strength it could muster and broke apart the entire dome the trees had been created for years.
Ron was doused with water and his feet were skimming along the rocky, mossy ground. "We all mosst 'ere," Draco muttered, his drool hanging down the side of his mouth as he tried to hold on Harry with his teeth and assure Ron who was calling him every curse word he could think of that there was hope. It really wasn't far now. He could see the light welcoming him.
If he had been facing the tree Draco would have also seen what Ron had shut up to watch with wide, tear filled eyes. "FLY YOU BASTARD! FLY FASTER! GO!" He screamed, running his brown shoes along the slick mud.
The oldest of the old Dark Wood Willow tree's had de-rooted itself therefore had lost its life and was falling on the slow moving broom as fast as gravity could pull it. Its mouth was wide open and the tree looked like it was snarling at them even in it's paralyzed like state.
Draco only had to take one look over his shoulder and he was kicking at the broom like a horse. He leaned forward, hoping the less wind resistance they had the better but it didn't seem to make much difference.
"LET GO OF ME, MALFOY!" Ron screamed. "YOU CAN GET HARRY OUT IF YOU LET ME GO!"
Draco had no time to think and nodded. He jerked to the side over a large hole of swamp water and let the Weasley boy go. The broom load was incredibly lightened and he zoomed out of the damaged tree swamp with what would have taken much longer with three.
When the tree landed it made the entire forest rumble and the gale of wind hit the two flying very hard, knocking them both off the broom. Draco spent to time checking on Harry. He dashed back into dome where all the trees had become still.
"RON WEASLEY! RON!" Draco hollered over the calls of the birds. He dove through the leaves and branches of the fallen willow and into the muggy waters. It was knee deep in some parts and in others it was so deep he couldn't touch with his tippie-toes. "WEASLEY! WEASLEY! RON!"
"Don't say my name as if I were your friend, Malfoy," said Ron, who was sitting on a rock that was jutting out of the water. He had a huge bubble around his head and a smile on his face. He had used to breathe under the deep waters while the tree fell.
They didn't say much as they walked back with slow strides. They had both been heroes of the hour and both had been brave. There was no more competition between the two but there wasn't friendship either. Ron and Draco had just called it a truce for now.
Harry wasn't in such good shape as they had been. He was awake but two of his lower ribs had been broken from the tree's strong grip. He wished now that he would just fall asleep again. At least then he wouldn't be feeling such a sharp pain in his chest.
Ron took off his sweater and wadded it up to provide a pillow for his best friend. "Are you ok Harry?"
"I've seen better days," he said in a low tone.
"I would heal you but I was never really that good at it. If Hermione were here she could," Ron said sadly trying not to look at Draco because he didn't want to say anything to annoy Harry.
The trio as a whole was looking meager. Ron's neck was totally bruised and bleeding, with small splinters here and there. Parts of his arms were no different. Harry was not only broken in places but his breathing didn't sound healthy. It came out in small raspy gasps. His eyes were dull and glazed over. Draco had come out luckiest with only a few scratches but his leg muscles were tight and it hurt him to kneel. All of them had torn their clothes and were caked with mud from head to toe.
"I hate trees," Ron declared. "I don't have any luck with trees! Well," he said, with poor enthusiasm, "at least I didn't break my wand this time." He pulled it out and leaned against the same beach tree as Harry and closed his eyes. The tired black haired boy turned his head towards Draco and eyed him with have closed lids. Draco wasn't being as relaxed (or as unobservant) as Ron was. His gray-blue eyes were wide with curiosity as he took slow baby steps toward a part of the swamp that was still visible from outside of the willow trees.
"What is it?" Harry asked, trying to sit up. A fiery pain shot through him and he grunted, smothering his cry. Sitting wouldn't help him at all anyway. Just then Harry felt the earth tremor slightly and then stop. "Did you feel that?" he snapped, his teeth still clenched in agony.
Draco raised his pointer finger to his lips and shrugged his shoulders. He had felt it but he was eyeing something else. The water that was coming out from under the giant fallen willow seemed to boil and so did the mud but there was no steam to indicate anything was hot.
A giant tower began to rise quickly up out of the black muck. The other tower on their far end rose along with it. The middle of the giant building began growing out of the ground last but with more speed then towers. The birthing of this house from the ground ripped every single Willow tree out of its roots. Its stones were completely clean from any filth however. The ground was trembling like there was an earthquake going on. The giant tree was now resting atop the roof of the Malfoy Manor.
"Ah-ha," said Ron softly to Draco, whose nose had almost been taken off by the sudden unexpected arrival, "so THIS is your house, eh?"
**
I know I said there would be one more chapter but I kinda drew this one out longer then I had expected ^-^ so i decided to split them up. It would make it much for comfortable for you all too I'm sure. No one likes to read 14 pages (in Word) worth of post in one sitting I'm sure. Anyway I hope this chapter can hold you over for awhile until I get the end finished cause it's still going to be a long last chapter. Enjoi ^-^
"Where is this wind coming from, Malfoy?" Harry barked but it only sounded like a muffled voice that not even Ron could hear. The entire swamp was domed over with black trees with large black drooping leaves so no gale this strong could be blowing from any direction. The odder thing was the leaves that belonged to the strange colored trees were as still as stone.
As sudden as it came it was gone again. Draco's breath had nearly been sucked from him and he was gasping, leaning again the rickety tree he had been holding onto. He would have stayed. He would have waited out as long as he had to until the house reappeared but he knew better. "We aren't supposed to be here. There's nothing for us here," he whispered. The tree began trembling under his hand.
Draco's hair stood up on the back of his head. He began looking franticly looking for the exit to the outside world but since it had closed, every wall looked the same. It was all one big mess of tangled branches and leaves. The trunks were all pressed firmly together as well.
"Harry!" he shouted. "Where did we come in at?"
Harry looked around his shoulder then did a 360 and looked back at Draco with a baffled look on his face.
"Malfoy you've got us lost, have you?" Ron said, in his usual insulting tone but he was also looking a little worried. The red head ran his hands up and along the closest wall. "This is probably a trap you've lead us into!"
This was a foolish statement for Draco was the more nervous of them all as he felt the walls beginning to throb with intense life now. The Malfoy's hands were now clasped on the handle of his blade. "Get out your wands. I didn't expect the house to be gone," his said, his voice rising with every passing word. He meant to tempt them. It was the only way. "These Willows are wild now and I have no control of them. The house tamed them and they were enchanted to obey us since they were planted but now the house is gone. They destroy anything they feel is a threat. Something must have happened to make them really pissed."
Harry had already pulled out his wand before Draco had to say anything and was looking around with his war face on. Ron on the other hand had pulled his out too but was brandishing it at Draco's befuddled face. "I don't believe that. I think you've led us into this place to kill us."
"Ron! The trees are alive! Can't you feel them?" Harry said but Ron paid no mind and prepared to curse Draco. He was lifted off his feet before he could utter a syllable. One of the Dark Wood's had lifted Ron up by his ankles with one its leafy vines and he dropped his wand.
Something loud and very OLD sounding came from all around them, as if the trees were talking to each other in different toned complaints. "Weasley," Draco called above the noise, "look for the door up there! There should be light through the leaves up there somewhere."
"Shut up you traitor," Ron bellowed trying to repel the other vines that were closing in on him. He paid no attention to Draco's desperate pleas.
Meanwhile Harry was running to help Ron, wand raised. The ground shifted under his feet and giant roots that had been sticking up from the ground rose out of the stinky swamp, scaring off the wild life that had been inhabited under its shade. The tree had obviously been rooted for quite some time as the tentacle looking things groaned when they wrapped themselves around Harry's torso. Harry quickly pulled himself up out of the tunnel it was creating around him but the tree locked its tight wooden grasp around his lower leg and raised him high into the air.
"Malfoy," Harry said, pointing to the left of Draco. "I see it! Over there near those rocks! WHOA!" He was jerked backwards and hit his back against another tree, stunning him. The tree he had run into actually came to life and turned Harry towards it.
Its eyes were wide and yellow but looked nothing like a cat's. It looked like someone had thrown a bucket of brown paint inside its iris's and then stuck large purple toothpicks in them to make the iris shaped like an umbrella. His nose was just one big crooked branch and his mouth formed shortly after with sharp wooden teeth.
It didn't look at Harry directly but at the blond haired boy in the green sweater that was racing towards the exit. Its vines shot out like a fired bullet and wrapped its leafy vines around his ankle. He fell face first in the smelly mud and nearly choked on it if the tree wouldn't have pulled him up. Draco used his new strength he had acquired at the Weasley's to pull himself up and slice the vines and he hurled back into the mud. The tree screamed with madness and that seemed to wake the others up. In a matter of seconds several yellow eyes glowed at Draco. He froze like a rabbit in fear.
"ARGH!" Ron choked, thrashing in the air. He almost looked like he was being held in the air by thin black wires. The vines were beginning to wrap around his neck and squeeze at a geriatric pace. "HARRY HELP!"
"RUN!" Harry screamed, snapping Draco out of his trance.
Vines shot at him from nearly every direction and he tumbled out of control a few times, trying to hack away at what felt like a million ropes lassoed out to hold him down but he wouldn't be held by anything anymore. He wasn't going to have to go back to Mrs. Weasley and tell her he had left her son to die and he was to be damned if Hermione was going to be left to his mother, alone and frightened. Even if he was to die, he would rather die protecting her.
He stabbed the thin baby Dark Wood Willow's that were on their way to making another sturdy wall and ripped them to the side. The outside was bright but Draco had paid no attention as he dashed to the side to avoid part if a branch from crushing him. He quickly hopped on Harry's Firebolt that was propped up against an old oak tree, the dagger jutting defiantly in front of him as if he were riding off into battle.
The trees were extremely mad since Draco had destroyed their most recent Willows and had begun to lean in, making the dome smaller and smaller. The speed of the magnificent broomstick was enthralling to him though there wasn't anywhere to fly or any time for that matter. Ron's face was turning blue and the tree had focused on Harry now who had been wrapped neck to toe in roots and he was getting very near to the tree's jagged teeth.
Draco sliced the vines on Ron's neck and dropped him to the ground at a lower altitude. "Weasley," he shouted, hovering near him. "When I cut you down YOU HAVE TO STUN THE TREE WITH YOUR WAND! LISTEN TO ME! I will catch Potter, just stun the damned TREE!"
Ron shot him a look of contempt but seen Harry and how close he was to being food for a tree and nodded his head without looking at Draco. He dashed off through the puddles of green swamp water to seek his wand out. He hardly had any room to rise now since the trees were closing on them so quickly. Branches slapped at Draco in nearly every direction he flew to but he had also been a seeker and it was beginning to be fun for him as the stealthy broom did most of the work for him. This was no times for games though.
Harry had passed out from being squeezed so hard and the scarred boy hung limply above its mouth.
"Weasley WHERE ARE YOU?"
From the fog that covered the ground, a voice belonging to Ron screamed, "CRUCIO!"
The two men who hadn't passed out in the roots of a giant living tree had never heard such a depressing sound in their entire lives. It was as if the earth itself was in a terrible pain and the sound of their cries sounded like a woman's muffled sobs echoing through empty halls. Ron however held fast to the curse with a look of pure hatred on his face. Where the vines had been on his neck left a nearly purple mark and had bled in some places. Ron was clutching the wound with his unused hand.
Draco swooped closely in between the jaws of Harry's capture and caught him. The other trees were howling their sad song even louder now as the older trees writhed with pain.
"Weasley, get on," Draco said, struggling to hold Harry on the broom and hold on himself.
Ron glared at the tree that was seemed to have a never ending voice of pain. "I don't need anymore of your help, you stupid ferret."
Draco's face flushed with anger at Weasley for the first time. Since he had arrived at the Burrow he had been under control but no more. He had always wished he had never known a Weasley but to let him just die here and under such stupid conditions, when Draco could use his help, was unthinkable. Ron was just being a stubborn child. Draco bit down on the collar of Harry's robes and leaned over him and pressing him against the broom so he didn't wobble. When he was sure he could hold Harry on Draco snatched Ron by the arm, and held on to the broom for dear life.
Draco was thanking his lucky stars that he didn't have to fly high because the broom was struggling enough carrying him and Harry, let a lone the red head on it's tail that was fighting Draco to let him go.
The Cruciatus Curse had lifted from the Dark Wood Willow tree and the agony that had glazed over its eyes was gone and rage had taken its place. It pulled all of its roots with all the strength it could muster and broke apart the entire dome the trees had been created for years.
Ron was doused with water and his feet were skimming along the rocky, mossy ground. "We all mosst 'ere," Draco muttered, his drool hanging down the side of his mouth as he tried to hold on Harry with his teeth and assure Ron who was calling him every curse word he could think of that there was hope. It really wasn't far now. He could see the light welcoming him.
If he had been facing the tree Draco would have also seen what Ron had shut up to watch with wide, tear filled eyes. "FLY YOU BASTARD! FLY FASTER! GO!" He screamed, running his brown shoes along the slick mud.
The oldest of the old Dark Wood Willow tree's had de-rooted itself therefore had lost its life and was falling on the slow moving broom as fast as gravity could pull it. Its mouth was wide open and the tree looked like it was snarling at them even in it's paralyzed like state.
Draco only had to take one look over his shoulder and he was kicking at the broom like a horse. He leaned forward, hoping the less wind resistance they had the better but it didn't seem to make much difference.
"LET GO OF ME, MALFOY!" Ron screamed. "YOU CAN GET HARRY OUT IF YOU LET ME GO!"
Draco had no time to think and nodded. He jerked to the side over a large hole of swamp water and let the Weasley boy go. The broom load was incredibly lightened and he zoomed out of the damaged tree swamp with what would have taken much longer with three.
When the tree landed it made the entire forest rumble and the gale of wind hit the two flying very hard, knocking them both off the broom. Draco spent to time checking on Harry. He dashed back into dome where all the trees had become still.
"RON WEASLEY! RON!" Draco hollered over the calls of the birds. He dove through the leaves and branches of the fallen willow and into the muggy waters. It was knee deep in some parts and in others it was so deep he couldn't touch with his tippie-toes. "WEASLEY! WEASLEY! RON!"
"Don't say my name as if I were your friend, Malfoy," said Ron, who was sitting on a rock that was jutting out of the water. He had a huge bubble around his head and a smile on his face. He had used to breathe under the deep waters while the tree fell.
They didn't say much as they walked back with slow strides. They had both been heroes of the hour and both had been brave. There was no more competition between the two but there wasn't friendship either. Ron and Draco had just called it a truce for now.
Harry wasn't in such good shape as they had been. He was awake but two of his lower ribs had been broken from the tree's strong grip. He wished now that he would just fall asleep again. At least then he wouldn't be feeling such a sharp pain in his chest.
Ron took off his sweater and wadded it up to provide a pillow for his best friend. "Are you ok Harry?"
"I've seen better days," he said in a low tone.
"I would heal you but I was never really that good at it. If Hermione were here she could," Ron said sadly trying not to look at Draco because he didn't want to say anything to annoy Harry.
The trio as a whole was looking meager. Ron's neck was totally bruised and bleeding, with small splinters here and there. Parts of his arms were no different. Harry was not only broken in places but his breathing didn't sound healthy. It came out in small raspy gasps. His eyes were dull and glazed over. Draco had come out luckiest with only a few scratches but his leg muscles were tight and it hurt him to kneel. All of them had torn their clothes and were caked with mud from head to toe.
"I hate trees," Ron declared. "I don't have any luck with trees! Well," he said, with poor enthusiasm, "at least I didn't break my wand this time." He pulled it out and leaned against the same beach tree as Harry and closed his eyes. The tired black haired boy turned his head towards Draco and eyed him with have closed lids. Draco wasn't being as relaxed (or as unobservant) as Ron was. His gray-blue eyes were wide with curiosity as he took slow baby steps toward a part of the swamp that was still visible from outside of the willow trees.
"What is it?" Harry asked, trying to sit up. A fiery pain shot through him and he grunted, smothering his cry. Sitting wouldn't help him at all anyway. Just then Harry felt the earth tremor slightly and then stop. "Did you feel that?" he snapped, his teeth still clenched in agony.
Draco raised his pointer finger to his lips and shrugged his shoulders. He had felt it but he was eyeing something else. The water that was coming out from under the giant fallen willow seemed to boil and so did the mud but there was no steam to indicate anything was hot.
A giant tower began to rise quickly up out of the black muck. The other tower on their far end rose along with it. The middle of the giant building began growing out of the ground last but with more speed then towers. The birthing of this house from the ground ripped every single Willow tree out of its roots. Its stones were completely clean from any filth however. The ground was trembling like there was an earthquake going on. The giant tree was now resting atop the roof of the Malfoy Manor.
"Ah-ha," said Ron softly to Draco, whose nose had almost been taken off by the sudden unexpected arrival, "so THIS is your house, eh?"
**
I know I said there would be one more chapter but I kinda drew this one out longer then I had expected ^-^ so i decided to split them up. It would make it much for comfortable for you all too I'm sure. No one likes to read 14 pages (in Word) worth of post in one sitting I'm sure. Anyway I hope this chapter can hold you over for awhile until I get the end finished cause it's still going to be a long last chapter. Enjoi ^-^
