The Mutated Amagi Chronicles

Chapter Five: Revelation

The group, caught up in the chase, didn't notice the absence of one of their own. As they dashed through the winding chambers of the fort, they noticed that they were not going in the direction that they came from, but close. Their final destination was the Southwest corner of the fort. There, the beast began to slow, as if exhausted from its flight.
"It's slowing down! Everyone, ready Stupify curses! We must get this beast alive!" Sirius Black bolstered the morale of the remaining members.
Suddenly, they came out into one of the larger chambers in the fort. The beast, though cornered as it was, was still fighting its fate. Charging towards the group, it managed to scatter some of its members. But Sirius and 5tR4N63r stood firm, and the unknown creature ricocheted off them back into the corner.
"On my mark... MARK!!"
"STUPIFY!"
Three fiery red bolts stuck the creature simultaneously, yet, instead of dropping unconscious, it crumbled into a fine powder, disappearing into the cracks of the fort.
"What the..."
"Impossible!"
"SEYMORE!!!"
"From the situation, I would say it was not me by any means."
"THEN WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAPPENED HERE?!"
"Calm down, Captain. I will tell you when we are all slightly calmer than we are now."

A prolonged pause...

"All ... right, Seymour, I ... think we've all ... calmed down now." Sirius Black struggled to contain his obvious frustration. "Due to the lack of ... time available, can you ... tell us ... WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAPPENED HERE?!"
"Yes, sir, captain." 5tR4N63r nonchalantly replied, maintaining a sanguine posture throughout Sirius's tantrum. "Now, if you examine what happened here, you can see that THIS mysterious being was obviously a distraction to lure us away."
"Alright, I'll bite." Sirius signed in defeat. "Away from what?"
"If you take the time to count the group members, you'll realize it in a heartbeat." 5tR4N63r smugly replied.
"What are you talking about, Seymour?" Madam Yi inquired.
"Count our comrades and you will see."
"Let's see, there's me, Sirius, Madam Yi..." Hermirone began counting, "umm... is it 5tR4N63r or Seymour? Seymour? Ok, Seymour... Ron's not here because he's been captured, and Harry... Wait, where IS Harry?"
There was a few seconds of silence as the unpleasant reality set in.
"How can I have been so STUPID?! My own godson, and I don't know when he's missing..." Sirius howled in anger.
"Now, now, captain. Lamenting over past mistakes will not help in our current scenario." 5tR4N63r tried to comfort Sirius. "It is best that we search for Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley now, rather than condemn ourselves for losing them."
"You're right, as always. I've been acting like a fool." Sirius rose unsteadily from the floor. "It's just that... If I lose Harry, I don't know what I'll say to Lily and James..."
"Do not spend valuable time worrying about such trivial matters. We WILL find them."
"Alright then. Hunters, I declare we go back the way we came and continue from the spot we were at before that... thing charged us." Sirius seemed to have finally regained a portion of his faith in himself.
"If I may interrupt..." Hermirone nervously mumbled as they began walking back, "That... thing was a simulacrum, right?"
"Excellent observation, Hermirone." 5tR4N63r responded. "Now, can you tell us exactly what a simulacrum is?"
"A simulacrum is a magical construct created by using a combination of various elements. If crafted and deployed by a magic-user well educated in its uses, it can effectively become a copy of anything for an amount of time, depending on the skill and time used in the creation." Hermirone rattled off exactly as she did when she was studying in Hogwarts.
"That is the most complete description of simulacra I have ever heard." StRaNgEr commented. Hermirone blushed a deep crimson.
"Umm... While this is quite instructive, we need your attention back at our current crisis, if you don't mind..." Madam Yi interrupted.
They had reached a fork in the corridors. One was once lavishly layered with antiques and oil paintings, and the other appeared to have once been the servant's walkway, drab and rather uninteresting.
"Now, anybody remember which way we had come?" Sirius impatiently questioned what remained of the team.
"I don't know... I ran by so fast that everything's a blur in my memory..." Madam Yi pondered to herself.
"Excuse me, but wouldn't something as bold as that magnificent hallway have imprinted itself into our minds? I don't remember anything like that..." Hermirone thought out loud.
"Hermirone is correct. I, also, do not recall anything like that corridor. I suggest we take the other corridor and do not attempt what lead us to another trap." 5tR4N63r supplemented.
"Then it's settled. We take the plain-looking hallway. Let's go!" Sirius led the group into the darkness as they resumed in their search for their missing members.

Elsewhere, Harry Potter had reached the higher levels of the fort. The climb was exhausting, and he was wondering if leaving the group was the right choice...
Finally, Harry found himself treading into one of the keeps of the fort. He was not at all surprised to find Ron unconscious, propped up in a corner of the crumbling keep.
"All right. Whatever you are, I'm here. Show yourself." Harry Potter declared, lowering his sword in a show of peace. However, his kept his eyes darting left and right, searching for a hint of movement.
Very well... Harry Potter. I've been waiting to finally meet you for so long... The voice projected into his mind.
"Where are you? Show yourself!" Harry reiterated, still attempting to locate his target.
As you wish.
A shadow draped over the walls, and the phantom revealed itself at last...

Sigh... Plz R&R... Like I care anymore...