Sirius, Minerva and Harry turned around, just as Kahn stepped out into the moonlight, giving Sirius a toothy grin.
"Why were you hiding?" asked Harry, smiling up at the Feline.
"Well, I wasn't hiding," he answered wryly. "At least, not technically. I got here a couple of minutes before you guy's did, and you caught me while I was still making sure we were alone."
"Well if you got here only a little before us, then what took you so long?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrow.
Kahn seemed to study Sirius, peering down at the man that didn't even reach his shoulder in height. He bent lowly, and peered at Sirius closely … almost as if he were trying to make an obvious point, without wanting anybody realizing what it was about. "I was detained," he answered, with deliberate slowness. "I needed to borrow something from someone, that I am – regretfully – unable to return…"
Sirius nodded after a moments thought, apparently knowing what Kahn was referring to. "I'm guessing that's the reason for your newfound vigour?"
Harry blinked, utterly bewildered by this question. He turned his eyes to Kahn, wondering what his reaction to such a strange question would be, but was even more surprised when the Feline nodded stiffly, sending his long white hair cascading over his broad shoulders. Harry looked to McGonagall, hoping to see an equally bemused expression on her face, but found her looking at Kahn impassively.
"Um … So, Kahn? Did Hank tell you what was going on?" asked Harry, trying to keep everyone's mind on the task at hand.
Kahn nodded. "Yes, he did. Now, Piedro will be able to detect our arrival if any of us are in our natural forms, which is why you three were chosen to help with this. While in our animal forms, we obviously won't be able to communicate properly, so I will be used as a translator. We'll all be able to speak to each other telepathically, through me, understood?"
Kahn eyed each of them in turn, moving on once each of them nodded their understanding.
"However, my most important concern, is everyone's safety. No heroics … This is designed to be a hit and run. If it should come down to a fight, then I shall be the one to fight it. As it is, I'll be using myself as a distraction so you three can get Ginny and run…" Kahn held up his massive hand as Harry made to argue. "No one here is currently strong enough to do anything – life threatening – to Piedro, Harry. Please don't fight with me on this?"
Sighing heavily, Harry nodded, fervently praying that no one would get hurt seriously. He looked up as he felt Kahn lay his hand on his shoulder, smiling back at his toothy grin.
"Don't worry, Harry," he rumbled, so gently it almost sounded like purring. "Everything will be fine."
"What if Ginny's hurt though?" said Harry, unable to keep the pleading out of his voice. "She was only out here because she came looking for me!"
"Don't blame yourself Harry. Some things can't be changed … no matter how much we wish otherwise…"
Harry looked up into Kahn's eyes, seeing in the dim light that they had turned a deep blue, which Harry perceived to be sadness. He wondered briefly what would make him so emotional, but put it to the back of his mind as Kahn told them to transform and follow his lead……
"I'm curious, princess," said Piedro, leaning down so his face was mere inches away from Ginny's. "I saw a rather magnificent lion following you tonight, and when he heard me, he seemed to jump in for your protection. Does he belong to you?"
"Why do you care?" Ginny spat. No matter how terrified of this man she felt, she would try her best not to say anything that he didn't already know. Even if it meant that she wouldn't see the end of the night.
"Now now princess," Piedro scolded, a malevolent grin spreading across his face. "If nothing else, you should at least display some form of manners. You'll find we'd get along so much easier that way…"
"Why would I want to get along with you?" Ginny shot back, trying to keep the waver in her voice at a minimum. "You're probably going to kill me once you've found out whatever it was you wanted anyway, so why bother with niceties?"
"Ahh, but I've already found out all I need," Piedro replied darkly. "And yet, I let you live. I wonder if you can guess the reason?"
Ginny was genuinely taken by surprise by Piedro's statement. How could he have found out what he wanted, if she hadn't told him anything? "Ahh, but you did tell him something," a small voice at the back of her mind told her. "You informed him that Hank was at the school…" Ginny frowned, wondering why the main piece of information this man wanted, was that Hank was at the school? And then there was why she was still alive, if he needed nothing more from her? Ginny didn't hesitate in thinking that this man was perfectly capable of murdering her, yet he hadn't?
Ginny shook her head, befuddled by Piedro's seemingly conflicting alignments. She looked around, hoping to find some way out of this situation, or praying that someone would come and find her —
Ginny's mind froze, and she looked up at Piedro sharply, feeling her blood run cold as she saw him smirking down at her.
"You're using me as bait!"
"Too right," he said, pointing a finger at her and clucking his tongue. "You see, I decided to keep you alive, ever since you let slip that Hank was at the school. I knew that once someone noticed you were missing, they would get him to seek your mind out … Lucky for me, I decided to keep you just inside the boundary of the school. I wonder if he will bring company? I must admit, that boy always managed to surprise me in one way or another, throughout our years…"
"If you think that Hank is going to come out here, you're very much mistaken," said Ginny firmly. "If anything, he'll probably send someone else, and I'll bet he'll make short work of you."
"Is that so, princess?" Piedro whispered, crouching down in front of Ginny, smiling wickedly. "And, who do you suppose he will send? Hmmm?"
Ginny didn't answer, for at that moment, a small dagger materialized in Piedro's hand, glistening menacingly in the firelight.
"Seeing how your precious Hank hasn't told you everything," he continued, as he placed the tip of the sharp blade upon Ginny's temple. "I'm thinking that you believe he will send a Felanade, to assist you, yes?" Without even waiting for a response, Piedro swiftly brought the blade down, cutting a clean gash down the side of Ginny's face.
Ginny bit her tongue against the agony that exploded in her head, and only let out a soft whimper of pain, feeling the blood from the wound trickling down her neck.
Piedro eyed the blood on the blade, smiling widely. "Hmmm … I'm guessing that this Feline goes by the name of Kahn, does he not? My my … but you are ignorant, aren't you?" he chuckled, wiping the blood from his knife onto Ginny's robes. "It's a pity he's taking so long," he continued, with the air of one who's talking to an old friend. "I'm missing out on my overtime while I'm doing this, and I'm sure that you wouldn't object to getting away from here, would you? The longer he takes, the worse off it is for the both of us. I'm not getting paid … and your suffering will be that much longer…" he finished his sentence with a wave of his hand, sending something invisible flying into Ginny's stomach.
Ginny felt all the wind knocked out of her, and fought against the tears of pain that sprung to her eyes as she struggled to regain her breath. She coughed and spluttered as she gasped for air, wincing with each shallow intake of breath. A soft groan escaped her throat when she realized that some of her ribs had to be broken … it was certainly painful enough…
"But how rude am I?" Piedro said suddenly, placing a hand to his barrelled chest. "Here I am, the perfect host, and I don't even know your name, princess. To whom do I owe the pleasure of my company?"
Ginny looked up at him, breathing heavily. This Piedro guy, was nothing short of one contradiction after another. Here he was, practically torturing her, and yet at the same time, had she not known any better, she would swear he was the perfect gentleman. Deciding that he couldn't do any damage with only her name, Ginny gave it to him.
"My – my name's Ginny…"
Hank smiled at her pleasantly. "There now, that wasn't so hard now, was it? Do you by any chance have a surname?" Ginny nodded. "Well?" he prompted.
"Weasley…"
"Miss Ginny Weasley," he repeated, giving her a short bow. "A pleasure, I'm sure…"
"Oh, likewise," Ginny muttered darkly, glaring up at her captor.
Piedro straightened up, and started pacing in front of her again, glancing into the trees every so often, but otherwise simply gazed up at the stars.
"So, Miss Weasley," Piedro spoke up, still pacing with his eyes toward the sky. "I imagine that you have a significant other? After all, I couldn't see you staying single for too long…" he grinned, turning his eyes to her.
Ginny cringed, feeling extremely uncomfortable under Piedro's searching gaze, and didn't respond to his question. One, she didn't see how it was any of his business, and two, she had no clue as to why he would even want to know such a thing?
"Giving me the silent treatment, are we?" Piedro told her, now facing front on. "I'm only trying to make small talk here, while we wait for our 'oh so slow rescuers.' I'm taking that you obviously don't have a guy, because if you did, then they'd've most likely shown up before now … and if you do, then I'd suggest a replacement. This one certainly doesn't hold much regard for your condition when they finally get around to arriving."
Ginny felt her temper flare at this statement, even though she and Harry weren't an item officially. How dare this man suggest that Harry didn't care for her well being? Before she even registered what she was doing, Ginny shot out a retort heatedly.
"How dare you!!?? Harry would never abandon me!"
Ginny stopped talking and cowered as Piedro turned to face her, his face showing a very icy expression.
"Harry?" he asked, taking a step toward her. "What's his last name?" he demanded, his voice a deadly whisper. When Ginny still refused to answer him, Piedro swooped down and held his knife firmly against Ginny's throat. "His surname!" he demanded, glowering at her.
Ginny glared into his icy blue eyes defiantly, trying desperately to hold back the tears of terror that were threatening to spill over. She braced herself for the inevitable penetration of her flesh as Piedro's eyes flashed at her stubbornness … but it never came.
"It's the Potter boy, isn't it?" Piedro grinned, tracing Ginny's jaw line with the tip of the blade. "Will he come to your rescue? I truly hope so. I'll get two in one, if that's the case?"
"What do you want with Harry?" Ginny demanded, starting to struggle against her binds, wincing as the movement sent waves of pain through her torso.
Piedro straightened up, laughing a cold, mirthless laugh that echoed in the clearing. "Now where would the fun be if I answered a question like that? But you see, now I'm faced with something of a dilemma. Do I kill the Potter boy tonight, so I won't have to worry about him in later years? Or do I let him live, so I'll be faced with my first real challenge when he is ready to do battle?" He seemed to ponder on this decision for some time, before nodding his head. "I'll let him live for the time being … I want a challenge. And he promises to be a very good one, when he gets older. I'm growing board with that damn Feline … especially after fighting him for the good part of a century…"
Piedro suddenly turned and looked at Ginny, smiling wickedly. "Then again, he has always put up a much fiercer fight, when he's indescribably angry … to the point where he makes, fatal mistakes…" He began to step slowly toward Ginny, grinning even more broadly as he perceived the fear in her eyes. "Now … what can I do, that will make my old friend so volatile?" ………
Harry heard Kahn growl softly at him to stay behind him, as he once again found himself creeping ahead of the Feline in his angst to reach Ginny. Begrudgingly, Harry slowed his pace to an amble and fell in step beside Sirius, as McGonagall trotted over, after dawdling behind the three larger animals for most of the trip. Kahn had told them to travel silently at the start of their journey, and as such, they were forced to travel much slower than Harry would have preferred.
As it was, they'd only just past the furthest edge of the lake, and the border to the grounds was still a long way off. Sirius whined softly, causing Harry to turn and look at him, finding his Godfather giving him a reassuring look, growling softly. Harry purred his thanks, and gave Sirius a friendly nudge, feeling his spirits lift slightly despite the situation. Although he was mad with worry for Ginny, Harry couldn't focus on it. He needed to keep on track, or else this Piedro fellow might pick up on something that he normally wouldn't have been able to.
All of a sudden, Harry felt something land lightly on his back. Slightly startled, he swivelled his head and found McGonagall, giving him a look of playful superiority, as she settled herself on his back, hitching a ride. After all … she had to jog to keep up with the long strides of her companions, so Harry merely shook his head and resumed watching his footing, careful not to make any unintentional noise. Harry glanced sideways at Sirius, and laughed inwardly as he saw him giving McGonagall what he perceived to be a scowl … followed by a motion and sound that he translated as, "Lazy git…"
Harry had to hold back his catlike laughter as McGonagall retorted, "Smelly fleabag." Sirius grimaced and shot a mock glare at Harry, before giving McGonagall a small grin and turning back to the front.
It was then that Harry realized, that Kahn had had little to do when it came to the translator area. Both Sirius and McGonagall had been Animagi long enough to decipher what they were saying, and Harry just seemed to be able to read them without much thought. Harry, yet again, started to wonder about this, but each time, all he could come up with was that his time in the glade had helped him along in that department.
As they continued to prowl through the darkness, Harry lost track of time. He had no idea how long they'd been ambling along, and the only difference in the conditions since they left, was that the starlight had been blocked by mutinous looking storm clouds. Harry spotted Sirius eyeing the black clouds as well, the both of them knowing that they were probably going to be very wet, by the time the night was over.
Harry agilely leapt over a fallen log, only to land heavily as a piercing scream echoed on the wind, startling him profusely, and sending a violent shiver down his spine. The scream seemed distant, yet it made Harry's blood run cold as he heard the agony and terror inside it … and recognised the voice as Ginny's.
Without even thinking, Harry bolted in the direction the cry had come from, only to slam into something large, solid, and white. Harry shook his head to clear it, and looked up into Kahn's eyes angrily. Harry scrambled to his feet and tried to pass the tiger again, only to find himself blocked each time. Harry snarled at Kahn, trying to figure out why he wouldn't let him pass, when he heard Kahn's voice in his mind…
"You can't rush off like that Harry," he said firmly. "He will most likely attack you on sight if you just burst out of the trees. This requires planning … or at the very least, some display of caution. We'll move in that direction yes, and I think it's best that we travel just a bit faster … but we are NOT going to just charge in there …… that's how people get killed… "
Harry continued to stare Kahn down until he heard Sirius whining at him to stop, calm down, and think about what he was doing. Still growling softly in frustration, Harry reluctantly backed down, and allowed Kahn to resume leading them to where Ginny was, albeit quite a bit faster then before……
"We shouldn't be doing this, you know that don't you?" Hermione hissed as she and Ron edged their way out of the Entrance hall and into the courtyard. They had rushed up to Gryffindor Tower after Hank and Remus left, with the excuse that they had a paper to finish, and promptly stole Harry's invisibility cloak, and had snuck back down the castle.
"I don't care Hermione," Ron replied quietly, quickening his pace toward the tree line. "I have to at least try and help in some way. Ginny's my sister, and I'm not going to just sit by and wait for someone else to help her."
"But we could get into serious trouble!" Hermione reasoned. "Hank specifically told us not to go, because this Piedro fellow could sense our arrival … do you want to risk him finding out that someone was on their way, and being ready for when the others arrive?"
Hermione shook her head and continued with Ron, even after he didn't reply to her enquiry. She had been trying to talk sense into him ever since he suggested it on the way back up to the Tower, but he wouldn't hear any of it. He'd given her the ultimatum of staying or coming with him, and she wouldn't let him go alone … so hence, she was in this situation.
Her stomach churned at what Hank would do to them when he found out that they'd followed … She was sure that both she and Ron would most likely receive a detention at the very least, but being suspended was the most probable punishment. Even Harry would be upset with them, because they didn't have the advantage of hiding from being sensed … plus the added risk that they could get killed…
"Should we take the cloak with us, or leave it here?" said Ron, startling her from her thoughts. Hermione looked around and saw that they'd reached the trees, and were now hidden from view.
"We'll take it off now," she answered, "'cause it's easier to move without it … but we'll take it with us just in case we need it."
Ron nodded and removed the lightweight cloak, carefully folding it and shoving it into his robe pocket.
"Hank said it was on the other side of the lake, didn't he?" Ron asked, starting to trudge off in that direction.
"Yep," Hermione answered dully, bracing herself for a long trip, and a harsh punishment by the time the night was over, as she followed Ron into the brush……
Ginny's screams echoed in the night, reverberating around the clearing, much to the delight of her captor. Through her tears of agony, Ginny could see Piedro grinning down at her, as the flames he'd conjured licked at her legs, charring the skin black and raw. She cried out again as she jerked and twisted against her bindings, trying to get away from the searing blaze, only to have the flames follow her movements, affecting nothing but her skin. Ginny barely heard Piedro's cruel laughter through the blinding agony, almost praying that he would kill her, just to make it all stop.
The flames vanished at a wave of Piedro's hand, leaving Ginny trembling violently as wisps of smoke drifted up from her burnt flesh, peeling and bleeding.
"You seem upset, princess," Piedro stated pleasantly, smiling maliciously at the tears streaming down Ginny's face, and the look of utter defeat brimming in her eyes. "Care to tell me what's troubling you?"
Ginny bowed her head, feeling more tears roll down her cheeks as her fiery hair fell in front of her eyes. She winced as she tried to move her legs, stopping as soon as she started for it sent a wave of pain surging through her. In a way, she wished that Harry and Kahn would come to her rescue, but she didn't want them to be hurt by this diabolical creature … And the other part of her wished for the release death would bring, but she didn't want to leave her family without at least saying goodbye, or leave Harry without telling him how she felt about him.
Ginny weakly raised her head as she heard Piedro's soft laughter, seeing him with a distant look in his eyes as he stared off into the woods. She startled as a clap of thunder rolled in, only then realizing the weather conditions as the wind picked up.
"Well … It appears that your rescuers are on the way," said Piedro, glancing down at her. "However, it appears that they've been careless with whom they sent. Would you know anyone with extraordinarily bushy brown hair, and her companion seems to be a boy with hair remarkably like your own?"
Ginny was shocked beyond reaction at first, but soon she was almost frantic with worry at what Piedro would do to her brother and Hermione. Next moment though, Ginny was confused at why it was those two that had set out to retrieve her, and not Kahn or Harry?
"So he's your brother, is he?" Piedro grinned darkly. "My my, I can have fun with him then. He would most likely be friends with the Potter boy, seeing how you and he seem to be involved … So Potter would most certainly rush to his aid. I'm guessing that the girl is much the same…"
"You leave them out of this!!" Ginny shrieked, ignoring the pain that swept through her as she struggled against her bindings. "I'm the only one you need to bring Harry here! They have nothing to do with any of this!"
Piedro smiled down at her. "Such a lively reaction. I should quite enjoy this if Mr Potter is as protective of his friends as you are." ………
Harry growled softly and had to hold himself back, as he watched Ginny struggle against her bonds, the blonde man laughing at her efforts. He'd felt his blood run cold at the sight that greeted them, when they arrived at the clearing, to see Ginny's legs alight, her desperate and anguished screaming, cutting at his very soul. He recalled both Sirius and Kahn growling with helplessness, as they were forced to watch Ginny's suffering.
Harry had turned to face Kahn sharply as they heard the blonde man mention that they were on the way, but froze when he heard the descriptions he gave Ginny. Harry looked at Sirius, seeing that he was as shocked as he himself felt, before risking a glance toward McGonagall and Kahn. Harry swallowed as he perceived unbridled anger in their body language, and Harry had to admit that he wasn't happy with Ron or Hermione either. They were both told the reason why they couldn't come, yet they'd decided to anyway.
At this, Harry grimaced, realizing that that was what he usually ended up doing most of the time anyway. He had a habit of disregarding what the teachers tell him, for his own safety as well as the safety of others, solely because he thinks he's able to handle the situation himself, usually with Ron and Hermione tagging along.
Harry was drawn from his thoughts as Kahn told himself, Sirius and McGonagall, to circle around the edge of the clearing, and try and get as close to Ginny as they could, without being seen or heard. He was going to get Piedro's attention…
Obediently, Harry set off after Sirius and McGonagall, stealthily creeping around the clearing to the closest point to Ginny. Harry tensed up and had to forcibly hold himself stock still, as he saw the blonde man strike Ginny across the face, slamming her head into the pole she was fixed to. Harry bared his fangs, glaring at the man with undisguised fury and loathing, feeling his heart wrench as he caught sight of Ginny's condition properly.
He could see a livid bruise clearly on her cheek, and was shocked when he saw the gash down her face, staining the robes at her neck red with the blood that was still oozing from the wound. Her lip was split, a dark stain on her chin revealing the path the now dried blood had taken … but what made Harry's stomach churn, was the state of Ginny's legs, charred, peeling, raw and bleeding. It was clear that she could barely move them at all, and when she did, Harry saw her wince with pain.
As Harry uttered a miserable growl, Sirius stepped in front of him, shaking his head forcibly, reminding him that they were unable to act until Kahn had drawn Piedro's attention. Harry snarled, shooting a glance into the clearing, as he wondered what on earth could be taking him so long. Didn't he realize that the longer he took, the more pain Ginny was put through?
Harry froze and held his breath as Piedro stepped forward and grasped Ginny by the neck and hauled her to her feet. He waved a hand and the pole she was tied to vanished, yet her hands were still tied behind her back. Harry felt his anger swell as Piedro laughed cruelly at her, before letting his hold on her loosen, causing Ginny to fall heavily to the ground as her legs were unable to support her.
Harry stared at Ginny, seeing her trembling with exhaustion and fright, as she lay on the grass. He wanted to go to her, to comfort her, to take her away from her suffering … to keep her safe…. But he wasn't able to. She was here to get to him … he remembered Piedro telling her about it, when he picked up Ron and Hermione's approach. He was only trying to draw him out…
Sirius made a sudden sound that drew Harry from his musings. Looking down, Harry saw his Godfather staring across the clearing, so he followed suit. Harry felt his heart catch in his throat, as the first raindrops began to fall from the black clouds above them, for Harry could see a white tiger, emerging from the bushes behind Piedro.
Harry's eyes immediately went to Piedro, and saw that he was sitting on his heels talking to Ginny, his back facing Kahn. Harry's eyes darted between Kahn and Piedro as the gap grew smaller, hoping that Ginny didn't inadvertently give Kahn away.
Just as Kahn broke out in a run, Harry's chest tightened at the sight of Piedro's crooked smile vanishing, a look of surprise on his sharp features as he stared at Ginny. He whirled around, to see the tiger bearing down on him, and leapt to his feet, now grinning from ear to ear.
Kahn let out an ear splitting roar as he leapt at Piedro. Harry wasn't sure how what happened next occurred, because his vision was starting to get blurred from the now heavy rain, but just after Kahn pounced at Piedro, he saw the tiger sailing through the air, as if deflected by something. Piedro walked away from Ginny as Kahn landed heavily on the wet ground, sliding a few paces in the mud.
Harry turned to Sirius and grunted, waiting for him to look up and nod before he tore from the trees toward where Ginny lay, closely followed by his Professor and Godfather……
"What's the matter Miss Weasley?" Piedro asked mockingly, grinning down at Ginny as she lay on the grass. "Unable to stand on your own? So what do you think? Will this get your precious Feline worked up enough to let loose? Hmmm?"
Ginny looked up at him weakly, as he bent down and sat on his heels in front of her. She shut her eyes, knowing that she wouldn't be able to take much more of his treatment. Feeling something wet touch her face, Ginny opened her eyes and froze. Slinking up behind Piedro was a white tiger. As the rain began to fall heavier, Ginny let out an involuntary gasp as the tiger suddenly bolted toward them. She regretted her action a moment later though, because as she looked up at Piedro, he rose up and spun around.
Ginny looked on, holding her breath at the tiger leapt, but felt her hope dissipate as Piedro waved his hand, sending the tiger flying as though it had been hit by a truck. Ginny heard Piedro laugh softly as the tiger slammed onto the muddy ground and slid, before walking toward it calmly.
"Why bother with playing around?" Ginny heard Piedro call out, stopping a few yards from the tiger. "Show your face Old Friend, and we can get down to business!"
A flash of lightning coursed across the sky, a clap of thunder vibrating the very ground as the tiger got to his feet, the flash of light highlighting his brilliant fur, as well as showing the form of Piedro's body as his wet clothing clung to him.
"Don't be so stubborn!" Piedro yelled over the storms noise. "Or do you want me to do more damage to your pretty little friend here?"
Ginny tensed as Piedro held out his hand, grinning as he faced her. The tiger growled loudly and Piedro turned back toward him, lowering his arm as he did so.
"Transform then…" he ordered, turning away from Ginny again.
Ginny started as she felt something nudge her shoulder. Shifting her position, she stared into a pair of startling green eyes, framed by the familiar face of a golden brown lion. Ginny's face broke out into a wide grin, feeling relief flow through her like a flood bursting from a dam. Ginny looked around Harry and saw a large black dog, and a small tabby cat come up behind him. Ginny recognised Sirius, but couldn't remember ever seeing the cat before.
Ginny watched the cat rush forward, and lost sight of it as it came toward her hands, feeling it's teeth and claws gnawing away at her bindings. Ginny looked up into Harry's eyes and saw the sorrow and anguish he was feeling in them. Trying to lighten his mood, she gave him a reassuring smile, and bent forward slightly, giving him a quick kiss on the muzzle.
Harry's eyes brightened instantly, but were soon wide in astonishment and surprise. Frowning, Ginny turned to look where Harry was, only to now see Kahn, standing before what used to be Piedro. In his place, was a huge and hulking creature, with much the same appearance as Kahn, only except that this one looked like a humanoid wolf.
His jet black fur was shiny with moisture, and didn't hide the chiselled form of his muscles. He was much the same size as Kahn was, in that he probably stood at about ten feet tall; but instead of being dressed in leather hide longs, like Kahn was … the Wolf man seemed to be dressed in something reminiscent of a sleeveless, knee length tee shirt, tied at the waist with a wide leather belt, making it look like a surcoat worn by the knights of old. He even had the metal gauntlets upon his forearms and shins.
Both Ginny, and Harry looked on as the two seemed oblivious to the little group, huddled together not thirty feet from where they stood. Suddenly, both Cat and Dog had vanished in a flurry of motion, sending a wave of mud and guck in the small groups direction. Harry only saw a blur speed away from them, before losing sight of the pair altogether through the torrents of rain. The only sign that they were still in the clearing, was the noise of the battle, and the eruption of mud and water as they made contact with the ground, every so often appearing as they got to their feet, before vanishing a moment before the ground they stood on exploded.
As Harry watched, entranced by the speed and ferocity of the fight, McGonagall finally finished chewing away at the ropes that held Ginny's arms. Harry looked down as he heard Ginny moan, trying to push herself up, off the wet ground, with little success. Hastily, Harry lay down beside her, and motioned to Sirius to help Ginny onto his back. With a bit of co-operation, Sirius managed to get Ginny onto Harry, who carefully got to his feet. Making sure that she was balanced, Harry started towards the trees, smiling inwardly when he felt Ginny wrap her arms around his neck, with the pretence of holding on better, and rested her head against the back of his.
They came to a stop, about twenty feet into the trees, and Harry asked Sirius if they should go look for Ron and Hermione. Sirius growled his disapproval of their actions, but still nodded his agreement. As soon as they started to move however, the trees and shrubbery surrounding them seemed to explode, as something large charged through them at high speed.
Harry roared in shock as some of the large trees fell to the ground, leaping to the side as one came dangerously close to him and Ginny. Checking that Ginny was still mounted, Harry quickly scanned around looking for any sign of Sirius and McGonagall. Harry let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, when he saw Sirius leap over one of the felled logs, and relaxed a little more, when he saw McGonagall do the same. Checking that they were all still fine, they set off again, a little faster than before.
Harry continued to shoot glances into the clearing as they circled around it, hoping to catch a glimpse of the battle, so he could at least determine if Kahn was winning or not……
"Don't you know any spells that will keep us dry?" Ron huffed angrily, throwing Hermione a withering glance over his shoulder as they trudged through the muddy earth.
"Don't you take this out on me, Ronald Weasley!" she shot back, swiping her sopping hair out of her eyes. "You're the one that wanted to come out here and play hero, not me!"
"Then why'd you come?" Ron snapped back. "I didn't force you to come along!"
"You know perfectly well why I tagged along, Ron!" Hermione retorted, climbing over a felled tree. "I don't like the idea of what's happened to Ginny either … and I — I didn't want you to go alone … What if you got lost or someth – Aaaahhh!!"
Ron swivelled around as he heard Hermione squeal, just in time to see a splash of water appear on the other side of the felled tree. Ron dashed back, feeling concerned, but felt his face spread into a grin as he heard Hermione grumble and curse, just out of sight. Straightening his face, Ron leant over the log, to see Hermione, sitting on the ground in a large puddle of water; mud covering her clothes and most of her face.
Ron smiled and started to laugh, as Hermione vainly tried to wipe the muck from her face, with an equally muddy sleeve, succeeding only in spreading the muck more widely.
"Trying a new beauty treatment?" he remarked, raising his eyebrows, which wasn't really noticeable under his soaked hair, clinging to his forehead. Try as he might, Ron couldn't hold back his laughter as Hermione scowled deeply up at him, through the mud caking her features.
"Oh real gentleman you are!" she shot back, trying to get to her feet, her sodden robes holding her down. "Don't even lend a lady a hand!"
"What lady?" said Ron, still grinning madly, as Hermione opted to slosh around the log instead of climbing over it. "All I can see is a mud cake."
"Very funny," Hermione replied sardonically, still trying to wipe the mud from her eyes and face.
Ron rolled his eyes and stepped up to her, moving her hands away as he did so. Hermione shot him a questioning look, but Ron grinned and offered her his wet, but mud free sleeve. Seeing her hesitate, Ron's grin widened.
"Well if you're going to play hero as well, you at least need to see where we're going, right?" He jerked his arm again, reaffirming that she could use it as a face cloth. Ron rolled his eyes when she still didn't move, and grasped the edge of the sleeve in his hand. He took his other hand and gently rested it against Hermione's neck, as he took his sleeve, and wiped her face himself.
"I recommend going around the logs in future, Hermione" Ron commented as he wiped the last of the mud away. "Mud isn't really your colour."
Hermione grinned up at him, almost shyly. "And what do you think, is?"
Ron smiled softly at her, before starting to turn away, saying, "Periwinkle Blue."
Hermione was glad that Ron had turned away, because even in the darkness, she was sure that he would have seen the blush rising in her cheeks. She smiled as she started after him, remembering that she had worn Periwinkle Blue dress robes to the Yule Ball the previous year.
"Hey Ron?" she called, catching up to him as he stopped and turned around to face her. "What do you — "
Hermione stopped abruptly as both she, and Ron, heard a heart rending scream, echoing on the wind, followed by a glow, illuminating the sky ahead of them. Hey both looked at each other, each seeing fear in the others eyes, before they both jumped out of their skin as the ground shook, and a deafening explosion rocked the forest. ……
Harry halted as he heard Ginny moan in pain. Turning his head, he looked at her, to see her clutching at her chest, with a grimace plastered to her face. He growled softly at her, giving her a look of concern, but she merely glanced at him and smiled.
"Don't worry, Harry," she reassured him quietly. "I'm OK … Let's get going."
Harry studied her for a moment, knowing that it was a farce. She was obviously in pain, and it had nothing to do with the injuries he could see. Sighing heavily, Harry nodded and started moving again, throwing another glance into the clearing as he did so.
Harry's heart stopped, as did his feet, at the sight that befell his eyes.
"What is it, Harry?" Ginny asked. Harry heard her gasp, and surmised that she must've followed his line of sight.
Kahn was sprawled on the ground, and was struggling to stand as Piedro bared down on him. Piedro held out his hand and Kahn was engulfed in light, wrapping and twisting around him, while lifting him off the sodden earth. Kahn was held firmly by the ropes of light, unable to move at all, for he was no longer in contact with the ground.
Harry felt his feet moving him toward his friend, but suddenly heard Sirius bark at him as he jumped in front of him. Harry whined, but still turned away at Sirius's urging to get Ginny back to the warmth and relative safety of Hogwarts, reassuring him that Kahn could take care of himself. Quickening his pace, Harry cast one last look at Kahn, and saw that his face was nearly obscured from view, due to his eyes glowing ferociously in their sockets. Piedro had what looked like a sword, held to the Feline's throat … but he soon cast his glowing yellow eyes outward, searching the trees……
Kahn held Wolfgang's gaze, unflinching, even as he held the tip of his sword to his throat. He could see the glint that the brightness his eyes were giving off, reflecting on the blade and casting an eerie glow on the Kanite's furry face.
"You seem weakened, Old Friend," Wolfgang commented, his pupil-less yellow eyes, beginning to glow. "You've been taxing yourself far too much, to be any use to those fools at that school. I didn't even break a sweat this time."
Kahn snarled at the Kanite, letting his rage fuel him as Wolfgang grinned maliciously at him, showing his fangs. "We seem to be missing someone though," he added, almost absentmindedly, turning his gaze to the trees, where he could sense the Weasley girl. "Don't go anywhere," he commented, turning toward the trees. "I want you to at least be conscious when the Potter boy's friends arrive…"
"They have nothing to do with this!" Kahn spat, trying to gather himself enough to break free of his bonds. "You have me already. What do you need them for?"
Wolfgang laughed at him mockingly, as he started toward Ginny's location. "I require some form of entertainment, Old Friend. You, of all Morphie, should remember that … hmmm?" Without looking back, Wolfgang took of at top speed toward where Ginny, Harry and the others were situated. Kahn saw the Kanite moving normally, but he knew that Harry and the others, would be hard pressed to see little more than a blur of motion……
Harry blinked when Piedro all but vanished into thin air. Feeling uncertainty course through him, Harry turned back to the front and began to run … but he didn't get more that two paces, before the huge wolf man materialized before his eyes, grinning down at himself and Ginny maliciously.
"Going somewhere?" he growled, his voice just as deep as Kahn's was, but sounding much more guttural. He turned his eyes to Ginny, and proceeded to flash her a toothy grin. "Princess … It seems as though your pet wants to take you somewhere? Regretfully, I have other plans…"
Piedro grinned even wider as he waved his hand, levitating Ginny from Harry's back, before he could even react. Ginny struggled, ignoring the pain it caused her, but it did no good. There was nothing for her to struggle against. Harry roared as soon as he let the situation sink in, leaping at the huge wolf man in an attempt to break his concentration enough to release Ginny.
Piedro spun around and backhanded Harry mid-flight, sending him soaring across the clearing, before landing heavily in the mud and water.
Harry felt as though he'd been hit by a Guinness Truck. He shakily got to he paws again, blinking away the stars in his eyes, and glared spitefully at Ginny's captor. He could hear Sirius barking at him, telling him to calm down and think about what he was doing, but Harry ignored him. He would attempt to free Ginny, and get her back to Hogwarts, even if it cost him his life……
"NO!!" Kahn bellowed at Harry, as he started to charge Wolfgang again. A panic started to overwhelm him as Harry continued his attempts to rescue Ginny. It was only a matter of time before Wolfgang figured out that Harry wasn't a true lion … or he'd just lose his patience with him and try to kill him on the spot.
Kahn began to try and free himself, as he watched Harry fly by again, growing more and more weary as he continued. For the moment, Wolfgang seemed to be enjoying himself, tormenting the animal as it tried to free it's master. He could hear Sirius's desperate barking at Harry, and Ginny's plea's for Wolfgang to stop his torment, but he couldn't see Minerva anywhere.
Kahn grit his teeth as he tried to centre himself, to achieve what he wanted as he drew on his power. He felt the familiar tingle of electricity as the glowing ropes surrounding him began to shift and move slowly away from his body, allowing for small movement. Looking up, Kahn felt his heart stop as he saw Harry, floating in the air in front of Wolfgang as he laughed mockingly.
Hating that he was glad Harry was keeping Wolfgang occupied, Kahn set his jaw as he continued to push the bindings away from him, jerking his body so as to edge down the glowing chords, towards freedom……
"You're not a true lion, are you?" said Piedro, staring into Harry's green eyes with his yellow. "No lion, no matter how well trained, would be so stupid as to repeatedly attack something that is clearly more powerful than itself. Why don't you show me who you really are, eh?"
Harry just bared his fangs, as he hung in the air, staring into Piedro's glowing eyes unflinchingly. He would never allow an ally of Voldemort to know what he was, no matter what the cost was.
"You one of my Old Friends companions?" Piedro continued darkly. "One of his Tribe maybe? Or … are you a foolish wizard, who was trying to play the hero?"
Harry growled even louder than before in response to Piedro's questioning. He wasn't going to allow him to scare the truth out of him.
Piedro laughed at him condescendingly. "My my, but aren't we defiant? Well, let's see how much of a fight you'll put up when your, so called Master is, let's see … struck by lightning?"
The next moment, Ginny was moving toward the centre of the clearing, a look of abject terror on her features. Harry roared and growled as he desperately fought against his invisible bindings, staring at Ginny helplessly as she came to a stop.
Piedro was laughing maniacally as he raised a hand, staring at Ginny's petrified face gleefully as Harry cried out from beside him. He couldn't just watch her die, he had to get loose, he had to save her … but Harry was powerless to do anything. Feeling numb with anguish, Harry watched Ginny close her eyes, waiting for her life to come to an end.
What happened next, happened so quickly that Harry barely managed to register that anything was occurring, other than the demise of the girl of his dreams.
Just as Piedro thrust his arm toward the ground, Harry heard someone issue a heart rending scream, as a shadow streaked from the edge of the forest and leapt at Ginny, knocking her aside as a blinding light, and a deafening crash filled the clearing, vibrating the very air and ground beneath them.
Harry felt the shockwave slam into him a split second later, hurling him into the trees, a sharp pain shooting up his right foreleg as he landed awkwardly. Feeling dazed, and hearing a ringing in his ears that he knew wouldn't go away too quickly, Harry groggily got to his three feet, holding the other off the ground.
Looking around, blinking to get rid of the bright dots clouding his sight, Harry saw that Kahn and Piedro were back at it again, but not as fast as before. Somehow, Kahn must've gotten free of his binds. Sniffing the air, Harry began to limp around the remnants of the tree line, seeing how some of the trees had been felled by the force of the blast, and began to search for Ginny……
Ron and Hermione tore through the forest, all subtlety forgotten as they rushed toward the origin of the frightening disturbance.
"What do — you suppose — that was!?" Ron gasped, clutching a stich in his side as he shot a brief glance toward Hermione, who was struggling to keep up with Ron's long strides.
"Who — knows!" she answered, shaking her head. "With Kahn there — it could've been — anything!"
"Let's just hope — that no one's — hurt!"
Hermione nodded ardently in agreement as they continued through the undergrowth. Neither talked for the remainder of the trip, to preserve their much needed energy, not knowing what could greet them when they arrived at their destination.
As they travelled further, the sounds of a battle of some sort could be heard, drifting toward them over the howl of the wind. At first, it sounded like voices yelling at the top of their lungs, but as they continued, the sound of metal upon metal could be heard mingled with it, as though two weapons of old were being used, the sounds of small explosions being heard every so often along with everything else.
Hermione shook her head as she struggled to keep up with Ron, wondering what on earth they were going to walk into. By the sounds of it, Kahn and whoever else he was with, were having something akin to a mini war. As they neared the flurry of noise, Hermione could see flashes of light in the distance, coinciding with the sound of an explosion.
Both she and Ron slowed to a jog and kept a close eye on the action ahead of them. Just as Hermione looked away from the light show, she heard Ron bellow "Look out!!"
Before she could even react, Hermione felt something slam into her from the side, landing on top of her as a blinding light shot by overhead, right where she'd been standing. A loud explosion was heard from behind her, illuminating the area through the rain, giving her a glimpse of red hair from the object that collided with her.
"Ron! Are you OK? Did it get you?"
"No, I'm fine," he answered, hauling himself upwards, revealing that he was now just as muddy as Hermione was. "Are you all right?" he asked, offering his hand to help her up.
Hermione nodded, accepting the offered hand, and standing up. She stole a glance in the direction the blast headed, and almost fell to the ground again, as she took in the amount of damage the small ball of light had created. There was a small crater, carved into the ground, now pooling the water on the bottom which was still smoking. It was clear that the trees nearest the blast had been knocked down with it's force, and now lay a few meters from where they'd originated.
Impulsively, Hermione suddenly threw her arms around Ron's neck, shaking violently as Ron whispered words of comfort in her ear, patting her on the back reassuringly. Hermione had no idea what overcame her to make her do it. Perhaps it was the thought of how close she'd come to being reduced to little more than fragments? Or the fact that Ron had placed himself in the same danger, for her? She couldn't decide, but at that moment, she didn't care.
"RON!!" a voice called out, only just audible over the sounds of the battle. Ron and Hermione broke apart and looked in the direction the voice had come from, and sprinted toward them when they saw who had spoken.
Ron instantly fell to his knees as he skidded to a stop at Ginny's side, and took her into a fierce embrace; letting go almost as quickly when she cried out in pain. Ron pulled back, looking very worried, and relieved at the same time, and saw that Ginny was clutching her chest, breathing shallowly.
"Ginny, are you all right?" Ron asked, worried at what might've caused such a reaction from her. Ginny merely nodded, still grimacing. Ron took her head in his hands and gently turned her to face him, his eyes widening at the sight of the long wound tracing the edge of her face. "Oh my god!" he breathed, running his fingers gingerly along the edge of the gash.
"We have to move away from here!" Hermione spoke up suddenly, seeing what she and Ron had heard on the way there, in a clearing a little ways off. The ground seemed to be steaming, as though it was hot, clashing with the cool rain. She could see a furious battle taking place between Kahn, and what she assumed was a Kanite … most likely this Piedro fellow that Hank had mentioned in the Hospital Wing.
Both were hurling balls of light toward each other every so often, and each held a weapon. Kahn was sporting something that looked like a large Battle Axe, while the Canine seemed to have a rather large sword. They were bounding all over the place, striking at the other with tremendous force, sometimes hard enough to send them to the ground, leaping aside almost as soon as they made contact with the sodden earth, only to have dodged a ball of light that had been sent their way while they were momentarily helpless, causing an explosion of considerable magnitude.
The reason Hermione had suggested the move however, was the memory of the ball that had hurtled past her and Ron. Their aim couldn't be true one hundred percent of the time, and the longer they stayed so close to the fight, the greater the chance that they would get in the way of a stray blast.
Ron started to stand, and offered Ginny his hand, as he'd done for Hermione, but Ginny shook her head and meekly said, "I can't stand."
"Why not? What's wrong?" said Ron immediately, kneeling beside his sister again.
Just then, their area was illuminated by a blast that came rather close to them. Hermione gasped and placed a hand over her mouth at the sight that she saw, while Ron looked stricken as he stared at his sisters mangled legs.
"I'll — I'll carry you then," said Ron, his voice tight with emotion at the thought of what Ginny must've gone through. "Come on." Ron moved an arm around Ginny's back, and gently moved the other under her legs. He waited for her to grasp him around his shoulders, before lifting her from the ground with little difficulty.
"We have to find Harry," said Ginny, looking around as Ron started following Hermione away from the clearing, back to Hogwarts. "We got separated during everything that happened, and I don't know if he's OK or not. The same with Sirius, and the cat they had with them."
"The cat is McGonagall, Ginny," Hermione pointed, throwing a brief look over her shoulder as she browsed the area, looking for any sign of the trio of animals. "She's an Animagus, like Harry and Sirius."
Ginny nodded, but didn't reply because a flash of light caused her to see a streak of gold in her peripheral vision. Instinctively, she turned to face the abnormal colouring, feeling her face split into a painful grin at the sight of the waterlogged lion.
"Harry!" she called, causing both Hermione and Ron to stop and look around. After spotting him, they all started toward him, noting how he had a paw held above the ground, not applying any pressure to the limb.
As soon as they got to him, Harry gave Ron and Hermione a stern stare. They both hung their heads, a touch guiltily, knowing why he was upset with them.
"We had to come, Harry," Hermione reasoned desperately. "We couldn't let you do this on your own, and Ron wanted to do something other then sit in the Tower waiting for news if you had gotten Ginny back alive or not … He practically dragged me out here with him, he was so insistent."
"Thanks Herm…" Ron muttered, scowling faintly at having Ginny know just how worried he really was about her. Although, he couldn't keep the warm smile from spreading across his face when Ginny gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and held onto him a mite tighter than before.
Harry shook his head at Hermione disapprovingly, before looking at Ginny pointedly, looking around the area, and returning his gaze to hers.
Ginny shook her head sadly. "No Harry, we haven't seen any sign of Sirius or McGonagall after that last blast…"
Harry issued a soft growl, before looking at Ron and jerking his head away from the clearing.
"No Harry," said Ginny, shaking her head. "You're not going to stay here! You're coming back with us right now!"
Harry shook his head forcefully, and cast his eyes outward, scanning the area again.
"You can't stay and look for them!" Ginny cried, growing desperate. She knew that Harry wanted to search for his Godfather and McGonagall, but she wanted him to come back with her. It was the only way she'd be sure that he came back to the school at all… "They're fine, Harry. They know what they're doing … please come back with us?"
Ron and Hermione were watching the discussion with pronounced curiosity, and confusion. To them, this was a one sided conversation, and neither of them knew how Ginny was able to decipher what Harry was saying so easily. They could only guess at what he had said, after Ginny had made a response to it, but until she replied to him, they were completely at sea as to what he'd been saying. When Harry talked to Ginny, he didn't need to be as obvious with his actions as he did with Ron and Hermione, so the conversation moved faster, and was usually more complex. Hermione could translate him rather well, but even then it was difficult … and at the moment, she couldn't even start to guess what Harry was saying.
"If you're staying, then we're staying to!" said Ginny, staring at Harry defiantly. At this, Harry shook his head ardently, and neither Ron nor Hermione needed a translator for that. It was clear that Harry didn't want them there any longer.
Harry once again looked pointedly at Ron, and jerked his head towards Hogwarts. This time, he got the message.
"Ginny, if you don't come back with us now, then I'm going to have Hermione Stupefy you. You need to see Madame Pomfrey, and the longer we wait, the bigger the chance that your wounds will get infected…"
"But — " she began hastily, but was cut off by Hermione.
"Ginny, Harry won't be able to do anything if he's worried about you getting hurt. If you stay here, the risk of that happening is a lot more than if you were back in Hogwarts. Do you want him to get hurt because he wasn't able to focus properly?"
Ginny didn't reply, but they all knew she understood. Without looking at Harry, she sighed heavily and buried her face into Ron's neck, trying to hide the fact that she was starting to cry.
Ron gave a sympathetic look at Ginny, before looking up at Harry and nodding, walking away from the area as quickly as he could, while still keeping Ginny as comfortable as possible.
Hermione looked at Harry and patted him on the head, saying, "Please be careful Harry," before also turning tail and following Ron into the darkness.
Harry instantly went into action. He knew from previous experience that Piedro would sense their departure, and would most likely try to stop them as he'd done with himself earlier. He knew that Kahn would be very disappointed with him, for what he was thinking about doing, but if it would keep his friends safe, he'd do it, regardless.
Cautiously, he crept around the edge of the clearing, hoping to get behind Piedro at some point, while simultaneously keeping an eye open for Sirius or McGonagall……
"Come now Old Friend!" Wolfgang jeered, deflecting a crushing blow of Kahn's axe effortlessly. "Surely you haven't grown soft over the centuries?" He sent an overhead blow in Kahn's direction, smiling when he blocked it cleanly. They stepped apart for a few moments, studying the other for any sign of weakness or flaw in their technique.
"But it seems that our new arrivals have taken it upon themselves to remove Miss Weasley from the scene," Wolfgang sneered. "We can't have that now, can we? Certainly not when Mr Potter has yet to grace us with his presence, hmmm? Perhaps an addition to the rather small body count would convince him to show his face? It should be quite enjoyable if his reaction is anything like yours was when that dog took the blast meant for Miss Weasley…"
Kahn felt guilt tear through him at the memory of Sirius, leaping into Ginny's hovering form, taking the immense blast of energy that was meant for her. He'd reached out to him earlier, and detected that his dear friend was still with them … but only barely. What Kahn was really worried about though, was what Harry's reaction to the new situation would be.
Without warning, Wolfgang sprang forward and lashed out with a ferocious blow, almost ripping the axe from Kahn's hands with its force. While the Feline was recovering, Wolfgang took the opportunity to raise his arm, palm forward, and send a concussive blast at Kahn's chest. The Feline went flying backwards, and landed heavily on the muddy soil, sliding a fair distance before colliding with a tree with enough force to crack its trunk.
Grinning wickedly, Wolfgang spun around in the direction he could sense the Weasley girl and her companions, and gasped in surprise as he met the sight of teeth and fangs, baring down on him.
The lion collided with him, midair, and instantly latched on to his shoulder with his teeth, right beside his throat. Wolfgang grit his fangs, and tried to push the beast from him, but only achieved in getting more of his flesh removed from his body. Wolfgang viciously pushed the lion away from himself, grunting in pain as some of his shoulder was removed with the creature. As the cat regained its footing, Wolfgang took the opportunity to glance at what it had done to him, finding his curiosity peaked in the fact that a normal wildcat got the better of him, when his most prevalent rival could not.
"Now I know, you're not just some lion," he stated, placing his fingers to the wound on his shoulder. "A sneak attack was very intelligent friend. You seem smarter than that one, that's for sure," he snickered, pointing his thumb over his shoulder toward a very groggy Kahn. "But I don't have time to deal with you," he continued pleasantly. "I need to see a certain someone, and escort her back here. I'm expecting new company soon … so if you'll excuse my actions…"
The next moment, Harry found himself sailing through the air, now feeling the after-effects of a large foot to his head and chest. Harry landed limply on the ground, unable to find the strength to get to his feet. The whole world was spinning, even though he knew he wasn't moving, and the stars refused to leave his vision no matter how much he blinked.
He shifted his body, to see if it still worked properly, and felt a wave of pain rip through his chest. Harry groaned and laid back down, making sure to keep his leg steady as well, praying that Ron and Hermione had gotten Ginny a safe distance away from here……
"We need to move faster," Ginny said all of a sudden, lifting her head from Ron's shoulder, looking around. "Piedro caught me and Harry the last time he tried to get me to Hogwarts! He can tell that we're moving away from him!"
"Do you know if he can see through invisibility cloaks?" Hermione asked, turning around to face Ginny.
"I have no idea," she answered, shaking her head. "Why?"
"We took Harry's on our way here, so no one would see us leaving the castle," Ron explained hurriedly. "Get it out of my pocket, would you Hermione?"
Hermione stepped beside Ron and obligingly removed the silvery material from his robe pocket. "What are we going to do with it though?" she asked as she unfurled it.
Ron gave Hermione a blank look. "I don't know! You're the one who suggested it in the first place!"
"Well it was the first thing that came to mind!" she snapped. Ron just glared darkly at her, so she took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down, and think of something. "OK … How about I cover you and Ginny, and you two can keep going to Hogwarts, while I think of something to keep that Piedro fellow distracted?"
"No!" Ron answered instantly. "Your not staying out here with that thing on the way!"
"Ron, it's all right," said Ginny gently, drawing her brothers attention to herself. "It's me he's after anyway, so I doubt he'll even bother with Hermione … unless he wants to use her as bait for Harry, like he's doing with me…"
Ron frowned, confused. "To bait Harry? But Harry's already there. And why's he after Harry at all?"
Ginny shook her head, "I don't know what he wants with Harry … but he said that he wouldn't kill him until he was stronger, or something like that … it was strange."
"You mean that Piedro doesn't know that the lion, is Harry?" said Hermione. Ginny nodded. "And, didn't Hank say that he couldn't sense people if they were in a transformed state?" she continued, looking at Ron for his response.
"Yeah, so?"
Hermione's face broke out into a smile. "It's so simple! I can try and Transfigure Ginny into something, so Piedro can't pick up on her anymore! Then, you can still take her to the Hospital Wing, and — "
"But he'd still be able to pick up on Ron," Ginny interrupted hastily.
"I'll just Transfigure him as well then," Hermione answered, as though it was the simplest thing in the world to do.
"What about you?" Ron pointed out.
"I'll try to do myself as well."
"But how will they know that it's us? And how would we get back to ourselves?" Ron argued.
Hermione sighed heavily and looked down. She was about to answer, when someone she wasn't expecting to see, came bounding to her feet. Smiling broadly, she looked up at Ron and saw that both he and Ginny were staring at their visitor as well.
"Professor McGonagall here, can change us back once we're in the school."
"Or she can just do it herself," McGonagall's stern voice said, as she transformed at their side. "We might have enough time … All right, Miss Weasley. Due to your inability to walk, I believe a bird will suit you … and you two will be simple enough as well."
Giving each other nervous glances, they watched in trepidation as McGonagall drew her wand, and proceeded to change Ginny into a parakeet. She soon stretched her wings and took off, being blown of course slightly in the wind, but otherwise faring quite well.
"Right, your turn," said McGonagall, looking at Ron. He gulped nervously as he waited. The next minute, Ron found himself in the body of a German Shepard. Hermione grinned and Ron took a minute to get used to his legs, but he soon sprinted off after Ginny.
McGonagall turned to Hermione, who stuffed the invisibility cloak into her pocket, before she was Transfigured into a Blue Russian cat. It took her a moment to readjust to the sudden change in perspective, and the way her limbs worked, before glancing beside her, to see the tabby cat that was McGonagall.
The next moment, they heard a loud noise from behind them, sounding like someone shouting in rage. Deciding that they'd spent long enough in that area, Hermione and McGonagall quickly darted after Ron and Ginny, wanting to put as much distance between themselves and the clearing as possible……