Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters.
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to JaimeyKay because she's so awesome and supportive of my computer issues! Thanks Jaimey! Anyways, I will have the replies to everyone's reviews of chapters 17 and 18 at the end of this chapter. I was having issues updating the last time, so I didn't get the chance to add the replies. Sorry! On with the story.
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"Alright, let's spread out, we can cover more ground that way." dictated Dumbledore. "Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, you take the easterly direction; Poppy, Indra, and Mrs. Weasley, you take the westerly direction; If any of you find them, please release blue sparks from your wands. If there is an emergency, please release red sparks. Sirius, Remus, please follow me." he stated, heading towards the south side of the forest. All broke into their groups and headed in the direction they were told to scout out.
Remus, who was trailing in their group, had started to pick up a scent, due to his werewolf abilities. He noticed he was getting farther behind and sped up. Once he reached his friend and the headmaster, he determined the scent was getting stronger.
"They're nearby. But so is something else." he muttered, not seeing the startled looks coming from his companions. The man's tone had frightened them.
"Define 'something else' Remus." asked Sirius. Lupin looked up and frowned.
"I don't know. It's not something I've ever encountered before. In fact, it's not something that belongs in a forest. It's dangerous, we have to find them, now." he said forcefully.
"Alright, let's get the other's attention. I have the feeling we're going to need some assistance." replied Albus.
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Harry slowly drew himself up against the tree. Ron was looking at him oddly, with a faint sense of dread shooting through his spine. "What's wrong, Harry?" he asked, voice shaking.
"Ron, don't move, okay?" he said, trying to gouge this creatures actions. He didn't know if it was a threat or not, but he assumed it was. Those claws could rip a man to pieces, and he didn't want Ron to be its first meal. Harry started to inch closer and closer to his friend, keeping a close eye on the claws the entire time. He was rather surprised it wasn't attacking. Maybe it didn't know they were there. His wishful thinking was abruptly shattered.
The 'creature', in one swift movement, had Ron by the throat and was letting him dangle two feet from the ground. Its massive claws were slicing into his skin, drawing blood. Harry could distinctly make out blood trailing down Ron's neck, and soaking into his shirt.
"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." he ranted to himself. One look at the monster nearly had him screaming in fear. The creature was at least seven, maybe eight feet tall, its skin was blood red, and he noticed its feet were about as dangerous as its hands. The claws seemed to be rusted over with dried blood. Its face, however, was so hideous he wanted to throw up. It looked to be decaying, with rotten teeth, which were razor sharp as well, and had some disgusting looking fungus growing on it. He didn't know what this creature was, but he had the feeling they weren't going to survive this encounter.
Harry didn't know what to do. It just stood there, as his friend slowly bled to death. It really wasn't that bad yet, but he knew it would be. If the claws went any deeper into his flesh, he wouldn't be able to stop the bleeding, not without a wand. He didn't have one, and he was fairly certain Ron didn't have one on him either. Panic was starting to set in. Rash decisions were quick to follow. Seeing the panic on his best friend's face finally hit home. So he did the first thing that came to him. He just hoped this thing had what he was aiming for.
In an act reminiscent of defense at the Dursley's, Harry kicked the beast directly between the legs, and was rewarded. It immediately dropped Ron, who rolled a few feet before stopping. The creature fell to its knees, holding itself. Harry ran to Ron, kneeling beside his friend. "Are you alright?" he asked quickly, glancing over at the 'thing'.
Ron rolled over, rubbed his neck, and gingerly tried to stand up. "Yeah, I'm just a bit sore." he replied.
"Good, can you run?" asked Harry.
Ron took a good look at the creature, which was slowly getting back to its feet, and decided running was a really good idea. Instead of replying, he grabbed Harry's arm and took off running in the opposite direction, which just happened to be the darker part of the forest.
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Mr. Weasley was walking through the forest, occasionally yelling out for his son and Harry. The twins were slightly separated from their father, but close enough for them to see each other. "Do you two see anything?" he called out to his sons. They both nodded their heads in the negative.
"Nothing, dad." said Fred, who started towards his father. "How are we going to find them in here?" he asked.
"We'll find them, don't worry." said Arthur, trying to comfort his son. George stalked up to them then, feeling the same as his twin.
"We're never going to find them in this place. It's huge. It's like a big fat maze, or a needle in a haystack." Both Mr. Weasley and Fred looked at him oddly. "I heard Harry say it once." he said in response.
"Oh."
"Let's keep looking; we're losing precious time here. It's getting late. I want to find them before it gets dark." said Arthur, motioning for his children to move out again.
"Wait," said Fred suddenly, "It's the signal!" he yelled, pointing towards the sky.
They all looked up to see red sparks lighting up the sky.
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Indra hated the outdoors. Especially overgrown woods. She would have refused, except she had a responsibility. Harry was still her charge. He was technically a ward of the state, but she had an idea where she was going to place the boy. But that was the farthest thing from her mind at the moment. Hideously long and annoying vines kept mysteriously ending up tangled in her hair. "I hate the wilderness." she muttered.
Mrs. Weasley heard her remark and had to stop herself from slapping the younger woman. "Is that all you're worried about? That your precious hair is getting all destroyed by the 'wilderness!' I never should have let you take him." she huffed, turning away from the social worker before she did something she regretted.
Indra stood in shock; she thought they had dealt with this matter back at the house. "Are you ever going to forgive me?" she asked suddenly, stopping Molly in her tracks.
"Forgive you?" she asked, as if it was a foreign concept. "Are you mad? Why would I forgive you? You have the ability to know when a person is being hurt. Or did you conveniently forget that? What were you doing when his uncle was branding his back with an oven burner? What were you doing when his uncle beat him? What were you doing when he locked him in the trunk of his car!?" she had started out with a low voice, but it had escalated to a downright scream at the end.
She was once again in a state of shock as the list of injuries was given to her. "I'm sorry, alright? I didn't know. I can only feel their pain if I'm close by to their person. I told him to 'call' for me if he needed me. Everything was fine when I talked to him just three days ago. I didn't sense anything wrong. He never 'called' me. I didn't know, I couldn't have helped him if he didn't call!" she yelled, getting frustrated that no one believed what she said. She didn't know, couldn't they understand that.
"Don't you blame him, you wench!" yelled Molly, advancing on the woman. "He didn't 'call', as you refer to it, for a reason. Don't you dare to blame him for something he couldn't control. What kind of a person are you? You left him there, knowing what could have happened. You should have kept closer by, you could sense it, or whatever it is you do!" she was downright pissed and wanted her to know it.
Indra screamed in frustration. "I will say this once more, and that is it. I didn't know, okay, did you hear that? Do you understand? I couldn't have know, and if I had, don't you ever think, for one damn second, that I wouldn't have gotten him out of there. Had I known!" she yelled, trying to make herself clear. "I wouldn't have left him there, never! I wasn't allowed to stay near by. My boss was adamant that I start on another case, I didn't have a choice. I would have stayed, if I could have, but I couldn't. I care about the boy, Mrs. Weasley, believe me. I don't know what else to say." she said, defeated. She knew they would be mad, but not this mad. She was tired of defending herself.
Molly finally seemed to be content with the younger woman's answer. The conviction she had heard in her voice was enough to sway her, but not to forgive her so easily. "I'll let it go, for now. But I love that boy as if he was my own son, so don't give me a reason to hate you. You do not want me as an enemy." She stated. Indra took what she could get. And this was the best she was getting.
"Alright. I'll keep that in mind." she said, letting the subject drop. Any further conversation was stalled as Poppy came running up behind them.
"It's the emergency signal, ladies. If you're done with your squabble, perhaps we should join the others." she stated in her business tone. They nodded and took off as one.
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Ron was quickly losing his strength. He didn't think he would be able to run for much longer. And the fact that he knew they had run away from any help wasn't helping to brighten his mood any.
"I don't think I can keep this up." he said suddenly. Harry looked at him in concern.
"I had noticed." he said, trying to think up an idea, and quick. "We can't stay here; it'll catch up to us."
Ron sighed in defeat. "Leave me here, and go find some help."
"Hell no, Ron. I am not leaving you here to face that thing alone. I refuse to, so don't you ask me again." he stated in a tone Ron didn't want to ever hear again.
"Alright, forget that idea, do you think you could help me walk?" Harry nodded. He swung his arm around his friend's shoulders while Harry wrapped his arm around Ron's waist for support.
"Ready?" asked Harry.
"Sure." replied Ron. They set off again, going deeper into the forest and the unknown.
"I really wish I would have brought my wand." said Harry, offhandedly.
"You and me both, man." said Ron, leaning more on the other boy as his strength slowly dwindled.
Harry knew the redhead wouldn't hold out for much longer, and was dreading it. He wouldn't leave his friend to get massacred by some giant monster. He just didn't know how he would defeat it. He was really wishing his had his wand, or better yet, his staff. He knew he could really kick some ass with that thing. If only…
He realized he was practically dragging Ron and looked down into a slack face. "Oh shit." he said, lowering him to the ground. "Ron… Ron, can you hear me?" he asked, shaking him roughly. "Come on, please wake up, please!" he yelled. Ron stirred some, and blearily opened an eye.
"What?" he asked. Harry almost laughed.
"You have to stay awake, okay, do it!" he ordered. Ron only raised an eyebrow.
"Yes master." he replied lazily. Harry stood up from his friend, trying to figure out the best place that he could possibly hide them in. He noticed a tree with massive roots sticking out from the ground. He decided that was as good as it gets, and went to retrieve Ron.
"Come on, I've found us a hiding place." he stooped to drag Ron to his feet, only the look on his comrade's face stopped him short. Standing slowly, he turned around, only to come face to face with the 'thing.' Harry screamed. So did Ron.
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A/N: Okay, another cliffy. But hey, maybe I'll get more reviews off of this chapter. On with the replies.
Sailor Sol: Sorry I reminded you. I didn't mean to. Hope you did okay on the English paper though. My wrist hurts again, but oh well.
Arizosa: Yes, Ron is very cool. Poor kid. Yes, many more chapters are to come. I might torture him some more, but we'll see. It hurts more now, my wrist, I mean. It's not fair. Angel is adorable, oh yes. Protective, and mean as hell, but adorable.
MixedUpAgain: Ah yes, I hate going to the doctor, therefore, I shall not be going. You should become a doctor, that way I could come to you! But I see you don't know what you're really going to do. Stick with the doctor though, war sucks. I'm going to be a teacher, yee haw! I just sounded like a cowboy or something, AHHH! Guys are just weird, they don't know what they want and they're all weird because they're afraid. (If you ask me, that is.) It's my worst way to die, I guess. I'm actually afraid of guys, weird, isn't it. I hate bugs too, though. When I was younger, some June bugs got in my mom's car and one crawled up my back, INSIDE my shirt. I screamed bloody murder. I hate bugs now. Worms are bad as well! Well, I just don't like marshmallows in my cocoa, therefore, Harry can't like them either! Yes, Ron is very brave. His name is Angel and he's a guy, why? Cokes just make him hyper is all I was getting at. Ignore me when I'm weird. Petunia will return eventually, just give her a while. Did you ever get any bacon? I'm just curious. Have fun buying the Linkin Park cd. I'm going to buy the new Harry Potter movie tomorrow, since that's when it comes out here. I'd be afraid my friends would think I was weird that I write HP fiction. They probably wouldn't care, but oh well. I just wouldn't ask them. I love long reviews, please continue to write them! Bye ANNA! (FOR CHAPTER 18): That's alright. Not much has happened? I stuck an evil thinger behind a tree!! Come on, what were you thinking? She meant that Ron had a lot of power, he just doesn't know it yet. Did I describe it well enough? My wrist still hurts!
Amy Potter 13: Yes, he was crying because he was relieved his uncle was dead. Not yet, but he will soon. I hope you liked the last two chapters!
Lanfear: You are weird! I was cracking up reading this. Especially the part where you attack Adrianna. Angst is my love, my life, and all that crap.
Saya-Sato: I know, Ron always seems to be in the background without any power. But they won't be anything compared to Harry's visions, but I had to give him a power. That's good, I was hoping to get that across. I wanted it to be genuine. Not jumping up and down with glee or anything stupid like that. Coke thing: just saying that he was hyper is all. Just ignore me.
Someone Reading: Sirius came into the room, but he just kind of showed up, they didn't notice him come in. That's probably why you missed it. Sorry, this one isn't as long as they normally are, but I wanted to leave some room for the replies. Glad you liked the chapter.
Inigma: Sorry, this one isn't too long either, but the last one was 6 pages. I tried. It hurts again, but thanks for asking. (the wrist) (FOR CHAPTER 18): Glad you loved it, well not the cliffy! I wish more people would read my fics. Tell people to read mine! I'll have to go look at yours then. 6 pages were very nice. This one was five! I've lapsed in my writing job, sorry!
JaimeyKay: Hello again for the tenth time in a week, probably. *laughs* Now this evil creature thinger is going to beat Harry up! You asked! Hermione will enter the fray eventually, but not yet. No, she's not there yet. Many, many more chapters to go! Yeah! So, did you read my email? What did you think? Do you have an idea for me? Just wondering. (FOR CHAPTER 18) Jaimey, I'm sorry, geez! I updated, like I said I would, I'm just like a day or two late! You've threatened me a lot. But that's alright. You have the right. Glad I could make your day! I love ya too! Yeah, they're just a little screwed! I wouldn't kill them, never. Yes, she was telling the truth, but everyone's mad at her anyways, you know, since she didn't know. It's complicated. And weird. I'm laughing now at your threat! Love ya, Amy
Celebony: You're about as good at French as I was in Spanish! I couldn't say it to save my life. I laughed at the pizza man thing. Glad you liked it!
Lisa: Why thank you! I always appreciate it when people tell me that! Hint: he is alive, just not there yet! Updated!
Lin-z: Thanks! I will try!
Iniysa: Lauren, glad you can't wait for more, did you get enough of it yet?
LittleLovelyGirl: Love it to death, then please be careful. Don't die, I need you to review! Interesting description of Vernon! Glad you love it!
Lucy-Liza: You just crack me up. *stares at lucy-liza while in a fit of hysterical laughing* doesn't quite work, you know staring while laughing? Anyways, thank you! Yes, Ron is a seer, and it is quite cool. Diviner, seer, whatever! It does sound cooler; perhaps I'll start using your term instead. Perhaps! Thanks, I'm glad you thought it was well written. You're silly, just so you know. Okay, so I hurt Ron, I'm sorry, but not badly or anything! Respect my wishes then, for that is what happened, SORRY! Yes, I shall update soon! For you! My wrist is hurting again! Feel sorry for me, okay? Ouch!
Firemask: I'm glad you're dealing, and I'm sorry, very sorry, for giving you another one to deal with! Have I given you another reason to lose your sanity? I'm sorry! THANKYOU!
Danny's Girl: You have a killer bunny???? AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I'll update, I promise!