Chapter V: The Emerald Leaf
Harry's body tumbled downward, spiraling several times through the syrupy air. Fidgeting with his hands, Harry searched for his wand frantically. However, the ground came before he could think of anything.
Brown mud softened the fall a bit more, but not enough. Rips in his skin caused maroon blood to trickle out of it. His smashed glasses lied ahead of him, and his scar was cut, letting bright red drip along the crease in his forehead.
His left arm seemed fine, and he could wiggle the right, but it was his legs that ached the most. As he forced himself to lift up his body, Potter knew his legs were either broken or badly bruised.
"Where's my wand?" Harry muttered to himself. The surrounding forest was partially a blur. As Harry felt his robe with his soiled hands, he found a stick shaped object that could only have been one thing.
"Lucidious!" Harry shouted, and the area around him became perfectly clear without his glasses on. "There. Now, if I could sit this way," he mumbled as he tried to move his body.
"Ah, no, no," he said then cringed his teeth at the stinging pain. "Almost," he continued, swiveling his hips around and dragging his injured limbs. "Now, what was that… Oh, yes." Harry lifted his wand and aimed it at his throbbing legs. "Limbiosa!"
Yellow sparks flew from his wand and fell onto his legs. The cuts still remained, but there was no pain at all. "That will have to do." Harry, still shaken up a bit, got onto his knees; then, he stood up completely after two tries.
Spotting his shattered lenses, Harry picked up his glasses and placed them in his pocket. He then looked around, making sure he didn't leave anything lying around for a centaur to pick up.
"What is that?" He asked himself.
A dark green metal that looked like it was from a broken bottle peered out of the ground. Its edges were rough and jagged and seemed to have some sort of impression on them.
Harry fell to his knees and started to dig it out with his hands. More dirt was pushed under the sensitive part of his nails as he struggled to get hold of the metal object. After a few tugs, he pulled out what looked like a metal leaf. It had a silver hoop at the top, perhaps for a chain to loop through, and it was exceptionally rusted. Harry flipped it over to find symbols he could not decipher yet looked familiar.
Where did it come from? He wondered this as he dug a bit more. Maybe there were other ones. After a good ten minutes of digging, Harry's hands pulsated, and he stopped. Just as he was about to start walking toward Hogwarts, if that indeed was the right direction, a white mist rushed by him and disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
"Who's there?" Harry asked loudly, looking about very carefully. However, it was clear that he was alone.
***
"Hermione!" Ron yelled up the staircase to the girls' dormitory.
"Will you stop shouting," a second year girl said as she skipped down the spiraling stairs. "She's not there."
Ron's face transformed into a shade of crimson. "What do you mean 'she's not there'? I didn't see her leave!"
He rolled his eyes back and let out an aggravated growl. An idea suddenly popped into his head, and Ron raced toward Harry's duffel bag. After unzipping several pockets, he found a blank piece of parchment.
"I swear I am up to no good," he said and little dots and then lines of ink appeared. He skimmed over the map and spotted one labeled 'Hermione Granger'.
"Figures," he said and left the Gryffindor Tower.
He raced past paintings that peered their eyes at him, and he skidded down corridors and stairs. Panting and sweating, Ron arrived at the library and spotted Hermione huddled behind piles of complicated book. But she was sitting next to someone. A guy…
"Hermione!" Ron shouted as the librarian glared at him. "Oh, sorry, I forgot," he whispered and hurried over to the table. As he came closer, he recognized Fly.
"Giving tutoring lessons?" Ron asked as he wiped off beads of sweat dripping down his nose.
"Ron, you have excess perspiration. Why were you running?"
Fly tended to ignore Hermione and Ron as he shoved a book in front of his face and pretended to read the upside-down lettering.
"I can't find Harry anywhere. I went down to the Quidditch fields about thirty minutes ago to watch him practice—"
"Slow down, Ron," she interrupted. "He was sent to practice at this time of day, alone?"
He nodded. "Yes. Mera, that's a messenger fairy, requested it. But, that was over four hours ago. I thought he was just practicing a lot, but when I went there, I didn't find him or anyone else for that matter."
Hermione sighed. "I wouldn't worry, Ron. I'm sure Harry just went somewhere else. Now, if you don't mind—"
"Wait!" Ron shouted and heard the librarian's shush behind him. He reached into his pocket and dragged out the Marauder's map. Again he said, "I swear I am up to no good," and the figures started to form. Frantically, his eyes darted all around the page.
"I can't find him," he finally said.
Hermione grabbed it from his hands. "Let me see… You're right, Ron. Maybe he's at Hagrid's hut. Did you check there?"
Ron shook his head.
"Then, I'd advise you if you are so worried to go look there."
"You're not coming?" Ron asked.
Hermione looked over at Fly and then said, "I am busy."
After a few seconds, Ron coughed and turned around. "Yes, well I must go look for my friend. I'm sure Harry is less important to you than your boyfriend there."
"Stop being so immature," Hermione said under her breath as Ron started to leave.
"I heard that!" Ron shouted back.
Suddenly, a flash of pink sparks flickered around Ron. The librarian was near by holding a wand and giving a terribly evil look. Ron gulped loudly and rushed out of the library toward Hagrid's hut. His legs hurried as fast as they could while his mind raced just as fast. His gut told him something wasn't right. Who sent that messenger fairy? Ron wondered as he left the Hogwart's castle and raced across the somewhat tall grass.
Hagrid's hut was not too far away. Perhaps Harry is there or I'm worrying too much. After looking around for a few seconds, Ron knocked on Hagrid's large door. It felt strange being there alone since so many times he visited with Harry and Hermione by his side.
It took a minute before the door opened and a tired Hagrid looked him in the face.
"Oh, what a pleasant su'prise, Ron," he said, motioning for him to go inside. As Ron entered, he immediately saw no sign of Harry. He sighed and looked over at Hagrid.
"Ya seem disappointed."
"Yes, well, I was looking for Harry. I haven't seem him ever since someone asked him to go to the Quidditch fields and that was over four hours ago, Hagrid."
A very confused and concerned face appeared. Hagrid thought to himself for a while before answering slowly.
"Ya mean… he ain't in de castle?"
Ron shook his head.
"But, I, er… It was me who made Harry come te de fields." Hagrid then looked out his window and gulped to himself. "He was s'posed te practice while I, er, well." Hagrid paused and pointed to the blanket on the large chair. It moved about slightly, and a sliver of pointy bone stuck out.
"That dere's Willy. I wanted te show Harry its parents… Oh, dear…"
"What, what is it, Hagrid?" Ron asked anxiously.
"Ron, what de ya see over dere?" Hagrid pointed to a spot over the Forbidden Forest.
Ron got up from the table seat and rushed toward the square window. He squinted his eyes, trying to make out the shape of some sort of object hovering over the forest.
"I'm not sure. Hagrid, hand me those binoculars," Ron said, familiar with Muggle items, having so many at home. He placed the lenses against his eyes and stared off at the object. "That's Harry's FIREBOLT!" He gasped and looked over at Hagrid. "Harry might be in big trouble."
"I wonder why it just stopped like dat."
Ron hummed to himself. "Because it's a Driveller."
"Really?" he said, sounding quite happy actually.
"You know what that is, then? And how dangerous it is?"
"Well, I s'pose it could be… But they're real useful too. It ain't givin' Harry trouble, is it?"
"Yes, it is! And since Harry's not riding Malicia," he paused. "That's the Driveller's name. Anyway, he probably fell! We must find him."
"In da Forbidden Forest, Ron? Ya sure ya can handle it?"
Ron looked back through the window then nodded his head. "For Harry, I'd do anything."
"That settles it. But I gotta bring Willy."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, let's hurry."
The baby dragon squirmed a bit as it tried to escape from Hagrid's grasp. After Hagrid gentled caressed its head, Willy purred, curled up again and started to snore. Ron followed Hagrid outside the small home and crept toward the Forbidden Forest. As they entered it, the surroundings became black with their shadows blending in. Every snap of a twig perked Ron's ears thinking Harry was somewhere near by.
"We better head toward Malicia," Ron stated, trailing right behind Hagrid.
"Good idea."
It was much easier for Hagrid to spot the broomstick, being higher up than Ron of course. Every few steps Ron's shoes slipped off of him, getting encased in mud. However, he did not let this slow him down at all. Instead, Ron left his shoes behind and ran to catch up wearing the socks his mother knitted him.
"Harry!" Ron yelled, hoping someone would hear him.
"Er, I wouldn't shout if I were ya. Could bring some, er, unwelcome guests if ya know what I mean," Hagrid said, watching closely around him. Yet, it was very hard to see anything actually besides what was directly in front of them.
"But if we don't yell to Harry, Hagrid, then he won't know we're here," Ron pleaded, finally catching up to the half giant.
He gave a groan and turned around gradually. "Listen, Ron. I'm sure Harry is alive." He placed his large hands against Ron's shaking shoulders. "I promise ya we'll find him."
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Hagrid. That's what my mum always tells me."
Ron looked down at his socks covered in leaves and then gawked at the object an inch away from his big toe. It was a silver box sticking halfway out of the ground with brown rust stains streaking throughout it.
"What do you think that is, Hagrid?" Ron asked, afraid to touch it and get shocked.
It took the half giant a few seconds to realize what the young wizard was even talking about. He then peered over, grasped the box out of the ground with one heave and examined it carefully.
"I don't know exactly. Open it."
Hagrid tossed the box over to Ron who tried to open the box but it was jammed.
"No, with ya wand!"
"Oh," said Ron and pulled out his hand-me-down wand. "Um, er… Let me try this…" He targeted the box and shouted, "Explosiosa!"
Red flames shot out and burned the top of the box but did not open it.
"Now that's not right at all… How about… Exdetachia!"
The chest flew to the ground and smashed open letting scraps of a dried substance fall over the ground. Shiny velvet layered the inside of the box but there was nothing else. Ron reached forward and scooped up the dried, dark red substance into his cupped hands. He smelled it and then looked over at Hagrid.
"What is this stuff?"
Hagrid grabbed Ron's wrist and twisted it closer to his face. Using his large thumb, he crunched the material into pieces and inspected it.
"That der is dried blood. Very old if I had te say too. Wonder what it was doin' in der."
"Blood?" Ron asked with a disgusted face. He immediately dropped it and wiped his hands all over his robe. "Who in their right mind would put that in a box?"
"Beats me. But we betta go find Harry now."
"Right, right."
The two hurried through the forest and approached the opening where Malicia hovered over. On the ground was the body of a schoolboy lying completely motionless. Near him were crushed branches, twigs and mounds of dirt.
"Harry!" Ron squeaked and rushed over to his side. He then started to pull on his robes and poke at his shoulders until moans were pushed out of his mouth.
"You're bloody alive!" Again Ron yelled as a grin beamed across his pale white face.
"Of course I am. Wait a… How did you find me?" Harry asked, rolling over slowly.
"We just went to where Malicia hovered," Ron said and pointed up.
Harry was pulled to his feet by Ron and Hagrid and blinked a few times as blood encrusted around his face. "How did I… I was awake just a while ago. I don't remember falling over."
"Loss of blood most likely," Hagrid suggested.
Harry nodded. Just as his friends were about to walk with him, Harry looked up at Malicia and shouted,
"Get down here, Malicia! Right now! This is Harry Potter, your master, so get down here this instant!"
The broomstick plummeted downward and fell into Harry's hands. Its face was not visible, but it had turned a shade of pink.
"I'm ready now," Harry said and started to follow Ron and Hagrid. As he trotted, he heard the jingling of a metal object around his neck and under his robe. He reached down gently to find the emerald, leaf shaped medallion looped around his neck.
How did it get there, he wondered and continued walking back to Hogwarts, confused and aching.