--Incendio--

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Don't sue, I'm poor. EXCEPTION: I own the Witches of Trane and the Crystal Orb.

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CHAPTER 11: The Tempter (Chapter rated PG)

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Ron and Draco looked at Hermione questioning her with their eyes, Ron with a hint of anger, and Draco with a hint of remorse in them. Hermione whispered, "We're not safe. I remembered- the Orbs are to show you the way to places of evil. That's why it's the red color."

Draco looked astonished, and Ron gasped. "What will we do?" asked Ron.

"Well, I think there's a way to make it good, but I can't quite remember..." Hermione sighed. "We can't stop though. I think we should just turn around and go back."

Draco shook his head. "It's too late for that now, Hermione."

Ron nodded. "Hate to say it, but I agree. We can't turn back now."

Just then, Hermione saw some vibrant colors on the walls of the large room. They were speeding up towards them. The colors were very rich, like a rainbow almost. She pointed to the sight, and Ron and Draco looked too.

It was a small sprite. Hermione gasped, and remembered reading about them. They were very helpful creatures, and the only other fairy-like thing that could speak human languages, besides leprechauns. When they were healthy and about 2 years old, wherever they flew, and their shadows were rainbow colors. Then, when they got older and less healthy, their shadows turned like a humans. They spent their last months of life like a miniature human, because by that time, their wings had fallen off. Then they died.

The sprite stopped in front of the trio, turned her head to look at them. "Are you three lost?" she asked, in a very squeaky voice. She had very pale, almost light yellow skin, and green hair. Her eyes were an intense purple color.

Hermione nodded. "Can you help us? Our friends are trapped in the dungeon of this place, and we were following that," Hermione pointed to the Crystal Orb, "but then I remember that they're not for good."

The sprite sighed, "You should've known that from the start!" She flew over to the Orb and pulled a small, clear sack out of the bag she was carrying on the back. She quickly and effortlessly pulled the sack over the Orb. It instantly stopped glowing, and dropped. It looked very heavy for the sprite, so Draco offered to hold it for her, but she shook her head.

"These things only stop showing the way to places when held in a Crystalline Sack like this one. Get it? Crystal Orb. Crystalline Sack?" she smiled slightly, and then stuffed the over-sized rock into her backpack. The backpack failed to lose its shape though.

The sprite grinned mischievously. "Follow me! I can get you out of here in a jiff."

Draco looked at her uneasily. "Are you going to trick us and kill us or something?"

The sprite laughed. "No! Now, if one of my cousins had found you instead, well, that would be a different story. Now come on, we haven't got all day. My cousins should be coming through here any minute."

She started to fly down the center of the room. Hermione, Draco and Ron didn't move, just looked down the pit. Ron shook his head.

"I'm not going down there!"

The sprite stopped. "Fine. You, girl, you have a wand. Levitate yourself down. There's no time to lose!"

"My names Hermione." she said, and linked arms with Draco and Ron, one on each side of her. She pointed her wand at them.

"I don't know how well this is going to work, but it's worth a shot. What do we have to lose?"

"Our lives, Hermione!" said a very pale Ron.

Without any more hesitation, Hermione said 'Wingardium Leviosa' and the trio levitated a bit off the ground. Hermione had to concentrate very hard, and put all of her energy into safely hovering them above the ground.

Then they jumped down the pit, the sprite following them.

"My name is Maye, by the way." said the sprite. "Hey that rhymes!" Her tiny laugh echoes throughout the room.

Hermione's face was scrunched up in concentration. Many levels of stairs and platforms like the one the trio started out on whizzed by them. Hermione began to feel sick, but just concentrated on the task at hand.

Suddenly, the sprite shouted, "STOP!"

Hermione was startled, and quickly made them stop by focusing even more on levitating them.

The sprite gestured down a very bright hallway. "This is our stop."

Hermione floated the teens over to the steps.

"You're coming with us, right Maye?" said Hermione, nervously.

Maye nodded brightly. "I'm trying to leave here, too. And plus, where would you get without me?"

Hermione sighed with relief and smiled, looking at Ron and Draco. Ron seemed a little happier, but Draco was just getting paler and paler, if that's possible.

Hermione put her hand on Draco's arm. "Are you okay? You don't look too good."

Draco pointed across the pit to the other side. There was a pile of bodies.

Hermione gasped, and Ron started to sway. He fell back, fainted.

Hermione covered her mouth and turned away, starting to cry. She noticed Seamus's body, along with Stuart Ackerley, a Ravenclaw student that Hermione knew, Ernie Macmillan, a pretty nice kid Hermione knew, and a few others.

The sprite gasped, and knelt to Ron. "You know those people?" She looked up at Hermione for clarification. Then she preformed a small spell on Ron. He sat up, looking bewildered.

Hermione nodded. "Are you okay Ron?"

Ron shook his head. "We have to get out of here, Hermione."

The sprite sighed, "The humans have been there for about 2 weeks. It's the making of The Tempter."

Hermione gasped and turned towards the sprite, tears still falling out of her brown eyes.

Maye nodded, "That's his name." There was a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, making Hermione doubt the sprites "good intentions".

Hermione sat against the wall in the hallway. Draco sat next to her and held her hand, and Ron sat on her other side, whispering something to himself.

'The Devil is in London.' she thought.

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This is officially my favorite chapter. I love it! I think that making the evil creature the devil was a good idea. He paired up with Voldemort. You'll find out what Voldemort had to do to make a deal with this guy next chapter. Review!

kriCket x0 - Aw! Thanks. Yeah, sometimes the smallest, most important information is forgotten. I probably would have done the same thing. I'm glad you like my habits! I love updating. Author alerts are fan fiction's gift to the internet. Haha.

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