Her light was illuminating a blood red figure, about three feet high that reminded Harry uncannily like a little devil. It was elfish-like with a rather pointed face, it's deep black eyes glaring at them.
"That's… it's an erkling!"
"Very good, Ron," Heather commented sarcastically. "But how did it get here? They're native to Germany."
"Titchy…" Ron murmured.
"Kate gets to you," Heather said snappishly. "Her and her abominable temper."
"You're telling me," Ron whispered in Harry's ear.
"Well, we're talking about Voldemort. He could've brought it here," Harry said, grinning at Ron's comment though talking to Heather.
The erkling was slowly inching its way toward them, it's black eyes gleaming. It gave another high pitched cackle. If they wouldn't come to it, it would come to them.
"What does an erkling do again?" Ron asked quietly.
"It eats you," Harry said, recalling the information from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Ron paused. "Oh."
"Yes, well, I think that's our cue to leave you guys," Heather said. It sounded like she lifted one of her arms, then she whispered, "Stupefy!"
The spell hit the erkling, but nothing happened.
Ron's eyes widened. "That's not good."
The erkling threw itself at them, landing dramatically on top of Harry just as Heather's light disappeared. Harry fell to the floor, desperately trying to throw it off him. It held on tightly and gnawed on his arm, which started to allocate blood freely.
"Harry!" Ron yelled, rushing toward where he thought he was. Almost running into Harry, Ron managed to grab the erkling. He tried to fling it off Harry, but it kept a firm hold on Harry's bleeding arm.
"Ron, move!" Harry was surprised to recognize the voice as Elyse.
"Alana Comparado!"
The spell was shouted into the darkness. It erupted from somewhere to Harry's right, but sped toward him like the Grim Reaper. Harry could just see the erkling's face, which was contorted in fear. It tried to jump away from Harry, but Harry grabbed its foot and the spell zoomed in front of him as it hit the erkling.
The erkling screamed in pain as Heather rekindled the light in her hands. It was no longer trying to grab Harry anymore--more itself as it jumped away from Harry. It was blistering horribly… then it was shriveling up. The erkling shrieked as it shrunk, quickly becoming nothing more than a pile of red ashes.
There was a pause.
"Ew," Ron said, staring at the pile of erkling. "Ew. That is just… ew."
"You're sounding like a girl, Ron," Harry commented as he stood up and brushed himself off.
"No, that is so… that's… ew… that's wrong…."
"Let's go," Elyse said, grabbing the Shadow Cloak which she'd laid on the floor. "There could be eyes everywhere. Heather, if not careful we may already be known."
Heather nodded as Elyse sped out of sight under the cloak. She looked at Ron and Harry and threw the light towards them where it silently hit the ground and light the room. "C'mon!" She threw the Invisibility Cloak over herself and sped out after Elyse.
Ron looked at Harry. "Ew."
"Yes, Ron, I know the erkling's gross," Harry said. "You've said it about--"
"I wasn't talking about the erkling," Ron said seriously. "You look like crap."
"Oh, thanks," Harry said sardonically, walking toward the exit in stride with Ron.
They quickly walked through the tunnel and reached the larger, lit room, still in stride with each other. Elyse was motioning now towards the ninth tunnel.
"This had better be it," Ron moaned, though Harry heard the slight apprehension in his voice in the off chance that it was. "I dunno how much more I can take."
Harry snorted. "How much more you can take? I'm the one with the bloody arm."
"Oh, let me get that," Heather volunteered from the outskirts of the tunnel. She slipped off the Invisibility Cloak and touched Harry's arm with her hand, muttering something Harry didn't catch. Harry's skin healed, though the blood that had already been spilt was still over his robes.
"Katie used that on me at Malfoy Manor," Harry recalled quietly. "When one of the S.P.I.E.S.s sliced my leg. Not off, Ron," Harry added as Ron looked appalled.
"Oh, okay." Ron breathed again.
They started walking down the tunnel again, Harry and Ron in stride with each other once more and Heather now in the lead. Heather's footsteps were heard as hers echoed softly before theirs could be heard hitting the cold stone.
Heather stopped just ahead of them with such a jolt that they knew to be silent.
There was a slight touch of voices in the air. Someone was speaking softly, their voice being carried by the echo of the cave just ahead. Heather lead the way to exit the tunnel where the voices were.
They quietly entered the ninth cave, a sense of foreboding around them. The voices had stopped eerily, and there was total darkness.
"Not another erkling…" Ron moaned quietly.
There was a high pitched cackle.
"Oh…" Ron groaned. "Not another…."
"Ron… that's not an erkling," Harry said, able to recognize that laugh anywhere.
"Then…" Comprehension suddenly dawned on Ron's face and he took out his wand.
Harry followed suit, not liking the darkness at all. Doubtfully Harry said, "Lumos!"
A light appeared at the end of Harry's wand. Harry felt a little relief--at least he had some light.
Ron was about to light his when the caves burst into light themselves, revealing everything about the gigantic room they had just entered.
There were several raggedy beds in one corner, enough for over a dozen people, two of which had chains linked to it. Several feet to the right, there was a table long enough to suit the Great Hall with food scattered about it and chairs all around it, though they looked like they had been roughly thrown aside. An enormous pile of random food items stood a bit to the right of that, the boxes they were enclosed in piled high. A throne leaned against the right side of the wall, two chairs with chains on it sitting next to it. Next to the right chair, a blackboard was put with drawings of plans and unknown material. Another dozen or so old, flimsy looking chairs stood in front of these, looking like a place for meetings. In two perches high above these, two winged beasts were eerily surveying the group. Harry vaguely recognized them as the odd dragon-owl mix his class had spotted in Care of Magical Creatures. Voldemort used them to deliver messages. Harry looked in the middle of the room and huge surge of emotion swept through him. There were two giant pits with huge, deadly, sharply pointed metal thorns at the bottom. Hanging above them were two circular, thick glass chambers in which Hermione and Katie were held.
"Hermione! Katie!" Harry yelled.
Katie didn't look shocked at all about the use of her real name, but merely looked frightened at something behind Harry. Hermione was pointing her hands profusely behind them.
Harry and Ron turned around, then slowly started to back away. The dozen or so Death Eaters that resided here were closing in behind them, blocking their way out, Lord Voldemort in the lead.
He was still whiter than a skull, his scarlet eyes showing a look of triumph. He still had a flat nose and slits for nostrils, through which he was breathing in heavily, staring at them almost greedily because they were his capture.
"Harry Potter," Voldemort whispered menacingly. "So we meet again…."
"So we do," Harry said flatly.
"I must admit, I surmised you would bring others willing to die with you, but not so much as half of the muggle-lovers school," Voldemort said. "I was much surprised when Lucius informed me of so many…."
"One of the many things I have that you don't," said Harry. "Friends."
Voldemort smirked and held his hands out toward his Death Eaters. "And who do you think these are?"
"Servants," Harry said promptly. "They're not your friends. Friends are equals, something the many of you are not."
"Harry Potter, I would love to stay and chat, but I really have a world to take over," Voldemort said dismissively. "I must go, and I'm afraid you will too. For good. Goodbye, Potter. Avada Kedavra!"