Harry was smacked hard. There was a yell from far ahead.
"Are they all right?" It was Heather who had smacked him, Heather who was knelt before him.
Elyse's response was a quiet one. "Hermione and Ron will be all right with some extensive care. Kate…"
"She's not…" Heather whispered.
"Kate didn't make it," Elyse said in a strained, almost inaudible voice.
Several tears fell down Heather's face as Harry sat up. She turned to Harry. "You're all right?"
"I'm alive," Harry assured quietly.
"Can I help at all?" Heather asked, as though desperately wanting to do something other than think.
Harry felt around himself. He felt a little sore from hitting the wall, but the Killing Curse seemed to have done nothing to him. "Can you calm headache?"
Heather gave a small smile. She put her hand to his forehead and whispered a spell.
"Thanks," Harry said vaguely as the headache dispersed.
"No problem," Heather whispered.
There were several groans from their right--Elyse had revived Ron and Hermione. Harry and Heather walked over to them.
"You two okay?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Hermione answered swiftly, blinking a bit. "You?"
"Fine," Harry said.
Hermione paused, then said, "I meant emotionally."
"Fine," Harry lied.
"Don't lie, mate," Ron said. "I'm hurting, too, just physically. We're in a similar circumstance."
"I don't want to know how I'm feeling," Harry said shortly, walking a bit away.
Elyse walked up behind him. "Harry… how did you survive?"
Harry was glad for an excuse to smile. "Trelawney."
"What?" Ron asked, standing up, then falling down again.
"Careful!" Heather chided.
"The prophecy," Harry said. "What did you do with the pensieve, anyway?"
"Sent it to Aberforth," Elyse said dismissively.
"You can banish?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Anyone can banish," Elyse said. "It's Evanesca, but to banish people you have to have the gift. Now, how did you know she couldn't kill you? What d'you mean 'the prophecy'?"
Harry smiled again. He recited, "Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives."
Elyse looked confused. "What?"
"Either must die at the hand of the other," Harry said again. "Only Voldemort has the power to kill me."
Comprehension dawned on Elyse's face. "Smart thinking."
There was an awkward silence that followed.
"Harry, you survived the Killing Curse again?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Harry confirmed, thinking of all the more attention he'd get if that got out. He groaned at the thought.
"And you let yourself get hit?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Harry said before he realized the trap he'd just put himself in.
"But you could've gotten killed!" Hermione lectured. "You didn't know for sure if you would live, and if you didn't, you would've died for what? Harry, you can't go risking your life like that! You're the only one who can kill Voldemort and if you die--"
"But he didn't get killed, Hermione," Ron pointed out. "Give it a rest. It was a bit more than just chance that he took the risk. Calm down. Besides, we came to get you on a whole lotta risk."
"You're lecture's coming," Hermione told him. "When we get back to Hogwarts, I'll make sure to give you a big one."
"And this is what I get for saving your life…." Ron murmured. "Remind not to risk it again…."
Hermione smirked. "Naturally that's not enough for a thanks." She gently kissed him on the lips, the first time she'd ever done so.
Ron blushed crimson and quietly recommended they leave, ignoring the knowing smiles Elyse and Heather were giving him.
Harry didn't smile or nod or do anything of the sort to show his happiness for Ron. He couldn't help thinking… he'd never kissed Katie to show her he really cared for her. He'd kissed Cho, but he hadn't kissed her. A sinking feeling fell into the pit of his stomach and Harry desperately tried to ignore it. Harry sped up slightly as he walked, trying not to look behind him, either--there was a green glow around Katie's limp body as Elyse magically carried her. He never had kissed her, and now he never would.
They walked on through tunnel number nine until they reached the giant, circular room. They were about to leave the room, but then saw something that made Elyse drop Katie. There was an enormous steel gate along the crevice through which they'd entered without a single crack in it. There was no way out.
Heather tried a combination of spells and other ones Harry had never heard in his life, but none even made a dent in the gate.
Elyse magically picked up Katie again and looked at them. "Maybe the new exit is through one of these tunnels."
"We don't even know if there is another exit!" Ron pointed out.
"There must be. It can't be impossible…." Heather said, peering around. "Somewhere, there's another way outta this place. We just gotta find it."
Ron groaned, complaining that his feet were killing him.
"Where did you go before, or did you pick the ninth tunnel on your first try?" Hermione asked.
"The cloaks!" Elyse suddenly exclaimed. "I forgot them!"
"I banished them, chill," Heather calmed. "Aberforth'll have a few minutes of fun. We went through the fourth and sixth tunnels. The fourth had a dragon and the sixth had an erkling. The ninth is obviously out."
"Well that still leaves seven more tunnels," Hermione said. "We'd better get started."
"But which one?" Ron asked.
"Hermione, what's your favorite number?" Heather asked vaguely.
"Er… I don't have one," Hermione replied simply.
"Think of one," Heather commanded.
"Seven," Hermione said randomly.
"Then down tunnel seven we go!" Elyse said, catching on. She headed off down the dark tunnel, quickly followed by the rest of them, all of them lighting their wands.
This particular tunnel was very short. They had taken no more than twenty paces when they suddenly reached an opening. They moved their wands around the room, searching the place. Harry's suddenly fell upon a creature, one he didn't recognize. When Hermione saw it, however, she screamed. The creature stirred from it's slumber and slowly stood up on it's four legs. Heather gasped and Elyse cursed.
"What is it?" Harry asked quietly.
There was a pause.
"A manticore," Hermione breathed.
Harry took another look at the creature. It had the body of a lion, its paws looking menacing with sharp, two-inch long claws. On top of its shoulders sat the head of a blonde man, it's black eyes looking at them hungrily as it swished it's scorpion-like tail back and forth.
The manticore jumped out at them.
"MOVE!" Heather yelled, dodging to the right.
Harry ran to the left, the manticore's claws scratching his shoulder, leaving four inch-deep gashes where they had made contact. Harry gave a yell as the pain shot up his shoulder.
"Harry, are you okay?" Elyse yelled, laying Katie down, hopefully safely, in a corner.
Harry opened his mouth for a moment as his left hand rushed to his shoulder. "Yeah, sure, I'm fine!"
Elyse rolled her eyes and screamed, "Stupefy!"
Her blood-red spell raced toward the manticore. It turned to look at the oncoming light of red just as it hit it. The manticore did not, however, fall to the ground, unconscious. The spell rebounded and headed toward Elyse.
"ELYSE, WATCH OUT!" Heather screamed.
Elyse did a flip in the air, allowing the spell to pass under her. She landed with a thud back on the ground, flipping the hair out of her face. Harry was harshly reminded of Katie.
"HARRY, MOVE IT!" Ron shouted.
The manticore jumped on top of him, forcing Harry painfully onto the ground. For a moment, Harry prayed it would eat him. What was there worth living for anymore?
Hermione screamed in fear for him. Hermione and Ron's faces appeared in his mind. They were worth living for. Harry kicked at the manticore, wishing desperately for it to back off. He swung his fist out at it, forcing it to move its mouth from trying to bite into him. Harry kicked at it again and made contact.
The manticore screeched in pain, backing away and tossing its head violently. It glared daggers at Harry, then tore after Ron.
"RON, MOVE!" Harry shouted.
"I'M MOVING!" Ron yelled as he raced away from the manticore, running faster than Harry had ever seen him run. The manticore was gaining and finally pounced on him, biting his arm so as to not lose hold. Ron screamed in anguish as Harry, Hermione, Elyse, and Heather raced toward him.