Disclaimer: This is based on a series of works by JK Rowling.
1st Author's Note: REVIEW!
A/N: There has been a complete, utter lack of reviews for the last chapter. I feel so unloved! Oh well, thank you to the loyal people who did review. But first, here is an update on what is happening to the most wonderful Patricia: The monkeys were cornered against the wall, with no escape. Or at least it seemed that way. After some quick thinking on their part, they made a monkey ladder to the window and commenced the monkey exodus. I caught ahold of one of the evil things and strangled it to death, showing you just how mad I was at the monkeys. And then, bellartix-voldielocks0o showed up with her bazooka and Silly showed up with her axe and the real slaughter began. With the press of a button, Bellatrix killed ten plot monkeys, wrecking their ladder. And silly, she ran in waving her axe, chopping the monkeys to bits, her hair waving behind her as she swung. I just sat back and laughed maliciously…. Little did I know, the monkeys were multiplying… exponentially…
Hmmm, maybe it is best that I end the adventures of Pat there… You tell me. But before the story begins, the usual thank yous:
RisuMusume: WOOT! Well, it probably would be funny, right? Lol. Anyway, glad to see you are inspired to write your own one-shot and that you love my story. (loves back) (then giggles)
Yami Marik's Kitten: yay! Another person getting sucked into the phenomenon that is something new! Glad you liked it so much!
Silly little 13 year old: Wheee! I am writing once more! Glad you liked the last chapter with such a fervor. LoL. And I hoped you like the update of the story. I thought you'd like to attack .
yunchen: Glad to hear that you want more. I personally LOVE all the hugs I get.
Amok Necrorragia: I want to come over for tea. Lol. Poor Poe, I think she will be stuck being your slave. Oh well- she had it coming. After all, what to you expect when you are so bitchy all the time? That's right! Being punished! Glad you enjoyed the past two chapters, and you better review again!
Ameinias: YAY! This really is fufilling the title of the story then, isn't it? Something new with each chapter… And yes, this story rox my sox. As for the coming adventure, I am working on it. It will bring up some things you thought were forgotten and some things I had to research. I am expanding my knowledge as I write the upcoming chapters. And between you and me, this trip to the cave could last more than one chapter… Maybe even three. And we shall see some manifestations of Ron's care for Hermione come out.
bellartix-voldielocks0o: Woo! You go girl! Strut into that review chatroom. Lol. And 4 months of not being able to use the computer? How did you survive? And don't worry about babbling… I love reviews of all lengths, except when they are exceedingly short.
Master-of-Wind: Glad you like the story so far!
fifespice: Sorry about Ron- but I agree with you!
nameundecided: I know, he finally came around! And those plot bunnies have to contend with my monkeys from now on .
Chapter 17: The Cave Pt. 1The next few days passed in a flurry as the foursome prepared for the coming challenge. All of them spent considerable time practicing magic, to make sure that they were prepared to the furthest extent. This included mastering wordless magic as well as learning most of the spells in the book that Dumbledore had left Harry. Other then that, the days were pretty uneventful. Except for Harry's run-in with Mrs. Weasley, that is.
"What do you mean you're leaving the house? You must be kidding!" she screamed, vehement that Harry had even bothered mentioning such a thing.
"No, I wasn't joking, and you know I wouldn't ask you if I was," answered Harry, staying calm. "We have to go to this cave to search for something of utmost importance."
"Why can't you just stay here?" she asked, looking beaten.
"I told you," said Harry, putting his foot down. "This is really important. We can't stay here and do nothing."
"But you could get lost!" shrieked Mrs. Weasley, terrified.
"Yes," admitted Harry.
"Or be tortured!" cried Mrs. Weasley.
"Yes," sighed Harry.
"Or worse--" whispered Mrs. Weasley, "killed."
"MRS. WEASLEY! Really!" said Harry, fed up. "We'll be fine."
"But what about the hollow! You told me you'd be fine and then--and then--poor Draco!" she cried.
"We split up last time, which was a mistake we won't make again. We'll stay together. We'll be safe," reassured Harry.
"Even so…" she said, trying to muster an argument.
"We will be prepared! We'll be fine!" said Harry.
"Fair enough," said Mrs. Weasley, admitting that she was beaten. But she had one card left up her sleeve. "However, I don't think Ron should be accompanying you on this expedition."
"I am afraid we really need him to," Harry said, trying to clarify things. "I think we'd be safer having him along…"
"Preposterous," said Mrs. Weasley. "Absolutely preposterous. I think he'd be safer here."
"It would be safer if he came," explained Harry. "After all, there is strength in numbers. And it is literally eating Ron up inside that he can't go with us on our ventures out of the house. Please understand. He needs to come with us. For us, and for him."
Harry's eyes begged and pleaded for her to listen, but Mrs. Weasley turned herself away from his soft green eyes, striding out of the room before she gave Harry an answer. She went into the kitchen and moved around, from what Harry could hear. A loud clashing of pans ensued, a deafening noise indeed.
Mrs. Weasley returned to the doorway into the kitchen and looked at Harry.
"Fine," said Mrs. Weasley, stricken with grief. "Please take care of him for me Harry. And yourself as well. Don't let anything happen. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened…"
"Will do," answered Harry. "Will do."
They had left the house with their wands at the ready and small backpacks on their back. Hermione led the way through the rain to the road, where they stopped.
"Maybe we should go another day," suggested Ron. It really wasn't the best day to go on an adventure to some dreary cave. It was much too glum even when they weren't near the cave. The rain was pouring down on them, inundating them and leaving their clothes soaked.
Right then, lightning bolt struck the ground, soon followed by a loud crack of thunder, shaking the earth. Ron jumped slightly in fear.
"Show some backbone," said Draco, kidding with Ron. Nevertheless, Hermione glared at him.
"I'm surprised no one has asked me why we are waiting here," she stated, discreetly begging them to ask her.
"We sort of figured we're taking the Knight Bus," answered Harry.
"You figured correctly," smiled Hermione.
"Although," continued Harry, "it's a tad bit unsafe, don't you think? Exposing ourselves on a public thoroughfare? There'll be Death Eaters swarming us by the time we get off."
"Whoa. Sounds dangerous," said Ron, realizing the scope of the situation.
"Exactly," said Harry, folding his hands across his chest in victory.
"From what we know, the Deatheaters aren't using the knight bus," answered Hermione, "They weren't on it last time."
"Great," replied Harry. "We have been on the bus one bloody time. And it was a miracle that we weren't caught."
"Have some faith, Harry," said Hermione confidently, "I think that they think that we wouldn't be stupid enough to use such a public vehicle. So why bother having someone watching it?"
"Wow Hermione, that was deep," said Ron. Harry and Draco just rolled their eyes.
"I think she was over-analyzing the situation," complained Harry.
"No I wasn't!" cried Hermione.
"Don't you think that the Death Eaters would be looking everywhere for us, regardless?" asked Draco.
"So each way we choose is just as safe as the other!" sang Hermione.
"But why can't we just ride brooms there?" inquired Harry, trying to deter Hermione.
"Because the bus is here," said Hermione in triumph.
"Mark my words," said Harry as he got onto the bus. "If I catch so much as a glimpse of a Deatheater, we are doing things my way next time."
"Sure Harry, whatever you say," said Hermione, attempting to appease Harry. However, it did not work. He noticed that it was just lip service, devoid of any real meaning.
Nonetheless, he didn't put up anymore of a fight. Instead, he sat back in a red upholstered chair beside Draco and enjoyed the ride as much as was possible on the Knight Bus. He watched as Hermione once again took care of everything and became bored with the normality. He decided to look out the window towards the blurred world. Although he could not see any distinct objects, the melange of colors was truly exquisite. He couldn't help but say that the scenery reminded him of butterglys. Much to his amusement, Draco agreed. They watched the colors go by, the yellows, the whites, the blues, and saw a slow transformation into darker shades, a warning that they were approaching their destination. It was not until the time that all color had left the windows that they had arrived in a dreary town.
"How quaint," murmured Draco as he stepped off the bus, gazing at the town standing in front of them. "Now for what reason do these-" Draco squinted to read the welcoming sign. "-Lerneans have the pleasure of my presence?" Hermione glared at him for being so grating.
"Because we're hiking to the cave from here," answered Hermione, beginning to walk into the blanket of fog. The other three looked at each other and followed in her wake, the fog billowing behind them. Soon, all they could see was each other. Their surroundings were just the grayness of the fog. They continued in these conditions for over an hour, simply putting one foot in front of the other. Finally, they stopped.
"We're here," said Hermione, turning back to face them. She wore a triumphant smile one her face; after all, they had just completed an exceedingly long trek. However, her joy was short-lived as her happy expression quickly turned into fright. She pointed at something behind Ron, Draco, and Harry, her mouth agape.
"You know, it's not polite to point," said the oddly familiar voice.
Draco whipped around to face him; he knew that voice anywhere. The man scowled at them.
"Ah, Draco… once more, we meet. You know, you and your Mudblood friend are in dire need of a lesson on manners," he said, smirking.
"You are one to be speaking, Lucius. Name-calling is considered below proper etiquette," snapped Hermione.
"It's not my fault that my son chose such… questionable company. A weasel, a brat, and you, Mr. Potter," said Lucius, eyeing Harry.
"You'll be sorry for that," said Harry.
"What do you mean?" he asked, in amusement.
"You know exactly what I mean," answered Harry, raising his wand.
"That's where you're wrong, Mr. Potter. See, after our little run-in last time, I decided to bring help," said Lucius
Before Harry could ask whom exactly, an evil cackle sounded behind him. That cackle was all too familiar, the insanity had become almost commonplace. Harry did not want to see her again, especially not now, but he turned to meet her gaze.
"It's a pleasure to see you," she said, smirking much like Lucius.
"I wish we could say the same, Bellatrix," answered Harry, frowning.
"Well enough formalities. I think it's time to play," she said, a grin spreading across her face. She pointed her wand towards Draco.
"Crucio," she uttered, and watched as Draco began writhing in pain.
"I thought I would have the pleasure," said Lucius, smiling at the pain his son was undergoing.
'No more,' thought Harry as memories of the last time he had seen Draco torture came to mind. He saw in his mind's eye the violent image of Draco's elegant body convulsing… He would not let Draco succumb to that pain. He would not mess things up this time. He would make sure to take care of them with his first spell and not let them come back to chase them another day. He was going to take the trash out--for good.
His plan sprang into action; he looked at Hermione to make sure she was ready. She nodded and turned towards Lucius, holding her wand up. Ron stood there in the middle, doing nothing as of yet, and Harry turned towards Bellatrix, pulling out his wand. He waited a moment, to prepare himself.
"Olblovarto!" rang out two voices in unison.
Instantly, Bellatrix's spell broke and she began floating in the air. Lucius began to levitate as well, flying towards Bellatrix. They met midway between each other, and became inextricably wrapped together, without any rope or string. It was simply the power of magic that bound them. Then they began screaming at them four standing below, snickering.
"You think this is funny? This is just some juvenile spell, much like Levicorpus…" said Lucius, his face the only part of his body able to move.
"Actually, yes I think it's funny. And no, it isn't a juvenile spell. It's the one that you're going to die from," said Harry, turning his back on them.
"What do you mean die? You don't have it in you to kill us, Potter," cackled Lucius.
"I won't kill you--you shall die of starvation, or maybe lack of water. Whichever, it won't be me that kills you," said Harry, saddened that he would be leaving them to die.
"Nice try. You don't think people will come looking for us?" said Bellatrix, trying to make him mad.
"Well, we shall make sure that they cannot find you, now won't we?" said Harry smirking.
The color from both Bellatrix and Lucius's face fled, leaving them pale white. They began to scream for their lives, but to no avail. Nothing was going to save them from their fate. The moment that they had gone after Draco had sealed it in Harry's mind.
To quiet their screams, Harry simply muttered, "Petrificus Totalus," and watched them grow still, waiting as their screams waned into silence.
To ensure that they couldn't do anything with their wands, he thought, 'Accio wands,' and watched the wands fly right into his hand. Now that they were defenseless, Harry thought about moving them somewhere, but where? Hermione saw the thoughtful glance cross on his face.
"Harry, I'll take care of this," she said, taking hold of the still, bound pair of villains.
He heard a pop as Hermione disappeared.
"Wow," said Ron in disbelief. "Sorry I didn't help you mate. I was sort of out of it."
"It's okay," said Harry, smirking. "Hermione and I cleaned things right up. Plus, I think you'll have another chance to prove yourself."
"You're kidding, right?" asked Ron.
"Ron, we haven't even gone into the cave yet. That's where the real perils begin, believe me."
"We believe you," said Draco, grabbing Harry's hand and holding it tight.
"I just hope it isn't anything too bad," said Ron. "Knowing Hermione, she didn't tell us everything…"
They heard another pop sound out to their right and looked to see Hermione, standing there nonchalantly.
"What did I miss?" she asked, looking at Harry and Draco's hands.
"Nothing," said Harry, gripping Draco's hand even harder. Hermione gave him an inspecting look and paused, thinking for a moment.
"Well Harry, nice job. You did everything as planned," congratulated Hermione.
"What do you mean 'planned'?" asked Ron.
"Ron, seriously. You don't expect us to be prepared for something like this? We had to be! It'd be idiotic not to!" said Hermione in exasperation.
"What 'we'?" questioned Ron.
"Harry and I. Didn't you see us cast the binding spell Ron?" inquired Hermione.
"Well, yes," admitted Ron.
Eager to change the topic, Harry asked Hermione where she had taken Lucius and Bellatrix.
"Somewhere that the Death Eaters would never look," she answered. " Since I saw Harry fumbling while he was trying to decided where to send them, and I had already come up with a place, I took control. I Apparated to a small town in the Midwestern United States that my parents and I passed through once."
"So where did you put them exactly?" asked Harry.
"That was the tricky part, wasn't it? When I arrived with them, there was a woman staring at me in disbelief, so I had to take care of her first. I just Obliviated her memory and sent her on her merry way," said Hermione.
"Hermione! You can't just erase someone's memory!" said Harry in outrage.
"It was just her recent memory! And the Ministry does that to Muggles all the time," explained Hermione.
"But still… that's the Ministry!" said Harry in exasperation.
" I have exceptional control over the spell; it's not like I am sort of novice," boasted Hermione. "As for the gruesome twosome, I put them in a dumpster and locked it tightly."
"A dumpster? Wow, ingenious, Hermione," praised Harry.
"I know," admitted Hermione. "But Harry, I'm proud of you. You took care of them…"
"I had to," replied Harry, his eyes full of emotions. Draco gripped Harry's hand harder. "I can't live with them always chasing after Draco and I. Especially when they will torture their family. I have to protect him."
"Thank you," said Draco. "I feel safer now, Harry. Especially with you. But I don't think our troubles our over," He paused for a moment, before thanking Hermione as well.
"Enough chatting, it's time to go into the actual cave," said Hermione. "But before we do, I think that there is something that I should tell you…"
A/N: I think that the next chapter will be longer than this one, but there is no way to know, is there? Also, there has been a complete lack of reviews, with the number stalling after a day of the release of the last chapter. Please REVIEW! It helps make me happy and give you the next chapter faster. Plus, you get a special thanks in the next chapter! It's a win-win situation! The next chapter is called… The Cave Pt. 2. Sorry they didn't actually go into the cave yet. But you better believe me, there are some nice surprises ahead. Please review!