NIGHT OF THE PHOENIX

Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure/ vague mystery
Setting: All over the place, including different dimensions, other planets and vague places that fit nowhere.
Main Characters: Harry, Malfoy

Part 5

The two boys ran down the hill, trying not to stumble in their haste. They reached the bottom simultaneously, both gasping for breath. All echoes of the screech had died away, and there was no rumbling to give away where it had come from. Drawing in deep breaths between words, Malfoy managed to speak.

"Where did it come from?" Harry looked around, chest heaving, wondering the same thing. There was no sign of an entrance, at least not on this side of the hill. But Harry was determined to find out where the screech came from. The chances were that it would be some clue as to the whereabouts of Fawkes, and therefore one-step closer to saving Ron and Hermione. There had to be an opening somewhere. Harry's breathing was slowly returning to normal. As his breathing slowed, he straightened up.

"Come on, we have to check around the hill. There must be an opening somewhere!" Malfoy nodded, breathing still heavy. He to straightened up, staggering slightly over to where Harry stood. He then gasped out a few words.

"And if it's hidden?" Harry swallowed.

"Then we search around until we find the way in!" Malfoy gave a snort of laughter and started to walk slowly around the hill. Harry gazed after him. How long could it take to find an opening? Not that long, surely. With a sigh, Harry joined Malfoy in searching.

Midnight was drawing on; darkness had long ago enveloped the hillside. Two beams of light from each boy's wand were illuminating parts of the hill as they continued on their search. Both were covered in scratches and small cuts from their fruitless clawing through the brambles that littered the hill. Harry felt sure he had twisted his ankle at least twenty times in the countless rabbit holes overlaid with patches of heather and more brambles, hidden from the limited sight provided by the Lumos incantation. It seemed impossible that they would ever find the entrance they desperately sought. Malfoy gave a sigh of exasperation and collapsed on a gentle slope of the hill.

"This is stupid Potter!" he sneered. "There probably isn't even an entrance." Harry stood over Malfoy. He privately agreed with Malfoy, but would never allow himself to reveal this fact to his worst enemy.

"We can't give up! It must be around here somewhere." Malfoy glared at Harry.

"Open your eyes Potter! We don't know what we're looking for. For all we know there could be a passage into town to here. We'll never find a way in." He made a good argument. Harry couldn't see any way of finding this entrance either. He didn't even know if an entrance existed. If only Hermione was here. She would probably know a spell for revealing passageways. With a sigh, he turned around, facing the small dark mass that was the town.

"We can't give up" he murmured. "There has to be a way." just then Harry heard the rumbling start up again. Suddenly Malfoy gave a yelp, and the reason why was soon obvious. The ground below Harry's feet started to shake. A small wave of excitement grasped him. They must be close. Another cry was heard from Malfoy, although this time it was abruptly cut off. A wave of terror overtook the joy in Harry's heart. He turned. Malfoy had vanished, and the grass he had been sitting on was ripped, half of it missing. What had happened to Malfoy? Fear engulfed Harry. Fear of being alone in a strange countryside, with no idea of what to do next. He took a few steps backwards, a whimper leaving his lips. The rumbling died down, yet no screech was heard this time. Harry ran to the spot Malfoy had been sitting, hoping for some sign of where he had vanished to.

Darkness was all around Draco. And silence. There was no sound to be heard. The air was warm and stuffy, and incredibly close. A jolt of panic flew through him. How much air was there here? He swallowed, and started to run his hands over the ground below him, searching for his wand. Panic had overtaken him. What had happened? He had been sitting on the hillside, and then, the next thing he knew, the ground seemed to have given way and he was suddenly in this place. He paused in the darkness, a frown creasing his forehead. There was something wrong here. The darkness was total, but his scrabbling on the ground had moved the earth that had apparently fallen in with him. Under his fingers now, instead of the crumbly texture of the earth, was a smooth, hard surface. Like some kind of metal. He ran his hands over it more, brushing more earth aside. A few grooves disrupted the smoothness of the surface. He drew his hands back. Carefully he climbed to his fee, cursing as he struck his head against a similar surface. He crouched again, raising his hand. Another hard flat surface formed the ceiling, and slanted upwards. To adjust to the shape of the hill, Malfoy assumed. He carefully felt around himself, trying to find some sort of wall he could follow, preferably out of this place. But there was none, at least not near enough for him to find. He didn't dare to move far without some kind of light, for fear of what he may find. He found himself wishing that Potter were here. There must be some way out of this place. Maybe he could find a way to break through the low ceiling. Anything so he was no longer alone in this sinister place.

END OF PART 5