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Chapter 42
The morning after Ron spent the night with Hermione in her dormitory, he woke early and left for his own room. Of course, not until they had exchanged proper 'good morning' and 'goodbye' kisses. But, as soon as they had, Ron was out of the window and up the tower.
Ron reckoned Hermione must have taken their discussion to heart. He hadn't read any book that didn't have a picture of a broomstick or a Quaffle on the front cover since Wednesday, and Hermione didn't seem to mind. She actually seemed to be taking more frequent breaks from her studies herself. Presently, however, she was taking no such break.
She was eating less this evening than usual, as she remained silent and hidden behind her Healing book. Ron was all right with this, though…she might need both hands to read her book, but he had one hand resting over her delicate, yet bobbing knee. And…every few minutes she would turn her head and kiss him on the shoulder before diving back behind her book.
The Great Hall was usually quite cheerful on Friday evenings. Weekends were always welcomed. However, the approach of end-of-term exams seemed to have sucked some of the cheer from the air on this particular Friday. Though, Ron was all right with this, too… His team had a match in less than twenty-four hours, and he wasn't really nervous. Just eager for tomorrow at noon… Ron credited this to the fact that he could now become consumed with Quidditch without the threat of Hermione becoming exceedingly angry with him.
"Good blocks this afternoon." Ginny said earnestly from across the wooden table, where she and Harry were sharing a treacle tart.
Ron nodded at his sister as he swallowed a forkful of steak and kidney pie. "Thanks." He replied, and as an afterthought he added, "You, Katie, and Jessica were brilliant on the Hawkshead Attacking Formation."
"Well, we ought to be." Ginny replied with a tired sigh, stretching her arms to one side and then the other, "How long were we out there anyway?"
"Two and a half hours." Hermione muttered absently from behind her Healing book.
Ron smiled to himself. He wasn't sure how Hermione could listen in on a conversation, while engrossed in a textbook, but he was definitely enjoying the fact that Hermione was now paying him a bit more attention. She had actually pouted a bit over the amount of time Ron held the team outside for today's practice.
It wasn't because he was refusing to study, but because he wasn't spending the time with her. After Ron had shown her just how distant she had been with him lately, she seemed to crave time with him. And although Ron craved the very same thing, he unfortunately wasn't quite through with practice for the day.
"I think we should go back out to the pitch for a little while after dinner." Ron said casually, hoping his recent compliment to Ginny would lessen the resentment his statement might evoke.
"What?" Ginny asked with wide eyes. Harry remained silent, but Ron could tell that his friend looked slightly anxious. Hermione looked up briefly from her book, but then ducked back behind the pages.
"Just the three of us." Ron stated, absently squeezing Hermione's knee, "I know we've been working all week, but Ginny, I think you could stand to work on the Shimmy a bit more."
"What about the other Chasers? It's a three Chaser maneuver." Ginny asked with a touch of defensiveness in her voice.
"Well, you have the most difficult role in the move." Ron said matter-of-factly. At the indignant look on his sister's face he added, "Because you're the best."
Ginny's expression seemed to soften a bit, so Ron decided to push his luck. "I've been meaning to tell you, Ginny. I saw you blagging in the Hufflepuff game."
"I did not blag!" Ginny exclaimed, looking highly offended.
"She what?" Hermione asked, looking up from her studies again.
"She grabbed the broom tail of another player." Harry replied with amusement in his voice. Ginny shot him a warning look, but Harry just smiled, "Well, you did." He added.
"I did?" Ginny asked, now looking truly concerned.
"Yes, and you blatched too." Ron added now that he had someone on his side on the issue of Ginny's tendency to sneak foul plays into the matches.
"What is bl-…"
"She intentionally collided with Zacharias Smith." Ron answered Hermione, who had now set her book down completely.
"Are you actually interested in a conversation about Quidditch?" Ron asked with a surprised smile. Hermione just shrugged and took hold of his hand under the table.
"I only blatched him because he blatched me first." Ginny said defiantly. "And it's not like you've never flacked before, Ron."
"Blimey…How many times do I have to tell you that I wasn't trying to block that shot? I had to put my arm through the hoop!" Ron began with slight frustration, "I would've fallen off of my broom if I hadn't. It was really windy that day." This was mostly true, although he could've chosen to steady himself on the hoop that didn't happen to have a Quaffle flying toward it.
"But I did sort of regret blatching him later." Ginny said, ignoring Ron's argument.
"Good." Ron said firmly.
"Not because I hit him," Ginny said, pursing her lips at him, "Because I broke off two of my broom tail bristles in the process." She turned to Harry and added, "Which reminds me…I hear Cho likes to blurt. So watch out."
"Yeah, I've heard that too." Harry replied.
Ron looked down at Hermione, who had one inquisitive eyebrow raised, "Cho likes to lock her broom handle over the handle of the opposing Seeker to try and pull him off course." Ron explained.
"As long as none of you get hit with a bludger tomorrow," Hermione began, as the plates started disappearing, "I'll be fine. It's those worthless Beaters that should be removed from the game entirely."
"No Beaters in Quidditch?" Ginny cried in disbelief as she and Harry stood from their side of the table. "No Beaters in-…"
"Ginny…" Ron interrupted as he helped Hermione load her satchel with her books and notes, "Forget about the Beaters, okay? Will you and Harry please practice with me for another couple of hours?"
"It's passed four PM." Ginny said almost hopefully.
"I approved an evening practice with McGonagall." Ron stated, "I told her it would just be us three, and she didn't seem to have a problem with it."
Ginny did a poor job of hiding her disappointment at this news.
"Let's go fetch our brooms." Harry said, picking up his satchel and taking hold of Ginny's hand. Ginny's shoulders seemed to slump slightly before she looked from Harry to Ron and nodded.
"Fine," Ginny sighed tiredly, before a slight smirk appeared on her face, "But I think you should have to practice the Starfish and Stick." Ron and Harry both chuckled.
"Deal." Ron replied jokingly.
"What's the Starfish-and-what's-it?" Hermione asked as she and Ron stood from their bench.
"It's where the Keeper hangs from his broom by one hand and one foot to block a wide area." Ginny replied with a smile.
Hermione looked up at Ron with her eyes slightly squinted. "Ron, you better not!" She said worriedly, grabbing hold of his forearm. Harry and Ginny both laughed.
"Hermione, the Starfish and Stick is only performed by professional Quidditch teams." Ron said, smiling down at her, "I'll be practicing the Double Eight Loop."
"Will you be sitting on the broomstick properly?" She asked with both eyebrows raised.
"Yes." Ron replied, leaning down to kiss her before adding, "You can come and watch if you like. I really do need to practice for the most part, but I could take you up for a bit."
Hermione looked from Ron to her satchel and back with furrowed brows and an apologetic frown. "I'd like to, Ron, but…" She began as they started the walk toward the exit doors. "I really need to do a bit of research in the library."
Ron highly doubted that Hermione needed to do research, but he nodded. "Well, we should be finished by eight or so."
Hermione suddenly smiled up at him as she asked, "You know what I'd like to do when you get back?"
"What's that?"
"Play you at Wizard's Chess."
"Is that so?" Ron asked, returning her smile as they reached the Grand Staircase.
"I know I won't win, but we haven't played in a while, and I really do enjoy just watching you play."
"It is a spectacular sight, isn't it?" Ron asked in mock-seriousness, causing Hermione to giggle.
When they reached the fourth floor, Ron walked Hermione down the corridor to the entrance of the library. "It's a date then? Eight o'clock?" Hermione asked, leaning into his chest.
"It's a date." Ron replied before their lips met in a tender kiss.
Okay… DeCameron…DeCameron…DeCameron. …
Hermione was slowly edging her way down one of the silent aisles in the library.While studying her Healing book at dinner, she had come across a very brief passage on a particular Witch from the 1800s. She probably had plenty of information on Nessy Wellbrooks, but Hermione always felt as though she should research topics that were not discussed properly in the texts.
DeCameron!
Hermione reached down to the bottom shelf to retrieve The 19th Century's Most Influential Withces by Candi DeCameron. Surely this book would have a more detailed account of Nessy Wellbrooks' accomplishments in the field of Healing. Hermione hoped she would have enough time to take some adequate notes from this text.
Ron, Harry, and Ginny had already been practicing for about an hour. So, Hermione had approximately one hour to study before Ron would be coming in from the pitch. She wanted to be completely finished with her studies for the night before he got back so that they could have a nice quiet evening together.
As Hermione returned to her table, strewn with paper and books, she thought she heard the sound of footsteps running down the hall outside the library, but she ignored them. It was most likely an underclassman, not yet familiar with Madm Pince's rules for the fourth floor.
Hermione sat down amidst her papers and opened The 19th Century's Most Influential Withces to its table of contents, but before she could even read the title of the first chapter, she was interrupted by Madam Pince's harsh whisper.
"Mr. Weasley! There is no need for that sort of disruptive running in the halls!"
Mr. Weasley? Hermione thought. It was only seven o'clock…what was he doing back early? And why was he running? Jerking her head up from her book, Hermione saw Ron coming toward her, being closely watched by a disapproving Madam Pince. Hermione's heart jumped into her throat at the sight of him, but not because she was excited that he was back early. Her heart was jumping because of the stern, urgent, and anxious look on Ron's face.
Hermione quickly stood from her chair as he approached her and took hold of her arm. "Ron, what's-…"
"Hermione, we have to go…now." He whispered urgently, his chest heaving.
"What's happened?" She asked, her heart beating madly. She reached for her satchel, but Ron was pulling her away from her table.
"Leave your things, we'll come back for them." He said before he all but dragged her from the room.
Once in the corridor, Hermione had to run to keep up with his long, hasty strides. "Ron, could you please tell me what's going on? Did something happen on the pitch?"
"Yes." He replied shortly as they reached the stairs. He grabbed her hand and began descending. "It's Harry."
"Harry?" Hermione croaked as her heart began beating even more rapidly.
"We were out on the pitch, and he just…he just…" Ron looked at her with worried eyes and shook his head, "He let out this awful yell and then he…he just flew from the pitch and took off toward Hagrid's hut. I…I probably should have followed after Harry, but Hermione…I don't know what's going on, and I was afraid to leave you up here by yourself."
"Ron, we have to tell someone!" Hermione exclaimed.
"I told Ginny to alert Hagrid and then wait for us at his hut."
"So...do you think he had a vision or something?" Hermione asked as they reached the base of the stairs.
"I'm not sure." Ron said as they headed for the huge double doors of the castle, "I just know that I've never heard Harry yell like that before."
As she followed Ron out into the warm, dusky evening, she heard a bit of commotion behind her. Turning around, she glimpsed a group of students crowded about the doors to the Great Hall before the castle's front doors closed with a low boom.
As they hurried across the grounds in silence, Hermione saw Hagrid's hut slowly coming into view…but she saw no Ginny or Hagrid…and no Harry. Ron must have noticed this too because his grip on her hand became tighter and his brows became more furrowed.
"Ron, where's Ginny?" Hermione asked as a small bubble of panic began to form in her stomach.
"Maybe Hagrid wasn't in his hut…and…and Ginny has gone to find him." Ron offered, squeezing her hand tighter still.
Hermione had heard the uncertainty in his voice, however… And she knew that if Harry had flown off in the direction of Hagrid's hut, but wasn't actually in Hagrid's hut…there was really only one other place he could've gone…the Forbidden Forest. And, if there were anyone brave enough to fly into the forest alone in search of Harry, it would be Ginny.
Once they were standing in front of the hut, Ron released Hermione's hand and ran his nervous fingers through his crimson hair. He then approached the door and knocked loudly…Fang's barks began instantly, but no one answered. He knocked again, but again…no one.
"Ron, we've got to go tell Dumbledore." Hermione said urgently. "That may be where Ginny's gone, but we can't take any ch-…"
Before Hermione could finish, she heard the loud snap of a twig coming from the direction of the forest. She then saw Ron's eyes get wide and his mouth drop open slightly. Spinning around on her heel, Hermione saw the tail of black robes disappearing just beyond the front wall of trees into the forest.
"Harry?" Ron called as he jumped down from Hagrid's front doorsteps and ran toward the forest. "Harry!" He yelled into the trees.
Hermione ran after Ron and caught him by his upper arm. "That was him?" She asked breathlessly.
"Yes! I saw his face!" He exclaimed, looking frantically into the trees. "Hermione…" He muttered before looking down at her. His blue eyes were filled with an emotion that Hermione couldn't place.
"Hermione, I have to go after him."
"I'm going with you." She proclaimed as she looked into the dense trees.
"Hermione…"
"I'm going!" Hermione shouted impatiently; she was sure she had just seen a glimpse of a lone figure walking deeper into the forest.
Ron closed his eyes briefly and let out a long sigh before grabbing hold of her hand and pulling her into the forest. It was beginning to get rather dark anyway, and with the canopy of trees, visibility was even poorer. However, there was nothing to prevent Hermione and Ron from hearing.
Snap!
"Harry!" They both shouted together before breaking into a run.
The night air was a bit cooler in the forest, and it seemed to sting Hermione's eyes as they ran, causing them to water. Beyond the tears, however, Hermione's sight was beginning to adjust to the darkness. Every few seconds she would see the figure ahead of them, who was running as well; his robes billowing behind him. But then she would lose sight of him again, leaving her running blindly, her hand held firmly in Ron's.
Although Hermione's feet were carrying her through the forest, tripping into small dips and ruts and jumping over fallen limbs, her mind seemed to be stagnant. All she could think of was stopping Harry. But as for the important question of, What they were stopping him from...Hermione had no room to fathom.Why was Harry running into the Forbidden Forest
Deeper and deeper into the forest they ran until Hermione felt as though her lungs might explode in her chest. Every breath she took was painful. Her robes kept catching on fallen branches and twigs, a cold sweat had broken over her entire body, and she could almost feel the eyes of various creatures upon them.
And then without warning, Ron stopped in his tracks, causing her to stumble slightly. Hermione turned to him to inquire the reasoning for him stopping, but a mere ten feet behind him, she saw their suspect staring straight at her…and it was not Harry…and he was not alone.
"Ron!" Hermione screamed in warning, squeezing his hand tightly while pointing behind him.
Before she could speak the names 'Crabbe and Goyle,' however, Ron grabbed her arms and thrust her roughly against a tree, pinning her body with his and covering her mouth with one of his hands. Hermione's whole body froze as she looked up into Ron's face with complete bafflement. A cold chill ran through her. His eyes were cruel, and he was smiling just slightly.
He leaned in toward her until his mouth was upon her ear, "You've done perfectly thus far, Granger. Now I just ask that you don't scream." He whispered in a low hiss. His breath was warm, yet it turned her very blood to ice.
Hermione's gasp was stifled by the hand that was still pressed firmly against her mouth. After a brief second of shock, she began trying to move her arms or hands, but they were pinned upon her captor's chest. She then tried to move her legs, but they were pinned against his. There was only one thing she could think to do, which she decided to do once he was distracted by his own voice.
In a mocking voice he began, "But Hermione…I don't know what's going on, and I was afraid to leave you up here by yourself … Pathetic…" He chuckled before leaning back from her ear long enough to look at her with those familiar, yet foreign, blue eyes.
She briefly glimpsed a faint three-inch scar appearing on his neck. Closing her eyes tightly, she managed to open her mouth and bite Malfoy's hand between his index finger and thumb. He jerked his hand away as he growled an expletive, but not before she tasted blood. Hermione then attempted to move from being pinned against the tree, but his body was still pressed against hers. Before she could even scream, he had gripped her neck painfully with his other hand.
He was glaring at her, and suddenly she was looking into a face she'd never seen before. It was Ron's face, but she'd never seen her Ron look at anyone with so much hatred. His grip on her neck was only getting tighter as he glared at her, and a numb feeling began to spread throughout her skull. He then leaned in until his face was a mere two inches from hers.
"You want to be careful." He snarled in anger, tearing his eyes from her to look at the blood trickling down his palm. "I bite back." He added, wiping his bloodied palm upon her cheek before ducking his head to her neck.
As soon as she felt his teeth begin to clamp onto her neck she also felt his body release some of the pressure from hers. Hermione then lifted her knee as swiftly as she could until it impacted between his legs. A pained cry tore from Malfoy's throat and he immediately released her. Hermione ducked away from him, gasping for air as she darted into the growing darkness.
"Get her you idiots!" She heard Malfoy yell.
She could hear the sounds of footsteps upon leaves and twigs, but she didn't dare turn around. She was suddenly in the Department of Mysteries again. She was lost in darkness while being hunted by followers of...him. The same terrified, yet somehow quick and clear, thought process was taking over her mind.Where am I? She thought frantically. She hadn't been paying a bit of attention to the path they had followed while in pursuit of one of Malfoy's goons. And even if she had, she couldn't see anything other than the outline of trees. But wait…she could hear water.
There was a stream near Grawp's cave! Hermione changed her course slightly in search of the stream. She wanted to scream for Grawp so badly, but what about the Centaurs? They would kill her if they saw her wandering through the forest alone at night, wouldn't they? Or what if there were Death Eaters in the forest? What if the forest were their hideout? What if Voldemort were amongst these very trees? Were the footsteps behind her growing quieter? Or was she making too much noise on her own to hear properly?
Maintaining a steady run, Hermione managed to remove her wand from her robes...her robes, which were not appropriate for running through a forest… Should she just remove them? She was still wearing her school uniform underneath. Was there anything in the robes she might need?
The mirror! Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? Reaching into her robes, Hermione retrieved the mirror.
She held her wand to the tiny mirror. "Engorgio!" Hermione managed to rasp between pants. "R-…Ah!"
Hermione fell hard to the ground. A numbing pain was shooting through her entire body. Something had just hit her in the back. It felt like a brick, but from the blue flash she had seen briefly light the area around her before the impact, she knew it was a spell. It seemed to have paralyzed her legs. Lying there panting, Hermione realized that the mirror had fallen from her grasp after the fall.
She could now hear the sound of rapid footsteps approaching. Panic was coursing through her, but all she could do was use her arms to pull her along the ground. The crunching of leaves was growing louder and louder and louder.
"No!" Hermione screamed as she felt a hand clasp over her ankle. She was telling her leg to kick, but it wouldn't.
"Got her!" Goyle yelled as his other hand grabbed hold of her other ankle.
Before he had a chance to do more, Hermione shot behind her with a silent spell. She heard an angry groan, and managed to turn herself over on her back to see Goyle stumbling away from her.
A sharp pain suddenly shot through her left leg, which she had fallen on just moments before. Her legs were beginning to feel again! Hermione clumsily hoisted herself up onto her two feet. She didn't know where Crabbe and Malfoy were, but she didn't have time to think on it. Goyle was leaned against a tree, groaning in pain. After hastily wrenching the robes off of her and allowing them fall to the ground, Hermione was about to turn and run when she saw it.
The mirror! Hermione had just seen the glass reflect a bit of the minimal moonlight shining through a hole in the canopy of branches overhead. It was just one step from her. She made to lunge for it, but a figure stepped in front of her…Malfoy.
She started to raise her wand, but he was so close…he grabbed it with his hand, pulled it from her fingers, and threw it to the ground. She turned to run again, but she felt his arms encircle her. Hermione struggled with all her might, but his arms only held her tighter the longer she struggled. His hold was so tight, she felt as though she couldn't breath.
"RON!" She screamed in hopes that the mirror would detect her strangled voice. She then kicked her feet until she felt her toe collide with the small bit of metal and glass. She had to propel it away from her and Malfoy. If Malfoy or the others saw it glowing, they would surely smash it. She heard it skid along the ground a bit before it stopped. Hermione prayed to the stars that she hadn't smashed it herself.
"Just one more time, Ginny!" Ron shouted across the pitch, "Then I promise we'll head inside."
Ron wasn't sure if his sister believed him. He had given her the 'one more time' encouragement about three times already. But Ron really meant it this time. He was tired, it was getting too dark to see properly, and mostly, he was ready to see Hermione. He had a date with her and a chessboard.
Looking out over the pitch, Ron had a clear view of Harry, who was practicing nosedives and Ginny, who was perfecting the Shimmy. She was doing so well now, he was having trouble finding things to criticize. As Ron watched his best mate and his sister, he began to feel a bit guilty…and a bit like Oliver Wood. He'd been telling Hermione to calm down with her studies, but maybe he should back off just a bit from Quidditch… With this thought mulling around in Ron's mind, he decided to cross the pitch to tell Harry and Ginny that practice was officially over.
Ron leaned forward as he zoomed ahead. The wind was whipping across his face, which felt pleasant, although…the wind also seemed to be causing Ron to hear things. He almost thought he'd heard a scream.
"What the-…" Ron muttered as he halted mid-pitch. He could feel a slight vibration against his leg, and as he looked down, he saw a dim blue glow visible through his jeans pocket.
Reaching into his pocket, Ron clamped his hand around the tiny, silver mirror and removed it. He didn't see his reflection in the glass…just darkness…and he could hear the sound of rushing water. Had the mirror accidentally activated from Hermione's pocket on a trip to the lavatory?
Ron was just opening his mouth to call Hermione's name when he heard a familiar voice…a voice that caused the blood in his veins to freeze.
"Lumos."
A bright light flashed, and suddenly Ron could see two people standing. They seemed to be standing almost directly over the mirror because he was looking up at them.
"He won't hear you out here Mudblood!" Malfoy hissed. Ron felt his heart accelerate; yet as fast as the beating was, he felt paralyzed.
"You made sure of that, didn't you? Coward!" Hermione yelled as she struggled to break free of Malfoy's hold.
Suddenly Malfoy pushed Hermione roughly to the ground. Ron was gripping the mirror so tightly now it was painful. A feeling of dread was numbing his mind, which was suddenly filled with vital, yet unanswered, questions. Where were they? Malfoy seemed oblivious to the activated mirror. What would happen if Ron made his 'presence' known? What would happen if he didn't?
As Ron's stomach churned with the weight of the decision he was trying to make, he saw something quite unexpected. Malfoy leaned over the mirror slightly, yet Ron found himself looking at…himself… Polyjuice Potion… For a split second, Ron thought Malfoy was looking directly at him through the mirror. However, Ron soon realized that Hermione had fallen beside the mirror, and Malfoy was peering down at her with grey eyes. The Potion was wearing off.
Ron could hear Hermione's quick breaths, and it was all he could do to keep himself from screaming her name. But…if he did, Malfoy would surely smash the mirror, and then Ron might miss something important. Like where the hell they were! Had Malfoy drug her to a bathroom? He could still hear the water… Was there more to the Chamber of Secrets than they knew?
Ron was about to fly straight for Hogwarts when he heard Malfoy's voice again.
"Don't call me a coward." Malfoy said through gritted teeth.
Ron then saw Malfoy raise one hand and bring it down sharply. There was a loud smack and a scream from Hermione. Although there was a monster inside of him ready to explode from fury, Ron had just seen something vital. A hill…a large, familiar hill… And then…the soft buzzing ceased and he was suddenly looking at his own blue-eyed reflection.
"Harry!" Ron cried as he bent low on his broom and began zooming in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.
He didn't even look behind him to see if Harry had heard. He had to get to Grawp's cave! I'm positive that was Grawp's cave! Ron repeated to himself as he flew faster than he'd ever flown before. As soon as Hagrid's hut came into view, Ron dove low and made a somewhat sloppy landing in Hagrid's garden.
Ron then ran to the door of the hut and banged as hard as he could. He heard Fang barking, but he heard no heavy footsteps or cheerful voice.
"Ron!"
Ron spun around at the sound of a fearful voice. For a split second he had thought it was Hermione, but it was only his sister. She and Harry were looking at him with wide eyes as they approached him, their brooms held firmly in their hands.
"It's Hermione! He's got her! Malfoy! Grawp's cave!" Ron shouted as Fang continued to bark. He couldn't seem to get enough breath to make much of a coherent sentence.
"Malfoy has Hermione in Grawp's cave?" Ginny cried, her hand flying to her mouth.
"Outside the cave!" Ron exclaimed impatiently, running toward Harry and gripping him by the arms. "I don't remember how to get there! Harry, I don't remember..."
"I'll go get Hagrid!" Harry said; he had gone awfully pale, but he quickly mounted his Firebolt.
Ron shoved his mirror into his pocket as he nodded. "Wait!" Ron shouted as he retrieved his shrunken healing kit that had just clanged against his mirror.
"The Memory Potion!" Ron breathed. "Engorgio!"
The small metal box enlarged to its original size and Ron swiftly removed Neville's sample vile of potion. He then thrust the box at Ginny, who grabbed it awkwardly. Hastily removing the cork, Ron drank the entire vile of potion without a second thought. It was a somewhat sour concoction that caused Ron's nose hairs to burn, but he did feel something.
But what did he feel? His stomach seemed to be churning slightly, but Ron didn't know for sure if that were from the potion or his anxiety. Harry and Ginny were both watching him anxiously. Harry seemed to be bouncing up and down on his broom in anticipation. Then it happened.
He saw it. Ron saw the path to the cave as clear as if he had walked through the forest with Hagrid yesterday. "Follow me!" Ron shouted as he mounted his broom and shot up into the air.
It would be quicker to fly above the trees. Then they could swoop down once they were over Grawp's cave. So, Ron led the way. It was impossible to see down below, to the forest floor. The trees were so dense; it was actually impossible to see where the hill was located. But…Ron remembered.
She's down there, and she's fine… She's down there, and she's fine… Ron continued to repeat to himself. The moon was the only light over the forest, but Ron could have found the hill in complete darkness. Why wouldn't his broom go faster! Every second that passed seemed to cause Ron's breaths to come shorter and faster with fear.
Once they were over the exact location of the hill, Ron dropped down into the trees and quickly lowered himself between the branches and to the forest floor. He heard Harry yell in surprise, but when Ron looked above him Harry just whispered, "Thestral…"
Finally, Ron felt his feet touch the earth. He immediately removed his wand, and uttered, "Lumos." Harry and Ginny followed his lead, lighting their wands as well.
Directly in front of them stood the moss-covered hill that was the home of Hagrid's brother. "I'll check out the cave." Harry said firmly.
Ron nodded as he hurriedly walked the perimeter of the hill. Nothing…he saw nothing, he heard nothing… Other than trees and water, there was nothing! For the first time since Ron looked into the mirror over the pitch, he began to feel true panic. Up to this point he had felt a numb fear and anger, but now…he felt as if a horrible poison were coursing through him, causing him to feel more and more helpless and hopeless with each shallow breath.
"Ron! Harry!"
At the sound of his sister's voice, Ron turned and ran as fast as he could back around to the front of the cave. When he reached her, Harry was already by her side.
"Harry, the cave?" Ron asked urgently. Harry shook his head.
"Nothing. No Grawp…no Hagrid…nothing." Harry said with his jaw set before looking down at Ginny.
"It's Hermione's wand and mirror and…and…" Ginny's whisper broke off as tears formed in her eyes and she thrust something into Ron's hands.
Ron took the item. Hermione's robes... They were covered in dirt and small pieces of twigs and leaves, and there was a tear along the bottom. Ron gripped the garment tightly and swallowed hard. He couldn't lose it now. He had to stay strong. He had to find her.
"It's okay, Ginny. We're going to find her." Harry said firmly, taking Ginny into his arms. The confidence in his voice actually gave Ron a small feeling of hope.
However, this small feeling of hope in the midst of Ron's panic was quickly squelched. "We're wasting time. We have to do something…now!" Ron said, mounting his broom.
"Wait." Ginny said in a small voice. She then turned her face up to Harry, who had an arm about her waist, "You have to seek his mind, Harry. He knows where she is. You know he does."
Of course… Ron thought, dismounting quickly and crossing to Harry. Without a word, he and Harry looked at one another briefly before Harry closed his eyes. He doesn't need to be supported anymore, Ron realized. Harry had become strong enough to reach Voldemort's mind without worrying about collapsing.
Ron glanced at his sister, who was biting her nails and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. He crossed to her and placed a hand upon her shoulder. It was a gesture meant to console…both of them. But after she looked up at him, she threw her arms tightly about him. They clung to one another as they turned their eyes upon Harry. The feeling of his sister in his arms was almost more than Ron could bear. Her frame was so similar to Hermione's...so small and fragile...
Harry was standing completely still. Ron couldn't even see his chest moving, although he could hear steady breathing coming from his friend.
"I l-love you, Ron." Ginny whispered.
"I love you, too, Ginny."
"Hermione is g-going to be fine. I know it. She's strong…"
"Yes, she is. Very strong. I just hope she realizes it..."
"Lie in tar." Harry murmured. Ron and Ginny both exchanged confused glances before they approached Harry, whose eyes were now open.
"I couldn't stay long." Harry began quickly, "It's important that he doesn't know I'm accessing his mind right now. But he was looking off of a balcony of some sort…he was looking down…it must have been three-hundred feet down. He was feeling anxious…like he was waiting for something…for someone." Harry finished gravely.
Ron's throat clamped, but Ginny asked the question stirring in his mind, "But what about lying in tar?"
Harry furrowed his brows for a moment before his eyes got wide, "Yes! There was a liontaur, standing beside him. It was a massive creature; he was wearing a large gold necklace. He had tattoos of some sort, and-…"
"Shut up a second!" Ron exclaimed. His stomach began to churn again. It was the Memory Potion, and he was apparently still feeling the effects of it.
"Liontaurs…" Ron repeated to himself. "They practice Geomancy, which is a form of divination using the soil of the Earth instead of tealeaves and crystal balls…It's really fascinating that these creatures are only found in one area of the entire world…They live on an island in the North Sea above Germany called Fohr. Its largest town is Wyk, and the Muggles don't realize that it's named after the first Wemic Chief of the Middle Ages."
Ron took a deep breath after this unexpected spill. Harry and Ginny were both staring at him with their mouths partway open. "We've got to get to Fohr! That's where he's taking her, I know it!" Ron exclaimed.
"Wait, wait!" Ginny cried, "How did you know all that…I mean…what…what…" She sighed heavily, looking from Ron to Harry in utter bewilderment.
"It's the Memory Potion." Ron replied hastily, grabbing his broom from the ground. He grabbed Harry's as well, and thrust it into his hands. "Hermione researched Wemics, or liontaurs, last term after she found out that Neville's new wand had Wemic tail hairs."
"We're not taking our brooms." Harry said quickly. Ron furrowed his brows at his friend.
"Harry, we don't have time to go back to the castle! We know where she is, and we've got to go! I learned map conjuring in Geography of the Magical World. We have everything we need right here. Ginny, you can go for help." Ron removed his wand from his back pocket and began the incantation for a detailed map from Scotland to the island of Fohr.
"No!" Ginny exclaimed, "I'm going with you!"
"Ginny, no." Harry said firmly.
"Harry!"
"Ginny, when we find Hermione, there's going to be…" Harry began, but he faltered when Ron looked up at him from his map conjuring. Harry cleared his throat before looking back down at Ginny and continuing. "We're going to need help from the Order. I'll send for Dumbledore, but we need you to stay here and make certain that someone gets the message."
Harry removed his wand from his pocket and held it up into the air. A white stag emerged from the tip and galloped into the trees toward Hogwarts.
"Harry, you know Dumbledore will get that!" Ginny shouted, "You just don't want me to come along! But I can help!"
"We don't have time for this!" Ron shouted at his sister as he finished his map conjuring.
"Ron's right, Ginny. Now here." Harry said, thrusting his Firebolt into Ginny's hands. "Take that, and get to someone fast. Alright?"
"Harry…" Ginny began in a pleading voice. Harry grabbed her and pulled her to him.
"I love you." Harry whispered. Ron wanted to scream at them to hurry up, but he held his tongue. "Now…please hurry." Harry added before kissing Ginny upon her lips.
"Let's go!" Ron cried, mounting his broom.
"I'm faster." Harry said simply, as he released Ginny.
"What?" Ron asked in confusion. This wasn't the time to discuss flying skills!
Without answering, Harry gave one last kiss to Ginny, who quickly mounted the Firebolt. Harry then turned his neck roughly to one side and stamped his foot. Ron watched him with wide, bewildered eyes, yet Ginny simply looked anxious. Ron was on the verge of grabbing Harry, throwing him over his own broom, and taking off, but then it started.
The transformation that Ron had only seen once before… Harry's face, back, arms, and legs began to elongate as his clamped fists turned black and hard. Resting his hooves on the ground, his form became covered with course black hair. Before his eyes, Ron saw the feral, winged creature that was unrecognizably his best mate. The unruly black hair, glowing green eyes, and white, lightning-bolt blaze were the only characteristics of this beast that Ron found to resemble Harry.
As soon as the transformation was complete, Ron realized what Harry had meant when he'd said, "I'm faster." He's faster than brooms… Ron dismounted quickly and allowed his broom to fall to the ground. Harry flapped one wing, causing Ron's and Ginny's brooms to levitate and fly into Grawp's cave.
"Good luck!" Ginny said as she hovered to Ron's side and thrust Hermione's wand and mirror into his hands. She then began to rise above the trees.
"The island of Fohr!" Ron called as a reminder. She nodded quickly; before she disappeared above the branches. Ron then heard a loud swoosh as she took off toward the castle.
Glancing back down, Ron saw that Harry had lowered his wing and was kneeling slightly. Without hesitation, Ron climbed on, locking his knees under Harry's wings. As soon as he was settled, Harry pushed off from the ground and rose into the air. His wings moved with grace and ease as he maneuvered them between the branches until they were above the trees.
Ron looked below and caught a glimpse of Ginny landing halfway between the castle and Hagrid's hut. Hagrid was seemingly on his way home as Ginny met him, moving her hands about furiously as she spoke. Hagrid looked into the sky, directly at Ron, before turning and running to the castle.
"Ginny's just told Hagrid." Ron said to Harry, who nodded his head twice.
Ron then felt the base of Harry's wings tighten over his legs a bit before he flew high into the air and increased their momentum. Ron gasped out loud at the remarkable speed. This was definitely faster than their brooms. Not even Harry's Firebolt could move at this speed, which meant they were going faster than one hundred fifty miles an hour.
Opening the conjured map held firmly in his hand, Ron began calling out directions to Harry, who would nod twice if they were understood or shake his head back and forth if he needed them repeated. By his map, Ron saw that Fohr was approximately four hundred forty miles away.
"Harry…" Ron began croakily, "We're doing the right thing, aren't we? By not waiting for the Order?"
Harry nodded twice, and Ron continued, "I mean…you remember how long it took the Order to arrive at the Department of Mysteries. We've wasted enough time as it is, haven't we?"
Harry nodded again. Ron found himself absently patting the soft hair on Harry's neck; it was somehow helping clear Ron's mind a bit. Which was good and bad… Good because he needed a clear mind for what they might find at Fohr, but bad because he could now think of all the horrible things that they might find at Fohr. Did Ron hope that Hermione was there, or not? If Voldemort were on the island with these liontaurs, then that's the last place he wanted her to be, but if she weren't there…then where was she?
"Lumos."
A bright light shown in Hermione's eyes as Malfoy held the light up to her face.
"He won't hear you out here Mudblood!" Malfoy hissed.
"You made sure of that, didn't you? Coward!" Hermione yelled as she struggled to break free of Malfoy's hold.
Suddenly Malfoy pushed Hermione roughly to the ground. Hermione felt a sharp pain in her back and gasped. She was sure she had just fallen on a branch of some sort; she could feel a trickling of blood falling down her back. Glancing at the mirror, Hermione could see something…it wasn't a reflection, but a patch of red hair and a few twinkling stars behind his head…Ron… He was watching!
Malfoy leaned over the mirror slightly, and for a terrifying second, Hermione thought Malfoy had seen Ron. However, as she looked into Malfoy's grey eyes, she saw that he was peering down at her. First the scar, now the eyes… The Potion was wearing off.
"Don't call me a coward." Malfoy said through gritted teeth.
Hermione's breaths began quickening as she looked up into Malfoy's face. She could almost feel his disgust and hatred toward her. She was about to ask him what he planned to do with her when he raised one hand and brought it down sharply across her cheek. She screamed at the contact, suddenly fearful that he might kill her then and there…but Malfoy then grabbed her arms and lifted her from the ground.
Once she was on her feet again, she felt two arms grab her from behind…that was a familiar grip…Goyle. She spotted Crabbe approaching as well.
"Why are you doing this?" Hermione asked in a hoarse whisper before Malfoy waved his wand in front of her face. She immediately felt her throat tighten, and as she tried to speak, she realized that she had just been Silenced.
"I'm following orders, and I don't question the Dark Lord's orders." He spat before motioning to Crabbe and Goyle. They then set off into the trees. Hermione saw that they were heading behind Grawp's cave, closer to the sound of rushing water.
Although Hermione knew that without her wand or her voice, there was little else she could do, she refused to walk willingly with her captors into the arms of Voldemort. So, with all the strength she could muster she struggled, she kicked, she tried to bite when she could… The only thing she was accomplishing, however, seemed to be deepening bruises on her arms.
Hermione was actually a bit confused as to why Malfoy's pace was so slow. He wasn't walking quickly at all…he was almost taking a leisurely pace. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but Hermione thought his hair was becoming lighter and his body thinner.
Goyle hoisted her up onto his shoulder as she continued to struggle, and she saw the top of Grawp's hill becoming shorter and shorter.
"Is it in the stream, Malfoy?" Crabbe asked suddenly.
"He said it would be lodged in a tree by the stream. He said it would be obvious." Malfoy said distractedly. Hermione resumed her kicking again and felt herself being removed from Goyle's shoulder. He placed her feet on the ground once more, yet kept a firm hold on her arms. The stream was now in clear view.
"Are you sure we can't kill her?" Goyle growled, his grip tightening as Hermione continued to struggle.
"I told you the Dark Lord wants her alive!" Malfoy hissed. "There!" He breathed.
Hermione followed his pointing finger. She didn't see it at first, but then she spotted a strange knot on one of the trees that was directly on the stream's banks. It was a large knot with a raised carving of a curled serpent upon it. Was it some sort of…button? Would a secret entrance open when touched?
Hermione felt her heart begin to quiver madly, in her chest and ears. Was she about to face the darkest wizard of all time? Her legs began to feel numb and her sight began to play tricks on her. She had just seen a large boulder in the stream move. Or…wait…
After gasping, which made a small sound as the Silencing charm was beginning to fade, Hermione raised her heel and kicked Goyle's shin as hard as she could.
"Ah! Shit!" He yelled. Malfoy turned two squinted eyes upon Goyle, who thrust her at Malfoy.
He caught her roughly by the arms and began to shake her. "Granger! I swear I am on the verge of using my first Cruciatus Curse!" He growled, but Hermione was only half listening, for just behind Malfoy and Crabbe, the boulder she had seen moving in the stream was rising from the water…sixteen feet tall…
"Malfoy!" Goyle yelled with an obvious note of fear in his voice.
"Grawpy!" Hermione called. Her voice lifted from her chest loud and strong and she watched as Malfoy's brows furrowed in confusion.
"HERMY!" Grawp bellowed. Tears of hope sprang into Hermione's eyes as the giant took one step from the stream, bringing him to stand one foot from the four humans.
Malfoy's eyes became wide with fear as he turned sharply to look up at the giant. Hermione heard a sort of croak come from him and then she felt his grip on her release completely. She immediately ran to Grawp; Crabbe made to grab for her, but she dove forward, falling onto one of Grawp's coffee table-sized feet.
"YOU NO HURT HAGGER'S HERMY!" Grawp yelled, stamping the foot that Hermione was not lying across and causing Crabbe to scream and collapse to the ground in fear.
"Portus!"
Hermione looked to the serpent carving and saw Malfoy holding his wand to it. A blue flame had just spread over the knot and then disappeared. A portkey…
"Stupefy!" Goyle yelled suddenly, shooting a red light at Grawp's chest.
It did, in fact, impact with the giant, but that is all that it did…other than making him a bit angrier. Grawp let out a yell that actually sounded like an echoing roar of some sort that Hermione had never heard before. He then grasped the tree next to the one with the embedded portkey, and with one tug, pulled it from the earth. Dirt began falling around the three boys, who were all shielding their heads with their hands.
"You idiot!" Malfoy yelled. "We can't take on a giant! Crabbe get her, and let's go! It's ready!"
Crabbe didn't move as Grawp threw the tree to the side. The tree made a resounding boom, and shook the ground as it landed on the opposite bank of the creek.
"UH OH…" Grawp muttered, which sounded more like an earthquake than a mutter. "HAGGER LIKES TREES…"
"It's okay, Grawpy!" Hermione called up to the giant. He tilted his head to one side and looked down at her. She tried to smile reassuringly at him, but she then felt a hand clamp onto her arm and pull her from Grawp's foot.
"NO! NO! NO!" Grawp yelled, stamping his foot one time, as Crabbe drug Hermione over the ground toward the portkey, where Malfoy and Goyle were standing with their wands raised.
Grawp was lowering his umbrella-sized hand slowly in an attempt to avoid hurting Hermione, but all Hermione could see was a hand casting a black shadow over Crabbe, who was still dragging her, struggling as she was, over the hard ground. She could feel her skirt getting torn, and her legs becoming scraped.
"Crabbe, reach for it!" Malfoy yelled. If Hermione could only free her hand from his grip, the Portkey would take Crabbe and not her.
It was impossible, however…he was so much stronger than her… All she could do was continue to struggle in vain as she kept a hopeful eye on Grawp, whose thumb and index finger were descending over a panic-stricken Crabbe. Crabbe lunged for the Portkey, and grabbed the knob, which Malfoy and Goyle grabbed as well. However, Grawp's fingers clamped down on Crabbe's torso at the same instant.
Hermione felt an awful tug behind her navel. As Hermione lay on solid ground, watching the world spin around her, she began to take deep gulping breaths. She was leaving Hogwarts. She was going to an unknown destination, undoubtedly far away. Never to return again? Never to see Ron again? Never to see the light of day again? Hermione was almost sure that her world would be spinning even if she weren't traveling by portkey...
Suddenly Crabbe began to scream in pain, calling Hermione's attention back to the horrifying present. Grawp was pinching him, squinting his beady eyes in anger. Hermione distinctly heard a cracking noise that she was sure was the sound of a breaking rib.
"Grawp, no!" Hermione cried. He was going to kill him if he didn't stop…
When the world suddenly stopped spinning, Hermione felt her body jerk, and she then found herself lying on a wet, marshy ground. Everything was suddenly much colder, and a dense fog hung low around them. She could even see her breath. The sound of rushing water could still be heard, but this sound was different from that of the forest stream. This water seemed to be echoing. There were trees scattered about a large field, and there was a wall of jagged mountains surrounding them, illuminated a shiny black in the moonlight.
"AH!"
Hermione felt her hand being released, and as she glanced up, she saw Grawp lift Crabbe from the ground and throw him to the side just as he had the tree in the forest. Hermione watched in horror as Crabbe's body flew through the air and landed with a thud in a crumpled pile on the ground. She meant to scream as she stared at his motionless form, but she instead became sick on the ground.
"YOU SLEEP NOW!" Grawp yelled, poking at Crabbe's body with a large finger.
Hermione was about to call for Grawp when she felt her throat clamp once more. Looking up from the ground she saw Malfoy approaching; she had again been Silenced. Goyle was kneeling on the ground, staring at Crabbe with horror in his eyes. Hermione, aching as her body was, hoisted herself from the ground. She would have to run passed Malfoy to get to Grawp, so Hermione made the decision to turn and run in the opposite direction.
However, after turning to run, she took two small steps before coming to a complete halt and falling to her knees in terror…
Before her stood two creatures that Hermione had only seen in books…two magical creatures that had not been properly represented by mere pictures. Wemics… Was she on the island of Fohr?
They were standing tall…at least eight feet tall. Their torsos, which were described in books as humanoid, were actually larger and more muscular than any human man she'd ever seen. And…they were covered with strange, colored tattoos that resembled some ancient symbols she had seen in Magic History books.
Their lion-like bodies, which extended nine feet long, were covered in a dusky golden fur with white underbellies. Feline features meshed with human features to cover their faces, which were framed with long manes of auburn hair. But for Hermione, the most frightening part of the beasts was their cat-like slitted pupils.
They were each carrying leather-covered shields, wooden bows and long, stone-tipped arrows, which they had pointed at Grawp, who was now approaching Hermione with a somewhat confused look on his face as he stared at the liontaurs.
"CENTAURS?" Grawp asked in a deep roar.
Hermione looked from Grawp to the Wemics, shaking her head as the only means of communication she seemed to be capable of at the moment. She was almost positive the Wemics would take Grawp's comment as an insult, and not surprisingly…
"Centaurs?" The smaller of the two asked in a deep drawling voice. Hermione was surprised to hear the clarity of his speech. "Giant calls us centaurs, does he?" He glared at Grawp with his yellow eyes before he pulled his bowstring back and released an arrow that lodged into Grawp's shoulder.
Grawp yelled in pain, as the larger Wemic reached one hand out to the other's bow. "No, Moritz! You anger Giant! Only attack on my order!" He growled.
Hermione felt the ground begin to vibrate as Grawp began taking cautious steps toward the Wemics, who were now prowling about with their bows and arrows pulled.
"Well, Volker?" Moritz shouted.
"Attack!" The larger Wemic, named Volker, shouted back. Two more arrows were shot at Grawp, who once more, yelled in pain.
"Stop!" Hermione shouted, despite her better judgment. Her voice had returned… And after she saw the smaller Wemic look at her with wide eyes, she wished she were still Silenced.
Moritz had something very evil about him…she could see it in his eyes. She also noticed that he had a necklace covered in small bones, while Volker wore a necklace of arrowheads. Two hands suddenly pulled her roughly from the ground. Malfoy hoisted her over his shoulder; his strength surprised her a bit, but she could tell he was struggling a bit more with her resistant movements than Goyle had.
"Grawpy!" Hermione yelled in panic as Malfoy began carrying her toward the towering black mountains before them. She could now see numerous caves along the walls of the mountains that had been hidden by the dense fog.
Over Malfoy's shoulder, she saw Grawp turn to look at her as he continued to pull the rain of arrows from his body. There were now two more Wemics around him, keeping him enclosed in a tight circle. He was trying to swing at them with his massive hands, but the creatures were as fast and stealthy as true lions.
Hermione began beating on Malfoy's back with her fists as hard as she could, and he actually stopped in his tracks. He had come to such an abrupt halt that Hermione actually ceased her poundings. Without a word, Malfoy lowered her feet to the soft ground. He then turned her around roughly to face the mountain rising ominously before them.
Then, Hermione saw something very odd. Malfoy reached one hand before them and closed his fist, as if grabbing an invisible handle. He then pulled his arm back, and Hermione heard the distinct creaking of a large heavy door. She gasped as she saw a long, large, gray-stoned hallway lit with torches along the walls appear before her. It was a hallway in the middle of air…
"The Fidelius Charm?" Hermione asked absently. Malfoy didn't answer and he didn't have to.
Suddenly, Hermione's eyes went wide as she saw a huge, black stone castle emerge out of…nowhere… She was suddenly standing before two large, black doors with large silver handles upon them…one of them was ajar, allowing her to see inside. Hermione had done in-depth research on the Fidelius Charm, and she knew that the only way to see a place put under the charm without obtaining the secret from the Secret Keeper was to look straight through an open door.
She tilted her head back in an attempt to see the top of the castle, but it was impossible because of the fog. Though, she did see some figures flying about overhead…Dementors? She also saw a large green engraving of a snake above the door, and written upon the snake were the words, 'Slytherin School of Magic.'
As Malfoy held his hands firmly upon her shoulders, Hermione began to shiver. It felt as though the bulk of her shivers were in her stomach, but she wasn't sure if it were from the damp cold of this place, or if it were from the sudden appearance of this massive castle…this school of dark magic…
Hermione let out a long, shaky sigh as she suddenly felt all hope leave her. She was alone...with no wand...in front of Voldemort's lair.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello, everyone! I'm so sorry chapters are taking me so long now. I know I keep blaming school, but...well...school seriously is to blame! I write at every moment I get, but it is so crazy here! I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. And, I hope that everyone can review. I enjoy all the reviews that continue to come in, but please don't stop reviewing now! I need you guys! Well, I don't want to make any promises as to when I can post next b/c it seems as though I never know. I realize that this is the cliffhanger-of-all-cliffhangers, and I will write until my fingers bleed trying to post Chapter 43!
Well, I don't want to make any promises as to when I can post next b/c it seems as though I never know. I realize that this is the cliffhanger-of-all-cliffhangers, and I will write until my fingers bleed trying to post Chapter 43! I promise, promise, promise!
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and please don't stop!