Harry had never envisioned himself using his ominoculars this way. He was currently sitting on the shore of the lake, peering through the magical lenses he had bought at the quidditch world cup.
The Durmstrang ship was named the Oryol, as evidenced by the faded gold writing on its side. An equally faded sigil of Durmstrang, the two headed eagle, was also painted on the ships visage.
Despite the late hour, Harry wasn't all that uncomfortable. It was another beautiful night out, with just the right temperature. The stars were shining brightly, and there was a gentle breeze blowing over the water.
But Harry hadn't stole out from the dorm and crept past Filch at two in the morning to enjoy the weather. He was here on a mission. He was going to sneak aboard the Durmstrang ship and find out the truth about the demon.
Harry had contemplated going to Professor Dumbledore or McGonagall. He could tell them everything and then plead with them to… well that was problem.
Harry had learned enough from his research that an accusation like harboring demons would have to be investigated. Dumbledore would have no choice but to get the Ministry involved. The authorities would then raid the Durmstrang ship, and the tournament would be over.
Harry would never learn who had entered his name in the goblet, and there was also a good chance that someone would lose their soul as a consequence. That wasn't something Harry wanted hanging over his conscience, so that left him only one option. He would have to investigate himself.
But that created the dilemma of how to actually go about doing so. His ominoculars let him see a close-up view of the ship, but it was actually anchored far out toward the center of the lake. A smart security measure for Durmstrang no doubt, but a big inconvenience for would-be stowaways like Harry.
He would have to either swim, make a boat of some kind, or find some other way of getting across.
Well Harry didn't fancy getting his sole family heirloom wet, and Harry also didn't have a clue on how to go about making a boat. Maybe through some convoluted combination of conjuration and transfiguration?
"There has to be a simpler way," he whispered, thinking hard. If he could outfly a dragon, he could find a way onto the Oryol.
"That's it!" he said a bit too loudly. He winced and looked around in a panic, but the Hogwarts grounds remained deserted as ever. He gave a sigh of relief and quickly made his way over to the quidditch field.
Harry landed softly atop the deck of the Oryol. The school broom he had borrowed wasn't as nice as his Firebolt, but it would do the job. Still covered in his invisibility cloak, he stashed the broom in a corner that he thought looked fairly hidden, before making his way further along the length of the ship.
There was a door at the foot of some stairs there, and Harry quickly made his way over to it. One unlocking charm later, and he was officially inside the ship, finding himself in a long hallway.
The interior of the Oryol was not as Harry expected. From the outside, the ship looked as if it had been brought up from the sunken depths, still haunted by the ghosts of sailors drowned long ago. But inside it was surprisingly cozy.
The walls were made of a dark mahogany, and sea green carpeting lined the entire length of the floor. Marble busts of witches and wizards stood unmovingly, their stony faces lit only by the flickering light given off from silver candelabras.
Quietly as he could, Harry crept cautiously further into the ship. If he had to guess, Harry would imagine that a demon would probably be kept in the lowest part of the ship, so he kept an eye out for stairs.
After a few wrong turns, he found some. But it was difficult to use them covered head to toe in an invisiblility cloak as he was. He tried to be careful with his stepping, and he managed to make it almost all the way down without causing any noise.
But on the last step, he lost his footing and came down hard on the wooden floor boards. He froze in place when he heard hushed voices come from nearby.
"What was that?" asked the first voice.
"I don't know, probably the wind," answered the second.
"That was not the wind, there aren't even any windows on this floor!" the first hissed.
"Well I don't care. I'm headed to bed anyway. We can find out in the morning."
"You don't think she did it, do you?"
There was a pause.
"She is locked up in her room. You know that. Now I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
Harry remained frozen in place, scarcely daring to breathe as he listened to the two people go their separate ways.
Finally relaxing a little bit when the silence returned, Harry continued on deeper into the ship.
A little while later and Harry was feeling frustrated. He had walked around and around in the same hallway for what must've been close to an hour, but he had seen no sign of rooms which could potentially hold a demon. He had dared to poke his head in all the rooms he could find, but was disappointed time and again. It seemed this floor had nothing but empty kitchens and lounges.
He was just about to give up when he heard a noise from a door at the end of the hall. A door that he hadn't noticed before. Harry wondered how he could've missed it.
Trepedatiously, Harry tip-toed over and peaked inside. It looked like an office of some sort. He didn't take in many of its details as he was distracted by the sight of Viktor Krum and Igor Karkaroff arguing.
"I cannot believe this insubordination," Karkaroff was saying. "Did I not make my myself supremely clear?"
"She is just an innocent girl!" Krum protested, sounding positivly livid.
Karkaroff actually growled. "She is a daemon, Viktor, and a member of the Desdemona family. She must be destroyed. If you defy me, I will be forced to write to your father who-"
"No! Please. I vill do it," Krum interrupted, now sounding defeated.
"Very good. Do it tonight, before sunrise. Or else…"
"Yes, Mein Schulleiter."
There were footsteps, and Harry quickly got out of the way as the door was thrown open, a morose looking Krum making his exit. He looked around nervously before heading off down the hall. Harry followed him.
Krum seemed strangely paranoid. He kept stopping every feet, turning left and right, and looking all around almost as if he suspected he was being followed. Eventually they arrived in front of another door, and paused just as his hand touched the doorknob. Suddenly he tensed and spun in Harry's direction.
"Homenum Revelio!" he cast. But nothing happened.
Krum stood there for a long moment, looking confused. Eventually he muttered something Harry couldn't catch, then pulled the door open, and quickly shut it behind him.
It took Harry a while to calmdown his erratic heartbeat after that close call. He didn't understand how the revealing charm didn't work, but was grateful for its failure nonetheless. He shivered at the thought of what would happen if he was caught here. Best not to find out.
Harry gently tried the doorknob, but found it was locked. Krum must've used a magical passcode of some kind. And knowing Durmstrang, it probably wasn't in English either. Cursing quietly, he leaned closer to see if he could hear anything through the door. But there was only silence, at least at first. Then the screaming started.
Blood curdling screams rang out high and shrill, making the hairs of the back of Harry's neck stand up straight. It sounded like someone was being attacked!
Throwing off his invisibility cloak in a rush, Harry raised his wand.
"Bombarda!"
The exploding charm worked perfectly, tearing the door clean off its hinges, along with bits of the wall too. Harry charged through the cloud of dust and debris, but stopped short at the sight that greeted him. He nearly vomited.
There was blood everywhere. It was on the floors, the walls, and even on the cieling. If it weren't for the dripping and the smell, which made Harry want to gag, he might've thought the room had simply been painted red. In the center of this nightmarish room were two people.
The first was Viktor Krum. He had his wand out, and was standing over a girl who was screaming and writhing in pain. He looked up when Harry entered, his eyes wide with shock.
"Potter! How did you-"
"Stupefy!"
He never got to finish his sentence as Harry stunned him in a flash.
Harry quickly rushed over to the girls side and knelt down to help her.
"Are you okay? Can you hear me?" he asked, searching her body for injuries. Harry's face heated up as he realized that she was practically naked, being clothed only in the barest of rags. He quickly averted his gaze to her face, and suddenly found himself staring into a familiar pair of violet eyes.
"Harry Potter, we meet again," said Nikita in a breathless voice full of pain.
He stumbled back in suprise.
"Y-y-you!"
"Yes, me."
Harry gaped at her. Nikita had resumed the school girl form she had held briefly the first time they met. Only this time she looked much worse for wear.
Her clothes appeared as if they had been shredded by a wild animal at some point. And her face was covered in dirt and dried blood, while her dark hair looked as if it hadn't been washed in weeks. But the worst part was her body, which was covered all over in small lacerations and unhealed wounds.
"Are you here to kill me too?" she asked in a sad voice that sounded resigned.
Harry looked at her in stunned confusion. "What? No! Why would you think that?"
She nodded at his still raised wand.
Harry dropped it like it burned him. "S-sorry. I just wanted to talk to you!"
If it weren't for her sorry state, Harry might've thought the face she made at the pronouncement quite funny.
"Talk to me? Why on earth would you like to talk to me? Don't you know what I am?"
Harry scratched the back of his head. "Well, you see, that's actually one of the things I wanted to ask you," he said anxiously. "I mean, I thought you were an evil demon of some kind, but then you saved my life and I heard Karkaroff and Krum talking and Krum sorta said you were just an innocent girl and I-"
Harry stopped rambling as he saw Nikita laughing, or at least attempting to, but she quickly stopped as it turned into a coughing fit.
"Harry. You're just too precious. You sneak in here, blow down a door and then stun Viktor Krum, but now you start acting all nervous just because of little old me? I'm not sure if I should feel more flattered or more insulted."
Harry grinned wrly. "Yes, well when you put it like that, it does sound a little crazy admittedly… But you never answered the question! Are you a demon or are you just a girl?!"
"Harry," she said softly. "I'm both."
"Both?!" Harry repeated, sounding gobsmacked. "But… but how is that possible?"
Nikita gave him a bittersweet smile. "It's not something I could explain to you in the minute or two I have left, but suffice it to say that my mother had extremely unusual tastes in men."
Harry had never looked or felt more confused in his life. "Tastes in men? Huh? And what do you mean the minute or two you have left?"
Nikita titled her head towards the ground, and Harry noticed there was a large, faintly glowing circle which sorrounded the spot where she lay. "This is a containment circle. It powers the ship by draining me of magical energy. Alas, it has drained me of almost all that I have. You found me at the last of my strength, Harry. I can feel myself fading quickly."
Harry took a step toward her. "Okay so I'll just pull you out of it and-"
She shook her head violently. "No! Don't come any nearer! If you touch the seal you'll be pulled inside too! I am able to withstand the parasitic enchantments, at least temporarily, but that is only possible because of my demonic heritage. You'll be killed instantly."
"But I can't just leave you there!" he said, tears starting to form in his eyes. "You saved my life!"
Nikita smiled sadly at him. "I'm sorry Harry. Truly sorry. I am just glad that I was able to escape the few times that I did. I got to see the Hogwarts castle. I got to see the sun shining on the lake. I got to see the trees dancing merrily in the cool autumn wind. And I got to see you, Harry. Three times, in fact. Although twice you, fell asleep, shall we say, before I got a chance to talk to you…"
Harry laughed, yet his face showed nothing but despair. "There must be some way I can help you," he tried to argue.
But Nikita just shook her head again. "Not unless you happen to be in possession of one of three ancient magical artifacts I know were lost long ago, no. Even if you were a master of runes, there would not be sufficient time to dismantle the seal… You should go now, Harry. Someone will be coming soon."
Harry wrung his hands, desperately trying to think of a solution. "What kind of artifacts?" he asked, stalling for time.
She coughed again, and Harry was distressed to see she looked much weaker then she had just a few minutes prior. "It's useless, Harry. You can't save me. Go. Go now before someone finds you. Someone is bound to have heard that explosion charm. I don't want your capture to be the last thing I ever see…"
Tears now openly streamed down his face. "Please, just tell me," he begged.
She looked like she wanted to refuse, but at his beseeching look she finally relented. "They were, if I remember correctly, a stone that summoned the dead that were known, a wand that in magic was strong yet tragic, and a cloak that its keeper it hid from the reaper."
Harry looked back at his invisibility cloak. Could bus father's heirloom possibly be the clock she spoke of? He picked it up from where he had dropped it, running his fingers over the water-like material as he walked back over to Nikita.
"Harry, I- What are you doing? I told you to stay back!" she said in a panic when he got within about a foot of the containment circle.
But he didn't listen to her babbling. He quickly threw the invisibility cloak over himself, took a deep breath, and crossed the line.
There was a breeze like effect, where Harry thought it felt sort of like his clock was being buffeted by a gentle wind. But he chose to ignore it as he promptly scooped up Nikita bridal style, and stepped out of the circle. The whole incident took about seven seconds.
Nikita stared up him with her wide purple eyes, a look of pure amazement on her heart-shaped face. "Y-y-you saved me," she said breathlessly.
Harry smiled down at her. "No, you saved me."
She stuttered, completely speechless for a good ten seconds as a deep blush colored her otherwise pale cheeks. Finally she gave up and rested her head against his chest, her breathes disturbingly shallow.
"Stay with me, I'm going to get you out of here," Harry said softly, feeling very concerned about her. Besides the cuts and her breathing, Harry also noticed that she weighed hardly anything.
But a laugh made his blood freeze.
"You're not going anywhere, Potter. Not alive at least," said someone standing in the doorway. It looked like time had run out.
A/N: Sorry this one took so long. I've been helping my fam prep for Thanksgiving. I hope you all have a good holiday, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review!