Author: Magiquill9
Chapter 13: The Isle of the LightShips: Harry and Ginny, Hermione and Ron, Bill and Fleur, and Lupin and Tonks.
Chapter Synopsis: Harry and Ginny escape the Room of Requirement, Hogwarts is under attack by the Aurors, whom are forced to flee to Avalon with Harry and Ginny in tow, and Harry discovers the Island of the Light.
Story Summary: HBP raised as many questions as it answered. How can Harry find a horcrux? How can he destroy the horcruxes? Everything was laid out, and we were about to jump off the cliff. Here's where the cliffhanger ends and the adventure begins. Join Harry and friends as they struggle to lead the wizarding world out of despair, fight the good fight, and put an end to the evil that is Tom Riddle.
Disclaimer: It's nice to finally have time to do things. I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. It was also a bit short, but it did what I wanted, so that will have to do for now. Sorry about that cliffhanger, I'm sure you were able to guess who it was anyway. I left a few clues. Well, this chapter should be pretty good, I've decided that this story will be more or less 25 chapters long, with an alternate ending so I can do a sequel that I have wanted to do for a long time. So we are about halfway done everybody. For now, I submit to you chapter 13: The Isle of the Light.
"So, we meet again Potter."
Harry felt ready to cast the most painful curse he could think of at the man in front of him. Only Ginny's warm hand and Dumbledore's past words prevented him from killing the man. Instead, Harry settled for a growl.
"Snivellus," Harry returned at the hated potions master.
"Manners Potter, as I am no longer your Professor, I am free to curse, hex, and or injure you."
"Please; Professor? The only thing you ever taught me was that it was impossible to learn something from you. I learned more from Mad-eye Moody, the real one. Your potions book was a better teacher then you were, are, and ever could be."
Snape looked furious; Harry pleased.
"You know Potter, I do believe that I have taught you a few things after all," Snape said cryptically.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked.
"Here," Snape said and threw a book at him, which Ginny pulled deftly out of the air. "The Half-Blood Prince's copy of Advanced Potion Making, your secret to success, and my way of teaching you. There are a few potions here, I believe you are holding them, one was used in hiding a valuable item of the Dark Lord's, the same potion drunken by Dumbledore. It is a potion that shows you're greatest fears, your worst nightmares. Similar to a boggart, but deadlier, as the more you drink, the more your magic is forced to separate from your own magical core. The older you are, the harder it is. If you were to drink it, you would probably be rendered a squib. If Dumbledore were to drink it, his magic was so interconnected; it would eventually have killed him. Of course, he was already dying all last year anyway, I only finished the job," Snape finished softly. Harry thought he detected a hint of something, sadness, guilt, remorse? He wasn't sure.
"He was already dying-?"
"Yes, his arm, as I'm sure you noticed, was slowly eating him away and killing him, the only reason he survived was courtesy of myself. I put a stopper on death, as I told you I could first year if you had been paying attention. I believe my notes are in that book, you may need them."
"Why are you being so-?"
"Nice?" Snape finished for him, as if he was reading his thoughts, which, Harry thought with a bitter laugh, he probably was. "I am still a spy Potter, I still play both sides of the fight. If it is in my power, and in my interest, I will help you, as I did Dumbledore. If not, then I won't. You would do well to remember, Potter, I am on no one's side except my own," and Snape spun on his heels and walked out of the Room of Requirement, his robe billowing behind him.
"I really want to know how to do that with the robe," Harry said, trying to lighten the mood. He thought to himself for a second; how did Snape know Dumbledore had taken that potion? Ginny brought him out of his thoughts.
"Let's get out of here Harry."
"Right. We can't portkey or apparate, so there's only one other thing to do. Dobby!"
The house-elf appeared with a pop and rushed into a bow.
"I is here Master Harry Potter sir, you is calling for me?"
"Can you get us out of here Dobby?"
"I can try, the bad men has been making many wards, so's we house-elves can only apparate into and through the castle, I is only able to be getting you to the entrance," Dobby finished, looking sad that he couldn't help his master.
"That would be perfect Dobby." Smiling slightly, Dobby apparated them to the entrance, and disappeared with a pop, leaving them behind. Harry and Ginny were forced to duck, as a pair of spells flew over their head.
"Davies, get the flank, Tonks, on the right. Shacklebolt, get the far side. I've got the middle," yelled a familiar voice. More like growled.
"Mad-eye Moody," Harry whispered softly.
"Harry, the aurors are invading Hogwarts. They must be trying to get it back."
Harry opened his mouth to respond, but his breath caught in his throat. Dementors.
"Ginny, we need to get behind the aurors. Now!" Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and they took off, weaving through spells fired from both sides and death eaters who were fighting in the courtyard to get to Moody.
"Duck!" Harry yelled, and just in time too. He felt the spell rush right by his hair. He held Ginny's hand under the cloak and kept moving her along, but she seemed heavy. She was literally stiff. Not Ginny, Harry thought. Anything but Ginny. He cast a finite on her, nonverbally, but nothing happened. Harry dragged her along and finally made it to Moody, where he took off his cloak and nodded to the grisly auror. He returned his nod, and then shouted at the aurors still fighting.
"Portkey! Avalon! Now!" Mad-eye grabbed Harry and Ginny, and the familiar pull on their navel occurred, and they were whisked away to the Isle of the Light.
Harry hit the ground with a thud, and looked his Ginny over. "Finite Incantatum," Harry said shakily, pointing his wand in Ginny's direction one more time, looking at her chocolate brown eyes, the warm eyes that always radiated love whenever he was near. He couldn't lose her, he just couldn't. Not like this. Harry gave a silent prayer to anyone who was listening and finally risked a chance to open his eyes. Ginny was still on the floor. Harry looked into her eyes, searching for the warmth they once held. His emerald green ones made contact with the chocolate brown ones, and Harry tried one last time to revive the love of his life.
"Enervate," he said. Ginny suddenly sprang to life, and Harry let out the breath he was holding in, the tears he was holding in, and everything just caught him all at once, so much so that he enveloped Ginny in a hug that would have made Mrs. Weasley proud.
"I don't ever want to lose you Gin, ever," Harry said through silent sobs. He choked back the tears quickly, not wanting to cry in front of her, and his resolve suddenly came over his face. Ginny smiled.
"You won't Harry. I'll always be here. The love that someone has, however brief, stays with a person. So even if you do lose me, you won't. I'll still be right here." Ginny took Harry's hand in hers and placed it over his heart. Harry smiled wearily and locked her into a kiss, both quick and sweet. His tongue lightly played with hers for a couple of seconds, and then he pulled away. He plastered on a lopsided grin and looked Ginny in the eye.
"Since when did you become so wise?"
"Must have rubbed off on me." They both knew who she was referring to, and didn't mind the name being omitted. The silence between them spoke enough.
"Potter? Why were you at Hogwarts in the first place? And how did you get in?"
Harry looked up, barely remembering the fact that the aurors were all here with them. For all he could of cared, he and Ginny were the only people left on the world. Well, maybe Ron and Hermione too, but they were busy snogging in a library. He heard Moody's throat clear. Repeatedly. Blushing, Harry looked up.
"What were you doing in Hogwarts anyway? How did you get in?"
In short detail, Harry described the passage from Honeydukes, and why he was there in the first place. Moody nodded thoughtfully, and Harry decided he had a few questions of his own.
"Where are we anyway?" Harry asked.
"The Isle of the Light, Avalon. I'm sure you've heard of it from around Merlin and King Arthur's time. It was a magical island where Arthur went to heal from his wounds after the battle, and it is where we aurors go to train. Time slows down considerably here, and the island dictates the weather. Some days it's stormy, and really bad, and on those days, it's very bad in the real world. The island reflects what's going on outside. I wouldn't mind giving you some training while we're here, we can send you through the auror training, shouldn't take too long, and bloody useful as well, it is." Harry thought that would be a great idea. He could definitely use some more work on his non-verbal spells. They were as inconsistent as the Chudley Cannons right now.
"The island also reacts violently to dark magic, so don't use any here, or bring any dark objects here. You'll know if something like that happens when the island-" There was a large bolt of lightning that hit the ground near where they were standing. "Does that," finished Moody.
"Sleeves up! Everyone! Now!" Everyone pulled up their sleeves, no dark marks were present. Harry grabbed the wand in his pocket, Ravenclaw's wand, and felt it, wondering if maybe-
"Professor? Could you make me a portkey really quick, I think I know what's wrong." Moody grabbed a rock, muttered "portus," and handed it to Harry.
"Ginny, hang on to this." Harry handed her Ravenclaw's wand. "First, I'll leave, to show that it's not me causing the dark magic, then I'll come back, and take something with me, the thing that I think is dark magic." Harry disappeared with the pull behind his navel and landed in Hogsmeade. He counted to five, and then the portkey pulled him back to Avalon.
"Well?" Harry asked. As if in answer, the bolt of lightning struck again.
"It strikes once every thirty seconds," Moody added. "It hit once while you were gone too."
"Ok, I'll take this with me now." Harry help up the wand, for all to see. "Make the portkey wait over a minute." Harry reappeared in Hogsmeade after Moody modified the portkey and just waited for a minute to pass. It did, and Harry was whisked back to the island.
"Well?" Again, lightning struck.
"Nothing, you were right, the wand is dark magic. What is it Potter?"
"Something I need to destroy. It's something of Voldemort's. I have to keep it on me in case we lose it."
"Alright then, I'll just tell the island to ignore all types of dark magic currently on the island." Moody popped away and came back after a small part of waiting. As Harry waited, he had counted the aurors there, wondering who all was here. He saw Tonks, who smiled at him, but that was really the only people he recognized. There were bodies of aurors on the side, and Harry looked at the body count. It didn't look good. As if answering his question, Tonks spoke up.
"Scrimgeour made us raid Hogwarts. He pulled every single auror we had. We told him we weren't prepared, and that we wouldn't be able to accomplish it, but he didn't listen to reason. We failed, and we lost some good men. I still can't find Kingsley. And the portkey was on their wand, so he should be here. Unless he's-" But Tonks didn't need to finish her thought. Harry knew. He had seen the tall, dark man on the side. Harry knew. Harry felt a little bad that he wasn't more saddened by the losses of his friends. Like when he lost Hagrid. It was just, Harry was beginning to realize that: 'the show must go on.' You can mourn, but you have to do something about it, make their death meaningful. Harry still held a place in his heart for everyone he had lost, but he understood now that he would have to wait until all of this was over. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to do what he had to do. Harry had finally come to the conclusion that he would be willing to die, if it meant ending this war, stopping further death and destruction. He was willing to accept death, embrace it. That was what made him different than Voldemort. There were some things worse than death, and Harry was beginning to realize that. Losing everyone you ever loved and cared for, and being alone in the world, now that was worse than death.
Moody came back by then, and he didn't look like he enjoyed what he was going to say. The island grew worse than before, the storm picked up.
"Azkaban," Moody said, the one word enough for all the aurors present to understand. Everyone had been pulled off, and Azkaban was-
"It's been captured by Voldemort. All we have left is Avalon and the Ministry. The Ministry isn't worth much, and nobody knows about Avalon who isn't in auror. It isn't looking good." Moody looked extremely angry. His magical eye was spinning, his real eye was glaring, and every battle scar he had seemed to radiate his anger.
"Scrimgeour needs to learn how to fight a war. He can fight a battle, he was a decent auror when he was in charge, but fighting a war is completely different." Most of the aurors present nodded in agreement.
"Potter, what do you say we train you for awhile, we can train her too," Moody said, nodding at Ginny.
"Sounds alright," said Harry, after sharing a quick glance with Ginny.
"We can send 'em through the obstacle course Mad-eye," said an auror that Harry didn't recognize.
"Good thinking. Potter, come here. Weasley, you too." Harry followed Moody, somewhat reluctantly, to a room. Ginny was right on his heels.
"Ok, here's what is going to happen. It's pretty straightforward, really. You will exit this room through that door on the far side," Moody waved his hand lazily towards the door across from the one they had entered, "and it will be a maze, similar to what you went through during the Tri-Wizard Tournament from what I've been told Potter. There will be different obstacles to pass, and eventually, you will come out of the maze, the exit is Northwest. Good luck, work together, and we'll see what you're made of. We will be above you watching, and if you need anything, shoot up some sparks, and we will come get you. So you know, there is an anti-apparition ward on the course, so don't try and apparate, we don't want you splinched. Also, Finite Incantatum is disabled. Along with enervate. I think that's it. Go get 'em."
Harry grabbed Ginny's hand, gave her a quick kiss, and led her through the door, into the maze.
"Well Gin, this is it, let's see if we know what we're do-" Harry was cut off as he was hit by a spell, and he turned to Ginny, she was hit as well. Harry heard the spell cast at Ginny, even though he missed the one that hit him. "Silencio." It looked like it would be non-verbal from here.
Harry motioned with Ginny to follow him, and she nodded. Harry pointed at Ginny, and made a clockwise circle with his fingers. Harry then pointed at himself, and pointed at Ginny's back. Move clockwise, and we cover each other's back, he willed her to understand. Harry met her eyes, and tried to push that thought into her head. Ginny nodded, as if in understanding, and she got back to back with Harry. They moved forward slowly, wary of what might happen.
The first thing they ran into was a dementor. Harry stared at it in shock. He felt his parent's presence, he heard Dumbledore's plea for death, he saw Sirius's graceful fall through the veil. Picturing the time he kissed Ginny in the common room, he thought rapidly, "Expecto Patronum," hoping for the comforting presence of Prongs. A stag burst out of his wand, but by then, Ginny had already circled to face the dementor. The stag charged and Harry turned to face it as well. The dementor faltered, and Harry suddenly saw himself dead. He was lying, face up on the ground, his emerald green eyes cold and lifeless. Ginny began to sob. Harry thought to himself, "Riddikulus," and the boggart vanished in a wisp of smoke. Under pressure, Harry's non-verbal skills were doing pretty good.
Harry and Ginny returned to circling, and the next thing they came across was an acromantula. Ginny fired a stunner at it, but it only faltered and kept coming. Harry held his hand up to Ginny and mouthed 'one…two…three' while counting down. They fired simultaneously and the spider crumbled. Relaxed, they continued through the maze.
Harry saw a shadow facing him as he turned the corner. He fired a stunner, but it bounced right back at him. Harry was forced to dive, pulling Ginny down with him. Stunners were sent relentlessly back at Harry. He tried an impediment jinx, but it was also sent back at him. He used a shield charm to protect himself, and it worked, but the impediment jinx bounced back again, like a game of tennis, and hit Harry, who wasn't expecting it. Harry slowed down tremendously. Ginny began firing at their target now, first with a bat-bogey hex, which reflected back at her, and Ginny, ironically, got a taste of her own medicine: literally. While fighting the bats, she fired off a Full-body bind, which only bounced back as well.
Harry was starting to wonder why everything they were throwing at it was being reflected. And they were only attacked by whatever they had fired at their enemy. Then, Harry had an idea. It was a mirror. It just absorbed their spells, and fired them back at them. So how do you destroy a mirror? A vision of a broken mirror, thrown against his trunk at the end of fifth year swam lazily into Harry's mind.
So, Harry tried the reductor curse. It took him twice to cast it properly. He instantly moved closer to Ginny and cast a shield charm as well. The mirror shattered and they were hit with glass. Shield charms apparently only worked on magic, not physical items. Harry was hit with most of the glass; he had prevented any of it from touching Ginny. He helped her up, and they headed towards the next part of the maze. Harry cast the four-point spell to make sure they were headed in the right direction, northwest, and they were, so they kept going. They ran into a sphinx next. Harry mentally groaned.
"The quickest way is right through me,
so I'll tell you a riddle and then we'll see.
Will you pass or will you stay,
if you get it right, I'll let you on your way.
If you are wrong then I'll attack,
but answer me not, and you may walk right back."
Harry waved his hand, motioning for the sphinx to say the riddle.
"Those who cannot
sing above ground
have something else,
that in their hand can be found.
And what do you call,
An item whose name,
You wish not to say
But you speak of just the same."
Harry thought about that part of the riddle, the first part. Those who cannot sing above ground. That definitely sounded like merpeople, the ones he had met in the lake. But what did they hold in their hand? And then it hit him. A spear! Harry knew the first part. He tried to run it by the sphinx, but he couldn't speak. He would come back to that. An item whose name you wish not to say but speak of just the same? What was that about. If you were going to talk about something you would say it's name wouldn't you? Harry felt like an idiot. It! That's what it was saying. If you are talking about something, but you don't say it's name, you would call it, well, it. Spear-it. Spirit! Hah. Harry laughed triumphantly. Of course, it was mental. How would he tell the sphinx the answer? Harry had a flashback to the chamber of secrets. He waved his wands, concentrating on the word spirit. It appeared into the air, glowing a fiery-red. The sphinx looked at it, and nodded. She stepped aside, allowing Harry and Ginny to pass.
"Spirit is right, you are correct.
But before you go forward,
There's one thing to check.
At the end of this path,
Another sphinx stands,
With one final Riddle,
Before you can end.
So defeated now once
Is the Riddle.
But do it once more,
Before it's all over.
There is no turning back,
Once past me you go.
So think wisely,
That's all that I know."
Harry looked at Ginny, and she nodded, her brown eyes full of determination. He grabbed her hand and they walked through the path, small and winding to the other end. They neared the end of it without problems, and met up with the other sphinx.
"Defeated me once,
I see you have,
but can you now twice,
pass a sphinx in disguise?
Answer this Riddle,
And the end is near,
It will be up to you,
To make it into the clear."
Harry motioned for the sphinx to speak.
"What is my name?
I will give you two clues,
I am always here,
In the air around you.
But say my name,
Into the air,
And gone I shall be,
As if I was never there."
Harry stood in silence, wondering just what the answer could be. What was in the air? Oxygen? That couldn't be right. If you say its name, it would be gone? What disappears when it's name is spoken? An elf appears when its name is spoken. But not the other way around. Harry was definitely clueless on this one. He looked at Ginny pleadingly for help. 'Here's where she proves whether she deserves to be here or not,' thought Harry. Ginny waved her wand suddenly, as Harry had, and it formed a word.
"Silence."
Harry stared at the words glimmering in the darkness. Silence? It was there in the air around you. Yeah, that could work. And if you spoke its name, it was gone. Well, there would be silence until you spoke, so if you did speak, silence would be gone. Yeah, that would work. He nodded at Ginny. She directed the words toward the sphinx, which smiled and let them through. Harry grabbed Ginny's hand, and they walked out of the path. They were still dead-on target, and according to the sphinxes, they should be near the end. There was only one last task. Harry looked forward, and saw an arch. He stared at it, but there was no way around it. He would have to go through the arch. Harry turned to Ginny and motioned towards the arch. She stared, confused. Harry led her near it, then walked up to it slowly. He looked at it, wondering what exactly it was. He climbed up, and stepped through it, but felt Ginny grab onto his foot before he could go all the way through. He looked around at where he was. It was darkness. He couldn't see a thing. He fell forward into nothingness, Ginny still desperately holding on to Harry' foot. He fell down, and when he expected to hit the ground he didn't. He looked up, surprised, and then his face did slam into the ground. Ouch.
Harry looked up. The arch had disappeared. Ginny was still holding onto his foot, but they saw the end of the maze. He stood up hesitantly, and grabbed Ginny's hand. They walked cautiously towards the opening, and when they walked out, they stepped into a golden aura. Everything went upside down. Harry smiled grimly. He knew this trick already. He grabbed Ginny's hand and took a defiant step forward, dragging her with him. He made it back onto solid ground and they stepped out of the maze.
They were met with cheers from the aurors, and after a couple of finite incantatum's that they cast on each other non-verbally, Harry and Ginny were able to speak properly.
"Well, that was definitely interesting."
"That was pretty good non-verbal spellwork back there Potter. Non-verbal spells are a lot like learning how to ride a broom. Once you do it properly the first time, it comes easily. You just need the right pressure. Your non-verbal spell work should have increased now. I believe Remus Lupin has taught you rudimentary Occlumency as well?"
"Yes, sir," responded Harry.
"I suppose a little bit of Legilimency was with that as well?"
"That's right." Harry realized he had actually cast Legilimency on Ginny, when he told her to cover his back. He had pushed the thought into her head, and she had understood. He had just made eye contact, and without a wand, had told her what he wanted her to know. That was impressive. He was sure Dumbledore could do that, and probably Voldemort, but he didn't know anyone else who could.
"I'd say that was a good workout overall. Weasley, that was one Bat-bogey hex back there. I'm sure you felt that?"
Ginny just groaned. Everyone laughed.
"Well, that was a good way to lighten the mood a bit. Good job you two. And excellent work with the sphinxes. Normally, the recruits get one right and are trapped, or just decide to skip it altogether. We were all deeply impressed."
"Thanks," murmured a red-faced Harry and a blushing Ginny.
"You all look great together," said Tonks cheekily.
Harry and Ginny responded by blushing once more.
"Well, that was enough for now. We will let you all get some sleep. Take them to the quarters," ordered Moody. Tonks escorted them to a room, and Harry and Ginny both collapsed onto the bed and slept.
There's your chapter everybody. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. I also wanted to say that the idea for Avalon came from Robin4, and I recommend reading his stories, most notably the Promises trilogy, Promises Remembered, Promises Unbroken, and Promises Defended. All three can be found on my favorite stories page. Thanks again for reading, and please review.
