As Always, I do not own the Harry Potter Characters, this is just a fanfiction for fun.
Chapter 22, The Temple
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Reverend Ewls managed to stow away on a Turkish merchant vessel bound for the Israeli port city of Tel-Aviv. It was only in the lower compartments of the ship that they were able to find a suitable hiding place. They journey took them three days in rough seas, and the ship was not the largest and most seaworthy vessel. The journey was especially hard on Hermione who was constantly ill. Throughout the course of the entire seaborne journey, Ron never let go of Hermione, but held her tightly to himself as she struggled through her illnesses, every waking hour she was on the verge of passing out.
Reverend Ewls, Harry, and Ron constantly prayed silently over her, it was these prayers which had kindled in her soul, a certain new hope. She knew through their power that her child would survive; she did not know how, but her feelings assured her of this fact, and she took comfort in this knowledge. She also knew that it was the power of the prayers said for her by her friends, and the great love which they had shown to her that would ensure that she would make the final leg of the journey to Jerusalem.
It was this love which Harry, Ron, and Reverend Ewls demonstrated for her that reminded her of Reverend Ewls' first lesson on Christianity, its fundamental emphasis on God's love and service. She had earlier decided that she definitely believed in something, if not the Christian God. She decided now, however, that throughout the course of the entire journey from Hogwarts to their current position on the Mediterranean Sea, that the very God of whom Reverend Ewls had taught was manifest to her through her friends. She decided that if there was a God, it had to be the God that they believed in, the God who would motivate such service. She found herself, for the first time in her life, believing in this God, praying to him in secret, worshiping him in secret, pleading for the life of her unborn son, comforted in the knowledge that her prayers were answered. Though her pride was not yet ready to allow her to admit it, she did believe, even in Christ.
The four arrived at Tel-Aviv, and managed to get off of the ship on which they stowed away without muggle detection. Hermione, however, was clearly on her last leg as she struggled through the streets beneath the hot Israeli sun. It was Reverend Ewls, however, who stopped in mid-stride and sat down on a busy sidewalk, his expression was one of exhaustion, he seemed unable to keep going.
"Reverend, we have to keep moving," said Harry. "You said…"
"We have to cross over fifty Kilometers of mostly desert," Ewls interrupted. "We have to at least catch our breath and find water. But we have no money left, they're still looking for us, and…"
"Reverend, please don't lose hope," Hermione pleaded, her expression, though tired was positive, even cheerful. "Your stubbornness is just about all that has kept us going. What was it you told me, it is never sad to hope, sometimes hope is all that we have."
Reverend Ewls, through his exhausted face, gave a chuckle and a small smile. He took her hand into his.
"Hermione you are sounding more and more like a Christian every day," he said.
With this remark, a smile grazed Hermione's lips, she nodded as a tear fell from her cheeks. Had this been only days before, she would have denied it, but she could not now; what he said was true. She was, inspired by her friends, becoming more and more of a believer every day as the hope which was in her friends was transferred to her, manifested in their actions of love for her.
"I don't know, its something about my best friends praying over me that showed me that there is a chance."
"I haven't lost hope Hermione," said Reverend Ewls. "I'm just coming to terms with the fact that we may not make it, and I am preparing myself to accept that God's will shall be done even if we don't."
"I do not believe that God would will that you would make it this far good Reverend…" came a strange English accent.
The four travelers looked to behold a man in a cloak standing beside them on the sidewalks. Harry, Ron, and Hermione drew their wands, Reverend Ewls stood and faced him, his expression was, oddly enough, not offensive, it was even happy. He seemed to recognize the person who had just addressed them.
"…unless he intended that you make it the rest of the way," the man finished.
Reverend Ewls smiled at the man.
"Reverend Tom Pendleton, you have no clue how blessed I am to see you,"
Reverend Ewls, and Reverend Pendleton embraced each other for several seconds before breaking apart.
"The order wishes that we could have done more for you," said Pendleton. "But we have been in hiding, most of us are trying to return to the temple, some of us have been caught, some killed. I have been sent to arrange transportation to Jerusalem."
With this, Harry, Ron, and Hermione each gave a sigh of relief and extreme gratitude.
"Thank God my friend," said Ewls.
"We must leave," said Pendleton, his expression becoming one of utmost seriousness. "It is not safe here, the Israeli Ministry is looking for you and has this city secured extremely tight."
Almost immediately as Reverend Pendleton had finished saying this, a small muggle automobile pulled to the sidewalk at which the five people stood. Reverend Pendleton, without hesitation opened the door to the car for Hermione. The car was driven by an Arabic-looking man who wore a cross around his neck. Hermione was the first to enter the car, followed by the other four. The car then drove off to the east. Within the car, Reverend Pendleton was explaining to them his transportation plans.
"They still think you are traveling as Muggles," said Pendleton. "So your going to have to, once again, return to wizard transportation. All the floo connections to Jerusalem have been cut off; we have a Hippogriff waiting for you at the outskirts of the city, the moment you take off, you'll be cited, but it shouldn't take you but an hour to reach Jerusalem by air, we will try to keep the Israeli broomsmen off your backs as best as we can. The Israelis have Jerusalem equally well guarded so you will be spotted there too, your only hope is to land as close to the hill as possible, so that you won't have to travel very far on foot."
"How many broomsmen do we have?" asked Ewls.
"Five, Not that many, but it will be enough, we will keep them off of your back as best as we can, we'll escort you right to Jerusalem."
"Do you have any extra brooms?" asked Harry.
"A few why?"
"Reverend, Ron and I can fly brooms, that way it won't be as much weight on the hippogriff, you'll be able to fly faster."
At this, Reverend Pendleton's expression became one of doubt and protestation.
"Boy, if you've never flown in combat before I don't recommend that…"
"He has flown in combat Tom, and he's right, the lighter the load on the hippogriff the better," said Ewls.
Reverend Pendleton took quick note of Harry's determined expression, its lack of hesitation in the face of Pendleton's warning. He also noticed Reverend Ewls' confidence in the boy.
"I'm told that we hope to train you as a Nasserite," Pendleton said to Harry. "If God will it so, I look forward to it, a powerful member of our order you would be."
Ten minutes later, Reverend Ewls and Hermione took off on the back of a hippogriff; accompanying them were seven broomsmen, including five Nasserites along with Ron and Harry. The seven broomsmen flew beside the hippogriff on either side of it. One of the Nasserite broosmen suddenly looked behind him to behold twenty other oncoming broomsmen flying at top speed behind them, gaining on them slowly.
"Here they come," shouted the Nasserite who had beheld the oncoming broomsmen.
Reverend Pendleton turned to Ron and Harry who were flying next to each other, just to the left of the hippogriff.
"Harry, Ron, Remain here and escort the Hippogriff, we'll take care of this!" he said.
The five Nasserite broomsmen broke away from Harry, Ron, and the hippogriff, and charged the oncoming Israeli broomsmen. Harry and Ron kept their eyes peeled at the city which was slowly coming into view over the horizon, but could hear the sound of curses and jinxes being fired in the air. After a few minutes, there was only silence behind them, Harry glanced behind them and saw four broomsmen gaining on them, none of them resembled their Nasserite escorts. Apparently, the Nasserites had managed to take out sixteen of the twenty enemy broomsmen but had all been downed in the process.
Harry eyed Ron with an expression of powerful determination.
"You ready for this Ron?" he shouted
"I'm with you!"
"Alright, here's what we're going to do," Harry shouted to Ron instructionally. "We're going to break apart from one Another, since Hermione's their primary target, two will follow the hippogriff, one will follow me, one will follow you. We're going to play chicken with them!"
Ron nodded in understanding.
"Afterwards we'll clear Rev. Ewls and Hermione's tail," Harry instructed.
Ron nodded, after which, a stunner spell zoomed past his head. The sky around the hippogriff and the two brooms was filled with various spells. Harry, Ron, and the hippogriff all attempted to take evasive action, in midst of which, Harry nodded at Ron indicating they were ready. Harry and Ron immediately broke off in opposite directions. As Harry had predicted, two Broomsmen pursued the hippogriff, one followed Harry, another followed Ron.
After leading the two broomsmen on a bit of a chase, Harry and Ron now aimed their brooms directly at each other. Their conversion point was directly in front of the hippogriff. Noticing Harry and Ron about to run into each-other, Reverend Ewls, atop the hippogriff, gave an expression of worry.
"What the hell do they think they're doing!" Ewls shouted as Hermione fired stunner curses at the other pursuers.
Harry and Ron now zoomed at each other at top speed, they each fired stunners at the broomsmen pursuing the other. After coming within feet of colliding with each-other, they quickly broke left, avoiding collision by mere inches, having failed to clear each other's tails.
Meanwhile, atop the hippogriff, Reverend Ewls' evasive action had proved thus far successful as the two broomsmen had failed to score any hits. Hermione, on the other hand, successfully managed to hit one of them with an impediment jinx, causing him to fall from his broom to the ground.
Harry and Ron had maneuvered themselves around in order to speed directly at each other again. Again the conversion point would fall directly in front of the hippogriff, slightly above its flight path. As they sped directly at one another, both opened fire with their wands, firing incendiary curses, stunners, and impediment jinxes at their pursuers. As they did so, their pursuers opened fire as well. Harry managed to hit Ron's chaser with a stunner, Ron hit Harry's with an incendiary spell, both fell to the ground. Before being downed by Harry, Ron's pursuer managed to hit Harry with an incendiary spell causing him to fall off of his broom just above the hippogriff's flight path.
"HARRY!" shouted Hermione just as Reverend Ewls extended his hand and quickly caught Harry's hand as he fell into the hippogriff's flight-path. With his arm motion, Ewls slung Harry atop the Hippogriff just behind Hermione. The intense, in-flight wind managed to put out the fire that the incendiary curse had set upon Harry's clothes.
"Harry, my stomach hurts watching you fly!" shouted Ewls.
"The bastard shot me down!" shouted Harry. "Reverend get me closer to one of…"
"Not on your life!" shouted Ewls. "We'll be fine as is, Ron can handle one, we'll handle the other."
The last of the hippogriff's pursuers flew several hundred feet above the hippogriff, just in front of its flight-path. He then executed a dive at the hippogriff's position, firing stunners at Harry, Hermione and Reverend Ewls. One of them hit the hippogriff, causing it to screech. Harry and Hermione fired various curses, hexes, and jinxes at the diving broomsmen. One of Harry's stunners hit him, causing him to fall from his broom to the ground.
Meanwhile, Ron pursued whom he thought to be the last of the broomsman, who led him in the direction opposite the Hippogriff's heading. After several curses and jinxes hurled at the final broomsman, a body-bind curse finally hit him. As he was unable to maneuver, he simply continued to fly at a downward angle until hitting the ground, broom and all. Immediately as broomsman was hit with this spell, Ron beheld what would make his insides turn upside-down with fear.
An entire armada of broomsmen now approached from the direction of Tel-Aviv. To Ron' they were merely flying dots in the distance, but they were gaining fast. Ron turned his broom back toward the hippogriff and sped as fast as he could back to it's side. Meanwhile, to the people atop the Hippogriff, the city of Jerusalem, which was barely visible in the distance, was now coming closer and closer into view.
Hermione, Harry, and Reverend Ewls began to breath sighs of relief at seeing Jerusalem coming closer and closer, as Ron approached from behind and came along-side the hippogriff, less than arms-length away.
"Reverend, we've got more company," Ron said, the fear plainly evident in his voice. "And they're well more than I can handle."
"Keep flying, we're almost there," instructed Reverend Ewls.
The four could hear curses and jinxes being fired behind them, though they didn't see anything zoom past them, indicating that they were still out of range. Ron looked behind him, the armada was coming closer and closer, they would be in range any second. Out of nowhere, Hermione suddenly gave a loud shriek in pain. She began to breath much more heavily. Noticing this from atop his broom, Ron called out to her…
"What is it 'Mione?"
"Oh no," Hermione shouted, obviously in a great deal of pain, her hands grasped her stomach tightly, tears fell from her cheeks as if not unlike rain. "Oh God no not here!"
"You didn't!" said Reverend Ewls, looking back at her.
Hermione nodded, her face screwed up in pain. The pain suddenly overwhelmed her as she began to scream loudly. Harry's arms stroked her hair and side in a vain attempt to comfort her. She could not stop screaming at the top of her voice.
"Hermione hang on!" shouted Ron from his broom. "I love you!"
The buildings of the city were now becoming distinguishable as they drew nearer and nearer.
"Hermione, we're almost there!" shouted Reverend Ewls. "You're going to make it!"
As the hippogriff flew forward, just over the city was a swarm of over fifty broomsmen waiting in front of the hippogriff's flight-path. They immediately began to open fire with various jinxes. One Incendiary curse hit Ron's broom; just before it fell from the sky, Harry and Ron's arms interlocked.
Harry somehow managed to find strength from a source outside his own as he lifted Ron to the hippogriff behind himself. The weight of the four meant that the hippogriff was losing altitude fast, and could not take evasive actions, as such, several stunners and incendiaries hit it. Using their wands, Harry and Ron managed to deflect any of the curses which could have hit any of the humans atop the beast. Hermione could not raise her wand, she continued to scream as loudly as her voice would allow her, she could not stop screaming, nor did she take her arms off of her stomach.
As the Hippogriff descended fast amongst the several hundred curses filling the sky, a hill quickly came into Reverend Ewls' view just outside of the city.
"It's Golgotha!" shouted Ewls. "We're almost there Hermione!"
Although none of the jinxes and curses hit any of the humans atop the hippogriff, several hit the animal itself, until finally, just before hitting the ground violently, its eyes closed, and its wings flapped upward against the pressure below them. The four fell off of the crashing hippogriff into the ground near a small Muslim Mosque.
Hermione held her stomach as she crouched into fetal position sobbing and moaning in pain. Before she could resign herself to death, several arms grabbed her by the shoulders. She felt two people—whom she identified immediately by the sides of their faces as Harry and Ron—carrying her by her shoulders to the small Muslim Mosque. She could also make out Reverend Ewls standing in front of the entrance deflecting stunner curses being fired at him from above.
After her two friends successfully entered the mosque, they laid her down on the cold stone floor and knelt beside her. She continued to sob and scream uncontrollably, grasping her stomach. Reverend Ewls quickly entered the mosque and knelt beside her.
"Hermione I need you to get up now!" he said in a quick-paced, frustrated, yet comforting voice. "I need you to run, understand? We're almost there, we are going to make it! We can't deliver the baby right here!"
"I can't do it Reverend, it hurts!" she moaned through her screams. "Oh God it hurts."
Without hesitation, Reverend Ewls took one of her hands and squeezed it, he motioned for Ron to take her other hand. With his free hand, Ewls took from his pocket a small vial; he opened it with his teeth, and poured its oily contents onto her forehead. Discarding the now empty vial, he took his free pointer-finger and drew the sign of the cross on her forehead.
"Hermione Jane Granger," he began as he laid his free hand flat on her forehead atop the oil, and motioned Harry and Ron to do the same—which they did without hesitation. "By the power of the Holy Priesthood of God which is committed to all believers in Christ, I anoint your head with sacred and consecrated oil, and through the power and will of Holy God, we lay our hands upon your head and bless you with the strength to carry out the task at hand, this do we in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever and to the ages of ages, amen." He then began to shout, sounding even angry. "Hermione get up now! Let's go!
"I can't," she mouthed through her continued moans and sobs.
"Yes you can Hermione!" Ewls shouted at the top of his lungs, his expression as powerful as Harry, Ron, and Hermione had ever seen it, his yelling was like unto a muggle drill-sergeant, it frightened even Ron and Harry. "You love your child, do it for him, now get up, and Run! Do what you have to do Hermione! Get up NOW!"
With the help of the other three, she slowly began to ascend to her feet. The four exited the Muslim mosque amidst the broomsmen who were now on their feet, but fighting off other Nasserites who had recently arrived and were covering the four. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Reverend Ewls were now running up a tall hill which stood only meters away. At their side, they were joined by Father Robert Bates and another, younger Nasserite, who with their swords, deflected various curses.
Just above the fighting Nasserites, several Dementors appeared. Screams of "expecto patronum" were heard from around the four's position, as they ran up the hill. Hermione continued to run as fast as she could in spite of the immense, terrible pain which overwhelmed her. She knew for a certainty that death was imminent as she prayed silently for the God whom she had just recently come to believe in to forgive her for not finding him earlier. The words, "almost there" came from all three of her companions as they arrived at the crest of the hill.
Once at the top of the hill, with a wave of his wand, the younger Nasserite made a small, lap-sized Greek cross to appear at the center of the crest. The six arranged themselves in a circle, with Reverend Ewls holding Hermione tightly to himself. Hermione, amidst her continuing screams took hold of the cross, as did the other five who now joined her.
"Say it with me brothers," said Father Bates.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear," the three Nasserites began. "The Lord is the strength of my life in whom shall I be afraid, when the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell, though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear, though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident! Lord let us safely enter into thy temple."
"In the name of the Father," said Ewls.
"And of the Son," said Father Bates.
"And of the Holy Spirit," said the younger Nasserite.
The world around the six who grabbed the cross began to spin violently as they each felt attracted to the cross. As they spun, Reverend Ewls held Hermione—still screaming loudly—as tightly to himself as he could. When the spinning stopped, they found themselves inside a beautifully adorned, cavernous hall, with beds laying in rows along its floor; much like the hospital wing at Hogwarts.
The hall was decorated with 2-dimensional icons of various biblical scenes and figures. The largest of which was the Icon of the crucifixion. The smell of incense was clearly present, chanting could be heard in the background amidst Hermione's continued screams of pain. After arriving the six dropped the port-key as a wizard and a witch, both in black robes, approached Hermione and Reverend Ewls.
Reverend Ewls handed the screaming Hermione over to the witch in black robes who was whispering to her comfortingly. After she had carried Hermione to the nearest bed and laid her down upon it, Ron walked thereto and knelt down beside her, holding her hand.
"Hermione I'm here," he said amidst her screams. "We've made it! I told you we'd make it!"
The man in black robes came behind Ron and grabbed him by his back attempting to lift him to his feet.
"Mr. Weasley please leave the room," the man said.
After he finished saying this, an expression of intense disapproval came upon both Hermione and Ron's faces. Neither of them wanted to be separated, yet both the man and woman in black robes were insistent. Hermione quickly took Ron's hand and held to it and tightly as she could, Ron held back and the man in black robes tried to pull him from her.
"I can't!" said Ron.
"Mr. Weasley, it will all be alright, but you must leave immediately," said the woman.
Amidst her screaming, Hermione continued to hold on tightly.
"No! You don't understand!" cried Ron.
Father Bates and Reverend Ewls joined the man in black robes and finally pulled so that Hermione and Ron could not preserve their holds on each other's hands. Ron struggled against Reverend Ewls and Father Bates as they had to nearly drag him toward the Room's exit while the man in black robes joined the woman in tending to Hermione.
"Come on Ron!" said Ewls. "There's nothing more you can do."
"No! I promised I wouldn't leave her!"
"Son, the best thing you can do for her right now is to let the healers do their work now lets go!" said Father Bates as calmly as he could.
"Ron Don't leave me please!" shouted Hermione amidst her moaning. "RON!"
"No! I wont love!"
Harry joined Reverend Ewls and Father Bates in the struggle as they neared the door.
"Come on Ron we have to," said Harry calmly.
They finally made it to the door and forced Ron through it, after coming through it themselves, before Ron could fight his way back into the room, Reverend Ewls shut and locked it. Harry held Ron, both embracing him and attempting to prevent him from reaching the door at the same time.
"It'll be alright Ron," Harry comforted as Ron sobbed into his shoulder. "We made it, she made it, everything will be alright."
"I told her, I promised her," Ron sobbed. "I gave her my word I'd stay with her."
"And you still are my son," Ewls assured. "You can't help her by being physically present right now, all you'd do is hinder the healers in doing their job."
Ron's expression was one of fear and heartache, he continued sobbing as his chin rested on Harry's shoulder. Harry held him to himself, embracing him tightly.
"I've never seen anyone in such agony before, not even under the cruciatus curse," cried Ron.
"Ron she might as well be under the cruciatus curse right now," Ewls said. "You know about the curse that Voldemort gave her; right now all of her nerves are pretty much giving off the equivalent of an electrical fire all throughout her body, every single nerve in her body is in pain. The healers need to work to keep her as comfortable as possible while delivering a baby which itself is no easy task, so you need to stand aside Ron. Now sit down! It could be a while."