Proving his worthiness
Yaxley and Dolohov set up camp to watch over Thorfinn. A surprising reappearance. A request granted. An unexpected weapon is found. Thorfinn is tested by the mountain men. Thorfinn meets his Granger and his son.
A/N: Since the only characters consistently named in the movies were Saw Tooth, Three Finger, One Eye, Pa, Ma, Brother and Sister, I made up my own characters. Some of the chase scenes were based AROUND scenes from the movies. Others were scenes I made up myself. The snake scene is entirely my own, even though I am absolutely terrified of snakes. And that is the only spoiler you get, other than the summary.
Majors triggers this time are graphic violence and Thorfinn's potty mouth!
Thorfinn was beginning to regret turning his wand over to Yaxley. At the time, he'd agreed with Yaxley. He didn't need magic to kill a man with his bare hands. Now, as he got closer and closer to where he hoped to find Granger and his son, he was seriously feeling naked without that wand!
It had only dawned on him that the old man hadn't mentioned a child nor another man, only the girl! The old timer hadn't spoken since they left town. Plus, he'd turned left! Thorfinn had kept an eye on the rearview mirror and saw the van far behind them. It reassured him to know that Yaxley and Dolohov were close by.
The old man pulled into a parking place beside a rundown store. Thorfinn frowned as he left the truck. The man started up a path leading into the woods. Seeming to sense Thorfinn's unease, he turned back and held out a sheathed knife by the blade. "Here. Good ta have one of these handy. I gots ta show ye somethin' afore we go to the lodge. Ye gots to see this ta believe it."
Thorfinn took the knife and fastened the sheath around his forearm. Now he was REALLY missing that fucking wand! They went further and further into the woods. He kept listening for sounds of wildlife, animals moving through the bush or birds chirping, something!
The old man led him down a narrow path towards a small gully. Looking down, Thorfinn saw a tent set up in a small clearing. There was stuff scattered all across the clearing but he wasn't close enough to see what it was. At what seemed to be the narrowest point, he stumbled as he nearly slipped off the path. Before he could catch his balance back, he felt hands shove against him as the old guy pushed him off the path! 'BOODY FUCKING HELL!' He tumbled down the bank and rolled to a halt in the clearing!
Yaxley and Dolohov pushed the van off the road, covering it with tree branches. They grabbed their own camping gear, guns and ammo and started off toward where they had seen the truck turn in. They were just in time to see him hand off the knife to Thorfinn. They quickly took a parallel path to where the two were walking.
They were separated from them by a stream. They crossed the stream and climbed up onto an overhanging bluff. They looked across the stream, seeing the clearing Thorfinn had just been shoved down into. They quickly set their tent up and Dolohov was confused by the second tarp Yaxley had bought.
"Corban, what's this one for?" Dolohov held the tarp up. Yaxley smiled and motioned him to bring the tarp and his gun.
"Come on, Antonin. We got an excellent view of that side. I'll show you why the second tarp." He and Dolohov laid down at the edge of the bluff, aiming their guns across the way. They centered their sights on the young blonde as he sat up, shaking his head.
Yaxley let the sunlight hit the telescopic lens. Thorfinn jerked his head around and Antonin also flashed his lens at him. Thorfinn instantly smiled as he registered their presence still close to him. Yaxley pulled the tarp up and covered himself and Dolohov, leaving only the very tips of their gun barrels visible.
After seeing where his friends were, Thorfinn slowly stood up and looked around. He froze as he looked down at the sight of dead men and women. That's what he'd seen! He walked between bodies piled around the clearing. He could see where some of them actually looked like they had been eaten off of! 'Dear Merlin! And the Muggleborns actually thought the Death Eaters were bad!'
As he neared the unlit campfire, he saw one corpse laying by itself. It was mostly clothed and looked mostly undisturbed. Curious as to why, Thorfinn walked around to see it from the front. He instantly felt like he'd been hit with a Crucio! He was looking down at the corpse of Anthony Goldstein! He sank to his knees beside him. 'FUCK! All this time, he'd been cussing this boy up and down, listing all the ways he was going to KILL him and the boy was already dead!' He reached out, rubbing his hand down Anthony's face, closing his eyes. His own eyes closed in sympathy after seeing the spear still embedded in Anthony's body.
"No time for that, Thorfinn! Get your wand ready! You're going to need it to save her!" his eyes flew open and his jaw dropped. He jerked back in surprise. Before him knelt the ghost of Anthony Goldstein! "C'mon, now! None of this, Thorfinn! You've seen ghosts before! Hogwarts, hello? What took you so long to get here? I was almost about to give up on you! I've been counting on you to get here! She needs you, Thorfinn! Don't pass out on me now. They're on their way!"
"Who is on their way? Wait, you, you've been waiting for me! What's going on here? Bloody hell, man!" Thorfinn stammered.
"Yes, I've been waiting for you! How the hell do you think Yaxley knew where to bring you? I sent him that note. Don't ask me why, I really don't KNOW why I did it! I'm glad I did but, damn, man! Did you have to take so bloody long getting here?!" the ghost complained.
"After we missed you at St Mungo, the Dark Lord sent us out on a three month mission to raise holy hell! Did pretty good, if I do say so! He and Potter tried to kill each other again! Didn't work! They're both still alive!" he told the ghost.
Anthony rolled his eyes. "Bloody hell! Why don't those two just give it up and shake hands?! Damn!"
Thorfinn shrugged and raised his hands. It was beyond him why the two kept trying to bloody kill each other!
"Your wand, Thorfinn, get your wand ready! The mountain men are on their way! You're going to have to fight your way to her and fight your way back out!" Anthony instructed him.
"I, uh, don't have my wand. Yaxley has it." Thorfinn cringed under the stern look Anthony sent him.
"WHY does Yaxley have your wand?" he crossed his arms and stared at the Viking wizard!
"Because he was afraid I'd accidentally try and use magic to kill you?" Thorfinn posed his own question. It was the first time he'd ever had a ghost roll his eyes in exasperation at him!
"Fine! But you're going to need something more than that knife!" Anthony said. Thorfinn looked down at the spear. Anthony nodded. "Yeah, the spear will work." Thorfinn pulled the spear free from the corpse. "Listen. How good are you at Transfiguration?"
"My grade stayed somewhere between A and E at school. Why?" Thorfinn watched the ghost staring down at his own body. He had an inkling of what the next question might be.
"Can you try to Transfigure my body? Take it home to Britain?" Anthony asked quietly. "I know where there's a wand. They didn't take it the night they killed me and took her."
"What if her wand refuses to work with me?" Thorfinn asked. Anthony lifted his head.
"It'll work for you." Was all he said. Thorfinn went to the tent, stepping inside. Almost immediately, he could smell a very faint trace of Hermione. He followed his nose to the one bunk that was still messed up. He picked up the pillow, holding it to his face. 'Strawberries!' His Granger had definitely slept here. He hugged the pillow close. 'Damn, he wanted her in his arms so badly!'
"Heads up, Thorfinn! There will be plenty enough time for that when you reach her! They'll be here anytime! You got to be ready!" Anthony scolded him. Thorfinn rolled HIS eyes at the ghost. He found the little beaded bag Anthony wanted. He opened it and reached his arm in.
The wand was the first thing he felt. He pulled it out of the bag. For the second time in nine months, he held Hermione Granger's wand in his hand. There was a faint stirring of power in his fingers. Goldstein was right. He wasn't sure if it was because he'd slept with Hermione or because she'd carried his child while using the wand. But the wand was willing to work with him! He went back out. On impulse, he turned and took down the tent, stuffing it into the bag. He stuck the beaded bag into his pocket after shrinking it down.
Then he walked back to the campfire. He pointed the wand at the body, closed his eyes and concentrated on getting the spell right. He chanted the words, felt the surge of power and opened his eyes. A gold galleon lay there in place of Anthony Goldstein. He picked it up, held it in his fist and chanted another spell, one he'd picked up from Yaxley. He opened his hand and there was Goldstein's face on the coin. He looked at the ghost. "This will allow you to leave here with me. You'll travel inside this coin. FYI, you just became my newest mentor. I'll need someone to keep me talked down as Yaxley and Dolohov aren't here at the moment."
"It'll be my honor to mentor you. Just remember, everything from here on out is for Hermione. I'll help as much as I'm able but you will have the hardest job! Hermione will have her hands full, keeping the baby safe. YOU will be the one keeping both her, yourself AND the baby safe. There is your first challenge." Anthony nodded at the group of mountain men who had just appeared from the woods. He faded into the coin. Thorfinn put the coin in his pocket and the wand into his own holster opposite the knife.
He stared the mountain men down. Then he heard a voice. It was the old man again. "Be ye ok, boy?" he cackled. Thorfinn looked up. There was a second old man up there. It looked like he was holding a baby! 'Was that his son?' The old man spoke again. "This be my brother and his grand boy, Pretty Boy! Pretty Boy gots this purty lil mama, Missy. Her needs a man. Ye gots to make it all the way to Missy. She be over thataway. Git her untied off that tree and ye might git lucky enough to be that man. Course, ye gots to make it through my brother's other boys. They be mighty mean! Ye time starts now!"
At that, the biggest mountain man let out a loud whoop and they all rushed Thorfinn. He scrambled up the bank into the trees. There was a faint path that suddenly disappeared. 'DAMN!" He barreled through the bushes and ducked branches as he tried to figure out where he needed to go. He suddenly burst onto another clear path.
He was instantly suspicious of it. He ran along, keeping a sharp eye out for traps. He barely saw the trip wire in time to jump over it. He could hear a cackling behind him. He tripped and fell, coming face to face with a rattlesnake! The snake coiled up, hissing and rattling angrily. Thorfinn eased a hand forward. Just as the snake struck, he caught it behind the head! It was the fastest the young wizard had ever moved! He could hear more rattles from under the leaves behind the snake. He eased up, still holding the angry serpent behind the head and preventing it from rattling.
He flattened himself to the tree and waited. The bird beaked man ran past him. Using the snake as a whip, Thorfinn swung it and the snake struck out at the man. Bird beak screamed as he tried to get away from the snake. Thorfinn whipped the snake at him three more times, grabbed the front of his loosely fitting overalls, and stuffed the snake under them. He threw Bird beak into the nest of rattlers, listening to the man scream and flail around. Then he ran back the other way, doubling back on his own tracks.
He came to a fork in the path. 'Which way to go, which way? Damn it!' An arrow thumped into the tree in front of him, making the decision for him. He ran down the left fork while another mountain man cackled behind him. This one might be one of the bowmen. If he was, then he'd better prepare to lose his weapons! He stepped on a branch, felt it give and threw himself to the side in time to avoid a pit! He looked down in it. There were sharpened stakes pointing up. He covered the edge back up after he ascertained the size of the pit. He could easily jump it, as long as he didn't step on it again! He started back and yelled out. "Over here, you little bitches! I'm Thorfinn Rowle! Bring it on! Come at me!"
The humped over mountain man came charging at him, snarling the whole way. Thorfinn turned and ran again as Humpy was joined by a one armed brother. They dogged his heels all the way down the path. He suddenly jumped, clearing the pit. They tried to stop as they seemed to remember the trap. Screams rose from the pit as they both fell in, impaling themselves. Thorfinn leaned in long enough to grab the bow and arrows from Humpy. "So long, bitches!"
If he was remembering correctly, there had been ten men in the group. He'd just taken down three of them. That left seven more. He ran back to where he had met the rattler. Along the way, he picked up another pursuer. He removed the knife from it's sheathe and dropped down long enough to cut the trip wire just as the man reached him. The log caught the big boy squarely on the side of the head, smashing him into the tree. One more down.
Another one suddenly jumped in front of him and they had a fast and furious knife fight. It ended when he threw a kick and knocked the man's leg out from under him. He swooped down, grabbed the other knife and was off again. Only five more to get past!
On the bluff, Yaxley and Dolohov were following his flight through the woods. They couldn't help but be impressed as he dispatched the clansmen, one after another. Dolohov scouted on ahead of him and was the one who actually discovered Hermione was indeed tied to a tree. The old men were there, having taken a shortcut and beaten Rowle back. Dolohov zoomed in on the young witch. She looked terrified and desperate. The old man holding the child appeared to be taunting her. He mentioned that to Yaxley who zoomed in on her as Dolohov went back to watching Thorfinn.
Thorfinn came to a relatively clear portion of the woods. No trees to duck behind or bushes to hide under. In the far distance, he could vaguely make out a cabin. 'Was that where Granger was hidden?'
He kept the spear in one hand and the knife in the other. Worst came to worse, he'd beat the ever-loving fuck out of the next one he met! He raced across the forest floor as quickly as he could. Apparently the natives had found him again as he could hear whoops and hollers from behind him. He reached the other side of the clearing in time to avoid yet another trip wire.
He swung between two trees and found himself in yet another fight. Again, there were two of them. One had a spear, the other a knife. Spear boy was trying to pin him to the tree. He let out a sudden yell and buried his spear deep in the man's stomach. Knife boy took to his heels and ran off. "You think you're getting away that easily, bitch?!" Thorfinn yelled as he threw the knife and sank it into the runner's neck.
He continued running. He'd gotten closer to the cabin. They'd said she was tied to a tree. All he had to do was untie her! Only three more fuckers to go and he'd have his Granger back! He could hear them once again on his heels. He unstrapped his knife and prepared for another fight! He chanced a glance over his shoulder. It was another little one. He slowed down deliberately as the little wanker drew even of him. Then he swung with all his force and sucker punched him, smiling as he heard bones crunching under his fist. He made it to the top of the hill and brought out the stolen bow. He readied an arrow and shot another pissant in the leg. One more arrow took a leg out from under the big whooper who had started the whole chase!
He ran until he was in sight of the cabin. There, at the base of the steps, was a tree. Tied to that tree was his Granger! She had a gag on and was crying. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of him. He slowed down and cautiously approached. On the porch, both old men were seated in rocking chairs, watching him approach. He kept an arrow ready to fly as he checked all around for more mountain men. There were none. He walked up to her. She was shaking with sobs, tears streaming down her face. He untied her and caught her as she dropped into his arms in a dead faint. He picked her up and carried her up the steps.
"Well, lookee here, brother! He made it! Be he good enough fer Missy?" the old man asked. His brother, who kept rocking, surveyed Thorfinn silently.
"Put 'er down, there." He slowly stood up. Thorfinn laid her down on the porch at his feet. The old man held out the baby. Thorfinn took the infant. "Wake up, girl, wake up!" the old man kicked Hermione. She gasped and sat up, babbling apologetically. "Quiet, now!" she fell silent as she looked up at Thorfinn. It was all he could do to keep from killing the old man for putting hands on her. He could tell this wasn't the first time, either. She was entirely too obedient for that! "This be my Missy. That be my Pretty Boy. Ye be my Missy's new man?"
Holding up his hands, Thorfinn looked the old man squarely in the eyes. He pointed to his ring finger and said, "No. Not until she puts a ring on it!" Hermione's eyes widened in shock as her jaw dropped in surprise.