1992 cont.
They were fortunate in that the most dangerous thing that had been awaiting them in the Forest of Gloom turned out to be the Spiky Bush.
A couple of times they thought they might have heard something, but nothing out of the extraordinary ever happened. Whether that was due to the intimidating metal man with the sharp axe confidently marching ahead, or due to the pair of wands glowing in their midst, or the gigantic lion prowling along, they couldn't be sure.
They stayed close together throughout, giving each other comfort. The Scarecrow nervously prattled away with all the reasons why asking the Great Wizard for advice was, according to him, the best course of action, completely ignoring that the Lion didn't need any more convincing. The Lion, however, didn't seem to mind. Walking as closely as possible to Hermione he occasionally nudged his head against her leg, prompting her to stroke him between his ears. Whenever a particularly frightening screech ripped through the undergrowth, he would move even more closely to her, prompting her to pet him. Hermione seemed only too happy to comply, always smiling when the lion behaved like an overgrown cat.
As usual, Draco's reaction was the complete opposite: every time the Lion sought Hermione's attention, he rolled his eyes and scoffed audibly. Once or twice she thought she'd even heard him muttering something like "scaredy-cat" under his breath. Used to his fluctuating temper by now, Hermione largely ignored it, although she took care to wait for Draco whenever he lagged behind.
When they spotted the first specks of light breaking through the thick shadows enveloping them, Draco heaved a great sigh of relief and increased his pace, leaving Hermione to wonder if it might have taken them longer to cross the forest than she had thought. The second they stepped out of the woods, bright, shining sunlight welcomed them, and for a few seconds, the contrast was so stark that colourful spots danced before their eyes, prompting them to close them.
When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves in a beautiful meadow. The yellow brick road twisted through rolling hills of green; there were sheep and cattle grazing contentedly in the grass without the need for a shepherd or cowboy. Bees dancing from flower to flower filled the air with buzzing. The sun, shining as bright as ever, gave no indication of what time it was in reality. Though reality, as Hermione had to remind herself, this was not; ergo, time was not either. If this was the timeless paradise of ever-spring, the forests had been the timeless places of twilight and night respectively, which made the fields and orchards the hoard of summer.
'Are we there yet?' Draco said, his voice sounding strained. He kicked a stray pebble lying on the brick road out of his way. It flew a good five yards and landed in-between a herd of sheep grazing contentedly in the meadows. They raised their heads, but upon deciding that neither the sullen-looking boy nor the huge lion was anything to worry about, they continued grazing peacefully.
'It can't be too long,' said Hermione, smiling to herself as she imagined Harry and Ron's reaction at Draco's petulant "Are we there yet". 'I don't recall much happening at all when Dorothy first went to the Great Wizard.'
'What do you mean by "first"?' said Draco, sounding alarmed.
He was interrupted by the Tin Man, holding out an arm and stopping them. 'Listen!' he said urgently.
The others halted and listened intently. After a moment, they were able to discern a distant rumbling sound.
'That must be a river. A large one by the sound of it,' said the Tin Man.
Draco shrugged. 'So what? We'll cross it then.'
'Waaater?' said the Lion, his ears twitching. 'I haaaate water!'
Draco made a face as though he was about to make a snide response but Hermione intercepted. 'Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We might not even have to!'
The yellow brick road led them through a grove full of slender beeches and a couple of large elm trees. A smattering of daisies here and there gave it a rather pretty, almost ethereal look. The further they walked, the more the swooshing sound increased, building to a crescendo. They quickened their pace, eager to find out what awaited them. Only the Lion trailed behind them, his tail between his legs. The thundering reached its peak; it was so loud it almost resembled a waterfall.
And then suddenly, the yellow brick road stopped.
'Great,' Draco said, scowling at the sight in front of them.
Their path was intersected by a stream. It wasn't a particularly wide stream but the water rushed so violently through it as though two rivers had squeezed themselves into one narrow bed, and had consequently ripped through the path. To their left and right, large willow and tall beech trees framed the bank, their leaves and branches growing so dense that they could hardly see to the other side of the river.
'Now what,' said Draco miserably.
'Look.' Hermione pulled away a handful of willow branches like a curtain. 'The yellow brick road continues over there.' She pointed across the stream. Flashes of gold were sparkling through the thicket of trees and bushes that framed the other side.
'You're right. Oh, and there!' the Tin Man pointed slightly to their left. They were only just able to make out a massive silhouette painted light blue against the horizon; towers and spires rose over an enormous fortification with several gates and imposing walls reaching into the sky.
'Wow,' said the Tin Man.
'What unparalleled beauty,' said the Scarecrow.
'So close… and yet so far,' said the Lion in a subdued tone. 'We'll never get there unless… unless we cross the river first.' He shuddered, shaking his mane; it glittered golden in the sun. He nudged his head against Hermione's hip again. Automatically, she patted his head.
'And I thought we'd just spread our wings and fly,' said Draco acidly, rolling his eyes.
Hermione went over to inspect the riverbank up close. 'What an odd river.' She frowned, looking up and down the stream.
Judging by the thundering noise it made, it ought to have been a roaring river, several metres wide and meandering through the landscape like the River Thames. Instead, it was as straight as a needle and as narrow as a creek.
'It is rather unique, isn't it,' said the Scarecrow, scratching his head under the straw hat.
'And so loud!' the Lion said, edging backwards to cower behind Hermione. Draco narrowed his eyes at him, and the Lion shuffled away, growling slightly under his breath.
'I wonder how it got to be like this. Multiple factors seem to suggest that the thing is wholly unnatural,' said the Scarecrow. 'It's almost as though someone had placed it here with the express purpose of constructing an obstacle.'
'Maybe the goblins are responsible for it,' said the Tin Man, weighing the axe in his hands. 'I've heard that they are indeed very wicked. We should be keeping an eye out, in case any are around.' He shouldered his axe and looked around suspiciously, as though he was expecting one of the goblins to jump out from behind one of the elm trees.
Hermione opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted.
'I'd suggest,' said the Scarecrow, puffing his chest, 'we investigate the river — where it came from, how it got here, etcetera. That way, we can most acutely determine the best way to circumvent it.' He readjusted the horn-rimmed glasses on his nose. 'After all, the best way to solve a problem is to first understand its nature!'
Draco scoffed. 'We hardly have to do all that just to find a solution when it's right in front of our noses.'
'I agree with Draco,' said Hermione. 'I think it's best if we just cross the river.'
'Cross the river?' the Lion said, his eyes wide. He held up a paw. 'No, we really shouldn't. I hate water!'
'You'll survive it,' Draco muttered under his breath. 'You're a beast, for Christ's sake.'
'Be nice, Draco,' said Hermione, shaking her head and frowning at him. 'You really have no reason to be scared, Lion. We'll all take care of you.'
'He should be able to take care of himself by now,' said Draco. 'He certainly shouldn't need your help at every turn.' He shoved his hands into his robe pockets and turned to stare at the elm trees.
'I have no doubt that he will. In his own time,' said Hermione. 'Meanwhile, it's not nice of you to tease him so. Besides, we do have more important things to think about right now.'
Draco opened his mouth to form a reply, but seemed to think better of it and snapped it shut again.
The Scarecrow, who'd been walking along the riverbank, was now busy inspecting the various trees. 'Tin Man, do you think your axe is sharp enough?'
'My axe?' The Tin Man swung it back and forth and it whizzed as it cut through the air. 'It is sharp and my arm is strong!'
'Excellent. Could you cut down this tree right over here, do you think?' The Scarecrow pointed to one of the larger trees with a massive trunk, growing not far from where the path ended. 'If you fell it just so, it would make the ideal bridge.' He made a gesture with his hand indicating the direction in which the tree trunk should fall.
'Oh, that's brilliant!' said Hermione, her eyes shining with excitement.
'But that's an elm!' said Draco.
'So?' Hermione raised a brow.
'So? ' Draco seemed scandalised. 'An elm tree that old should never be touched! They're magic— old magic!'
'Oh, don't be silly, Draco,' snapped Hermione. 'This is just a story. No harm will be done by cutting down a fictitious tree. And didn't you want to get to Emerald City as fast as possible just a few moments ago?'
'Can't we just use a beech tree instead?'
'They won't hold us,' said the Tin Man, appraising their slim trunks with an expert eye.
Draco pursed his lips but didn't respond. He gave a non-committal shrug.
The Tin Man approached the elm tree the Scarecrow had picked and got to work. It took almost no time at all for him to cut it down with well-placed, exacting strokes, and soon, the trunk fell precisely the way they had planned, connecting one riverside with the other.
Hermione grinned and waved everyone forwards. 'Who wants to go first?'
Draco glanced at the Lion who was nervously prowling back and forth, his tail between his legs. He grinned maliciously. 'I'll do it.' The Lion's ears twitched.
'No, said the Tin Man, frowning at the other side. 'I should go first and make sure the other side is secure. Maybe I should also cut down a bit of the undergrowth over there, just to make it a little easier for all of you.'
'But what if you slip and fall? You will corrode, Tin Man!' said the Scarecrow, wringing his hands.
'Draco and I can stand here and keep an eye out. If need be, we can use the Levitation charm on him,' said Hermione. 'It ought to work since he's made entirely out of tin.'
Under the watchful eyes of Hermione and Draco, the Tin Man went first. The narrow stream beneath him thundered with the force of seven waterfalls, the spume filling the air with tiny droplets. When he put his first foot forward, they collectively held their breaths. Step after step, the Tin Man edged forward. The axe was tucked securely into his belt. Both arms were outstretched to keep balance. But the river wasn't that wide, and with his long legs, it only took him a few steps. Then, he was on the other side, grinning at them. Promptly, he cut down a few of the bushes and beech trees that were inhibiting the descent of their make-shift bridge.
Draco was the next to go. He stored his wand in his robe pocket and jumped casually onto the trunk. Turning around to glance at Hermione and the Lion, his lips twisted into a sarcastic grin. 'I do hope I can make it over without you having to hold my hand, Granger.'
He turned around and, with infuriating light-footedness, trod over to the other side, where he jumped from the log. Turning around, he pulled out his wand and raised a triumphant eyebrow at those still awaiting their turn. Next to Hermione, the Lion gave a small, rumbling growl, but his tail still twitched anxiously between his legs.
The Scarecrow was next. Despite his long limbs that at times appeared a little uncoordinated, he made it over without a problem—until he leapt down, visibly relieved, and a breeze pushed the hat off his head. The Scarecrow flailed his arms, but it was the Tin Man who managed to catch it, just before one of the high waves licking from time to time at the felled tree could carry it away.
Now it was just Hermione and the Lion left. Turning to the large animal, she patted his head.
'See, nothing to worry about; even the Scarecrow made it over without a problem.'
The Lion's ears twitched nervously. 'But only just.'
'Oh, don't worry,' said Hermione. 'That was just the wind! You're much heavier, and — on top of it — a cat! Your instincts will help you, even in the most dangerous situations! You're a born funambulist!'
The Lion didn't seem convinced. 'Maybe... if you could show me how to do it?'
Hermione sighed. 'All right. But you have to follow right behind me, all right? Otherwise, I'll have to come and get you.'
The Lion nodded mutely, watching closely as Hermione climbed very carefully onto the log. She gave him a last smile before she turned and faced the other side.
As soon as she was on the trunk, Hermione wondered how on earth Draco and the Tin Man had made it look so easy. The tree wobbled with every wave pushing from below, and she could feel the power of the stream vibrating below her. Slowly, tentatively, she edged a foot forward. The creek thundered beneath her, reminding her that heights, even marginal ones, were not for her. Her breath started to come a little too short, and she fixed her eyes on Draco who was watching her unblinkingly from the other side. He was frowning, the wand clutched so tightly in his hand she could see the white of his knuckles.
Her hackles rose. 'Don't you dare make fun of me, Draco Malfoy,' she shouted, straightening her shoulders to make herself appear more confident than she really was, steeling herself not to look down. To keep going straight ahead.
Draco opened his mouth to respond but in that unlucky moment, a wave crashed against the underside of the tree. The wobble was all it needed to make Hermione slip on the wet wood. The thought that she would fall materialised with uncanny clarity, even as her feet hadn't yet left the bridge. It was as though her body had to catch up with the inevitability of the situation. Almost in slow-motion, she felt both her feet gliding sideways, sliding along the curvature of the trunk. It had suddenly become deathly quiet.
That's it, she thought. The stupid river Lion had warned us about will actually get me.
And then her entire body shifted, the inescapable force of gravity pushing her towards the roaring waters, and Hermione braced herself to swim, to push through the waves, but then — something hit her from behind. The impact catapulted her upwards and forwards. Or maybe backwards and downwards. Hermione couldn't tell, it all happened so fast. There was only a single thought. It manifested in her mind, rooting with the urgency of life or death, and spreading into her fingertips.
Hold onto something.
Her hands tingled, feeling around for something to grab. If only she could get hold of something, if she didn't let go, then they could save her.
Her fingers grasped something that was simultaneously soft and coarse, something hairy, and she buried her hands in it. She pressed her front against something that was mellow and strong, and her legs felt muscles working. By the time she realised that she was sitting on the back of the Lion, her hands buried into his golden mane, it was already over.
The Lion pounced off the trunk, his large paws hitting the firm ground with a satisfying thump, and Hermione slid off his back. Only when she was sitting on the grass did she realise that her entire body was shaking violently.
The Lion peered cautiously into her face, his eyes wide.
'Are you all right?'
Instead of pondering the question, Hermione's attention fell on her friends. Behind the Lion, she could make out the figures of the Tin Man and the Scarecrow watching them with shocked expressions. Even Draco was right next to them, his face ashen, eyes wide and unblinking.
'Yes, yes, all fine,' she said cheerily. Her voice sounded much too high. She scrambled to stand, making a show of brushing off her jeans, doing the best to ignore her heart slamming against her chest. She turned to the Lion. 'Well done, Lion, I knew you'd make it!'
The Lion grinned tentatively. 'I did, didn't I?' Hermione hugged the huge animal, and he purred contentedly. The Scarecrow and the Tin Man started laughing in relief.
'And it took you long enough, too,' said Draco snidely from the side. He had turned around. He seemed to be scanning the horizon, though his hands clenched to fists at his side.
Hermione looked up. A valley of red flowers stretched before them and directly across them was—
'Oh!' shouted the Tin Man in an awe-struck tone. 'Emerald City!'
'Truly a gem,' said the Scarecrow with wide-eyes.
Hermione could only agree. They were so close, and still, the city loomed large, its magnificent towers were protruding into the blue summer sky, glittering like diamonds. The yellow brick road was polished gold as it twisted in serpentines around the sea of poppies, mapping the last miles to their goal.
'We're almost there!' said the Lion, grinning, now brimming with self-confidence. 'Let's run the last distance.'
'Why not,' said the Tin Man, nodding eagerly. 'We'd be much faster if we walked right through.'
Before anyone could say another word, the Lion had pounced into the flower field, sending red petals flying all around him.
'That's really not—,' started Draco, but the Scarecrow and the Tin Man had also run off, as eager as their friend to have their hearts' desires finally fulfilled. Their joy was palpable as they were laughing and jumping, a flurry of stray petals enveloping them almost like a halo.
Hermione looked at Draco. She shrugged, smiling apologetically, and before he could utter a word of objection, she, too, had run after them. Not wanting to go on his own, Draco found he had no choice but to follow.
They were deep in the field by the time he had caught up with them. Loose poppy petals were raining down on all of them. They were so many that all they could see was burgundy red; it was like a flowery storm whirling around them. Hermione smiled at him, but her expression was odd and her eyelids drooping. If he didn't know any better he'd think she was flirting with him — that at least was how Pansy often looked when she baited him to kiss her.
'What's wrong with you?' Draco asked but she only smiled a little wider, her eyelids fluttering.
'Nothing,' Hermione said. She yawned, rubbing her eyes. 'I suppose, the exhaustion has finally caught up with me. We've been out and about for hours!'
Poppy petals were still raining down on all of them, and the weight of the realisation hit Draco so hard, he cried out.
'Poppies! No! Oh no. Oh no. Oh god. Granger !' He pulled at her sleeve to keep her from lying down. 'You mustn't lie down, Granger. We have to go! Right now! Oh no, oh no, oh no ! Where are the others?' Panic gripped his heart. 'Come— with— me .' Panting, Draco dragged Hermione up and wrapped his arm around her waist. Instinctively, she did the same, and they both struggled through the flowers, back to the yellow brick road.
It was hard. Hermione went along but was literally dragging her feet, and Draco had to fight to keep her from sinking down again.
'Quickly now, and try not to breathe!' His lungs were burning from the exertion. 'We— need— to—get— out,' he said through clenched teeth, struggling to breathe in as little air as possible.
'I'm just tired—' She yawned again. 'Come on, Draco, we're almost—' Another yawn. '— there. A little kip won't hurt, will it?'
'It absolutely would!' he gritted out angrily. He was wheezing, and they were probably still a good ten yards away from the safe path. He whirled around. 'Where are these other idiots?' A short distance away, the Lion was jumping up and down, still chasing the floating poppies, but not far from them he managed to catch a glimpse of the tiniest speck of silver disappearing between the maze of red. Close to him, the Scarecrow stood, staring in utter bewilderment at the spot where the Tin Man must be lying now.
'Scarecrow!' shouted Draco. 'Fetch the others. Quickly now! We need to get out as fast as we can!'
'But— why ? I do not understand. This is absolutely incom—'
'Poppies,' Draco pressed out before a yawn escaped him. 'It's the poppies! They are lulling us in. I've told you before not to sniff the poppies!'
'Oh no! Poppies! Oh no! What an unmitigated disaster!' The Scarecrow screeched, looking wildly left and right, his long arms pulling down the brim of his hat in desperation. The Tin Man was nowhere to be seen, but at least the Lion had stopped chasing the petals. 'Hurry! Hurry!' shouted the Scarecrow. 'We need to get out. Come, Lion, help me with the Tin Man.'
Together, they dragged their friend out of the flower bed and upwards. Meanwhile, Draco was struggling, not only to help Hermione, but also to stay awake himself. They seemed to advance far too slowly. Every inch was a battle, and they seemed to be making barely any headway.
The Scarecrow and the Lion were in a similar predicament. Though they were much larger and — in the Lion's case — also significantly stronger than he, they had to carry the heavy Tin Man.
Drowsiness spread over Draco like a warm, cosy blanket, and he suddenly found himself wondering why they were bothering to fight sleep. Hermione was right, wasn't she? They had been walking for hours on end. They deserved some rest—
No!
Draco shook his head and tightened his grip on Hermione's waist who was leaning slack against him. He pinched her slightly, and she jumped. She glared at him for a second, but then seemed to understand.
'Hold your breath!' he said through clenched teeth.
Together, they kept stumbling forward, until they could see the yellow brick road shimmering golden through the tall red.
'So close.' Draco sighed, and his limbs which had been burning from exhaustion started to feel warm and heavy and relaxed.
Next to him, Hermione sank to the ground, the arms that she had wrapped around his waist, pulling him with her.
'Oh no!' a voice in the distance screeched, but Draco only felt a soft body beneath him; his mind was drifting, and the comfort of darkness enveloped him completely.
The first thing they noticed when they came to was the blinding sunlight shining red behind their eyelids.
Hermione squinted her eyes, stirring and realised all of a sudden that she was lying on something very hard.
Someone else was moving somewhere to her left. 'Where... what...' A drowsy voice next to her said. 'Mummy?'
'Oz,' Hermione heard her own voice say. 'We're in Oz.' The second she said it, the events came flooding back, drowning her mind with a deluge of images.
Ruby shoes under a boulder, unmoving.
A golden road, winding through the darkness.
A green apple in a small hand.
Worried blue-grey eyes.
Emerald City, so close.
A sea of red flowers in-between. Poppies, they had been poppies!
Oh no!
Legs that didn't work, and someone dragging her through the poppies, to safety. Worried eyes of blue and grey…
'Draco!' Hermione said, finding her voice again. She stood up and looked around. He was sitting on the ground, also coming to and rubbing his eyes. A few feet away from them were the Lion and the Tin Man passed out. The Scarecrow was crouched above them, holding something under their noses.
'What are you doing,' Draco said, frowning. He ran his hand through his hair. For the first time, Hermione noticed that it resembled spun silver in the bright daylight.
'Moly,' said the Scarecrow, as the Lion started to stir, his tail twitching slightly.
'Ohhhh!' said Hermione.
The Scarecrow moved on over to the Tin Man. He crouched down next to him and — crushing something between his fingers — held the resulting powdery substance under his nose. It looked like white petals.
'What?' Draco's voice was still drowsy and rough.
'When we were looking at the poppies earlier, and you got upset with us, Hermione showed me this flower. She told me it was an antidote. Lucky for us, I took one with me.'
'Brilliant,' said Hermione, beaming at the Scarecrow. 'Utterly brilliant!'
'Ah,' he responded, grinning sheepishly. If he could have, he surely would have blushed. 'I just listened. You're an excellent teacher, you know—'
'Nonsense! You did brilliantly all on your own!' Hermione said excitedly. 'Moly is usually eaten, but crushing it to a powder and have us inhale it was a stroke of brilliance!'
The Lion was stretching his long body, yawning languidly, which distorted into a low roar. This effectively also woke the Tin Man. His armour rattled and squeaked as he struggled upwards. Hermione reached out a hand to help Draco to stand.
He looked quite upset as he glanced around all of them, frowning. 'That was absolutely idiotic what the lot of you did,' he pressed out between his teeth. The others exchanged looks of contrition. 'Considering I've warned you about poppies, that was completely and utterly moronic!'
Hermione's face was burning. He had indeed warned them, and if they hadn't been so lucky to have a Moly at hand, they'd now be lost in eternal sleep.
'You're right. That was a reckless thing to do,' Hermione said, studying her ruby slippers.
'Yes, it was,' he retorted, his voice still hard and angry. 'I'd have expected better of you at least!'
Hermione's head snapped up. 'Better of me?' She couldn't help the grin spreading on her face. 'So your opinion of me is usually higher?'
'You know what I mean.' He turned around, looking over the field of poppies to where the emerald towers were glinting in the sun, his hands clenched into fists at his side.
'I'm not sure I do,' she said, grinning even wider.
'Forget it.' He brushed off his robes with great diligence. 'So. If you don't mind, I'll continue— on the Yellow Brick Road. We've really wasted enough time as it is, and we do have to get a move on things. I won't have the time to be saving anyone else.' Without a second glance at them, he marched away.
Hermione sighed deeply.
'Is he very angry with us?' asked the Lion timidly. He trotted over to Hermione. She patted his back and he rubbed his head against her leg.
'Yes, he is. And he has every right to be, I'm afraid,' she said softly.
'It's because he cares,' said the Tin Man. 'Anger is rooted in fear, and you fear only when you love.'
Hermione frowned. 'No that can't be ri—' She stopped herself mid-sentence, thinking hard. 'Oh. That does make a lot of sense, doesn't it?' Holding her breath, she fished around in her pockets for the shrunken edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz . The Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion regarded her with great curiosity as she tapped the book once with her wand and restored it to its original size. It didn't take long for Hermione to find the part they were currently acting out.
"Draco marched away, propelled forward by a confusing mix of emotions. Meanwhile, the other four stood huddled together, utterly flummoxed, trying their hardest to figure out what the matter was with their friend. If only they knew how hard it was for him to show any emotion, any at all, they'd—"
'What are you doing?' Draco's voice, sharp and crisp, interrupted their reading like a cracked whip. 'I'd appreciate it immensely if you'd not hold us up any longer. I want to go home.' He was standing a little way down the road glaring at them with narrowed eyes. Instinctively, the Lion pressed itself against Hermione's leg again, and, just as automatically, she patted his head.
'And stop coddling the cat, Granger! It's not your familiar!' Draco shouted, suddenly furious. His eyes sparkled with anger and his hands were balled into fists. He whirled around again and continued down the road with long, furious strides.
The Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion instantly jumped into action, running after him. Hermione hastened to close the book and store it away, but in the tiniest fraction of a moment, before the pages shut, she glimpsed the part of a sentence that had only just appeared.
"…he continued running down the road, one emotion clearer than ever: jealousy. The poison of jealousy was eating at him from the inside..."
The sun still hadn't moved by the time they arrived at the large gates of Emerald City. Already from afar the towers and roofs had sparkled brightly, but up close, their splendour was so glistening, that the gatekeepers gave them sunglasses to move through the city without damaging their eyes.
'Incredible,' said Hermione breathlessly, looking around with wide eyes and taking in the extravagant architecture shining and sparkling in various shades of green. The Tin Man, the Lion, and the Scarecrow, too, were staring with open mouths.
'It's almost like our Common Room!' said Draco, also looking hither and thither. The prospect of meeting the Great Wizard had improved his mood enormously; it was the first time in a long time that he reacted in a way that wasn't his usual apprehension, disapproval or disdain.
'I wonder if the Great Wizard is a Slytherin! Oh! What if he's Merlin himself?' Draco was talking rapidly. His eagerness to get to the palace and the Great Wizard was such that Hermione had to break into an almost run to keep up with him. 'I've always wanted to talk to another great Slytherin— or, better yet—' His voice cracked. '—what if it's Salazar Slytherin himself!' He turned to look at Hermione, his eyes shining with excitement. 'Best hurry!'
'Goodness,' Hermione muttered to herself as she followed him through the packed streets.
Ladies in extravagant, puffy dresses in every shade of green imaginable — pea, grass, turquoise, sage, olive, lime, chartreuse — and men in flamboyant, ruffled suits in matching tones were passing them, observing them with the particular mix of curiosity and apprehension inherent to city people immediately spotting the outsider.
Granted, their group couldn't have been any more conspicuous. Even in Emerald City, it probably wasn't every day that you saw figures such as the tall Tin Man in his silvery shining armour, the enormous Lion with his golden fur, and the lanky Scarecrow with his burgundy red flap trousers. That might have already been odd as it was, but it seemed that Hermione and Draco with their wands in their hands attracted the most attention. As they passed, the bystanders even started to whisper amongst themselves, some even pointed their fingers at them.
The five of them ignored it as they fought their way through the heavy crowds into the heart of the city. It wasn't just Draco, all of them were eager to have their heart's desires finally fulfilled.
'This is absolutely marvellous!' said Draco. 'I bet this is exactly how Salazar Slytherin would have designed Hogwarts if it hadn't been for those other useless idiots.'
'Idiots? What do you mean, idio—?'
'No. Even better,' continued Draco eagerly, not realising that Hermione was frowning at him in irritation. 'I bet this is what the Chamber of Secrets looks like!'
'The Chamber of Secrets ? What are you talking about?' said Hermione impatiently.
Draco turned to her as if to say something—but then stopped short. His eyes suddenly grew wide as though he was seeing her for the first time. 'Oh,' he said slowly. 'It's a—' He blinked and Hermione raised her eyebrows, staring at him expectantly. 'It's a secret— a legend— a room Salazar Slytherin built inside Hogwarts.'
Hermione frowned. 'A secret room? There's no secret Slytherin room inside Hogwarts!' Draco didn't react, and her frown deepened so much her eyebrows were almost touching. 'I've read Hogwarts a History cover to cover, several times actually, and such a chamber is not mentioned even once!'
Draco blinked a couple of times and then shrugged, his earlier excitement subdued. Instead, he was staring ahead, his expression guarded again. 'Right,' he said in a measured tone and glanced away. 'It's just a legend in any case. So,' he added shortly, as though that settled the conversation.
'I mean,' continued Hermione irritably, who was definitely not ready to be done with the matter. 'How do you explain centuries of historians never mentio—'
'There!' growled the Lion all of a sudden, effectively interrupting them. 'The palace of the Great Wizard!'
All of them looked into the direction he had been pointing to. The road stretched out in front of them, twisting out of sight between the buildings that would have been half-timbered houses— if they hadn't been constructed from gigantic emeralds and green marble. Behind them, above their pointy rooftops, an enormous castle rose into the sky, several round towers rising from the cityscape. The flags sitting atop them were twisting in the soft breeze.
The Tin Man was so happy that he threw himself around the Scarecrow whose soft limbs couldn't do much to prevent this unbidden burst of happiness. Hermione, too, was so relieved that she broke into laughter, tears leaking out of her eyes, and even Draco couldn't help a wide grin from spreading on his face.
'Finally,' he said under his breath, not taking his eyes from the silhouette of the castle looming over them.
The five of them jumped into action, hurrying towards their goal.
Upon approaching, Draco and Hermione realised very quickly that the large castle would have been an almost exact copy of Hogwarts, with its many twisting towers, if it hadn't been for the fact that the entire castle of Oz was green.
'Rather unbelievable,' said the Scarecrow, shaking his head in wonder, the brim of his hat flapping up and down as usual. 'I'm at a loss for words.'
'So beautiful,' said the Tin Man, sighing in adoration, the arm with the axe dangling beside his body.
'Wicked,' said the Lion, grinning and showing his sharp teeth.
Together, they ascended the large staircase. When they had reached the grand entrance at the top, two guards blocked their way.
'Halt. Nobody is to enter the castle.'
'We desire to speak to the Great Wizard,' said the Scarecrow bowing politely and lifting his hat. 'It is of the utmost importance that we speak to him. Straight away, if you please.' He straightened up again and puffed up his chest. Hermione was immediately reminded of the way Percy Weasley showed off his prefect's badge.
'Utmost importance?' one of the guards repeated, eyeing the Scarecrow suspiciously.
'Yes!' said the Tin Man enthusiastically. 'Haven't you heard? It's a matter of life and death! So you have to let us in!' He threw his hands up into the air in what was meant to be a dramatic gesture, but the axe in his hand made it seem more like a threat than anything else.
The guards looked at each other, frowning, but moved to stand closer together, crossing their halberds.
'We can't just let anyone in,' said one guard.
'Exactly,' said the other and they nodded in tandem.
'Out of the question!' they said together.
'But it's important,' snarled the Lion, pouncing forward and the guards inched backwards. 'We need to see the Wizard now !' The last word had ended in a growl, and the crossed halberds rattled slightly.
Behind the three of them, Draco snorted. 'My goodness. They really don't need the Great Wizard at all, do they? One is already too brainy for his own good, the other a bleeding heart, and the third had grown so daring it's a little scary, to be honest.'
Hermione shook her head in exasperation, though she couldn't help but grin a little. 'We don't have time for your games,' she said to the guards. 'I know you are instructed to keep us waiting, but my friends are right. Our matter is urgent and can't be delayed.'
'I regret to inform you that the Great Wizard can't see anyone today,' one guard said.
'Try again tomorrow,' added the other.
The Tin Man shrugged and his arms and metal shoulders clacked. 'Let's try again tomorrow then. It's no use fighting.'
'But they won't let us in tomorrow either!' Hermione said urgently, stomping her foot.
'Aha!' said the Lion, and he roared, baring his teeth. The guards jumped back, pointing their halberds at them, but they were shaking violently, just like the hands that were holding them. 'In that case, you'd better let us in!' The Lion prowled slowly forwards. 'Or would you like to test my strength?' He showed his sharp white teeth and gave another soft growl.
The guards shouted out in horror and, dropping their weapons, ran straight into the castle, their cries echoing from the tall ceiling as though a battalion of soldiers were fleeing.
'Ha!' said the Lion smugly. 'How a tiny little roar can change the world.' He pounced into the castle and shook his mane, giving another roar that multiplied into a pride of roaring lions.
'Stupid Gryffindors,' Draco muttered under his breath. He and the other three stepped into the long hallway leading them into the heart of the castle, to the chamber of the Great Wizard. Hermione, who brought up the rear, chuckled quietly to herself.
A long way down the green marbled hall, they reached a massive two-wing door fashioned from a type of dark green wood. It was closed, and not even the Tin Man could make it budge.
Hermione pointed her wand at it. 'Alohomora,' she said.
At first, there was only the faintest creak, and then, slowly, both doors swung open.
They revealed a room so tall they couldn't see the ceiling; it seemed to expand into darkness— and still, it seemed tiny. Tiny, because of the giant head floating in its centre. Large eyes of burning fire followed their every move, twisting from one to the other.
'The wizard,' whispered the Tin Man, his voice shivering in awe.
'Never mind that,' said Hermione loudly. Completely ignoring the floating head, she pointed at the deep green curtains at the far side of the room, almost completely hidden in the darkness. 'That's where he hides!'
'What's he doing in there?' asked Draco quizzically.
'He's fabricating these illusions to intimidate people.'
'But why?'
'He tries to convince people of the immensity of his powers— powers he doesn't actually command.'
'Oh,' said the Scarecrow, sounding slightly deflated. 'But—'
'Come along now. We best get this over with.'
Following Hermione, the five of them marched through the Great Hall, completely disregarding the large floating head, that upon realising what they were doing, began hurling threats at them. Soon, however, they had reached the far end of the room, and Draco jerked the curtains to the side.
'You!' he exclaimed at the sight of a tall wizard with an impeccably coiffed blond mane and clad in an elegant and outrageously over-the-top lilac ensemble.
'Excuse me,' said the wizard haughtily and sniffed. 'What do you think you're doing?'he said, sounding miffed. He ran a hand through his locks.
The wizard, sitting on a stool in the cabinet, trying— and failing — to regain his countenance, looked and talked like none other than Gilderoy Lockhart.
'You're… you're an imposter!' said the Tin Man and raised an accusatory finger at Lockhart who climbed awkwardly off the stool.
'Oh…' Lockhart chuckled magnanimously. 'Surely, you understand,' he said in a slow, placating manner, as though he was talking to a group of unstable people, 'that great powers absolutely require effect. Must have it! You see, the drama, the flash, all of it is essential, really; no one would listen otherwise!' He ran one hand through his hair again, the other disappeared inside his robe pocket.
'Unbelievable,' muttered the Scarecrow to himself. 'Utterly unbelievable! To think I had sought your wisdom!'
'And I your compassion!' said the Tin Man, lifting his axe.
The Lion just roared, baring his teeth again.
Even Draco gave him a seething look.
'Look.' Lockhart chuckled nervously, slowly edging toward the door but the Tin Man and the Lion hurried to block any way out. 'Is this really necessary? Can't we just talk like sensible people? I'm sure we can reach some sort of understanding... There must be something I can offer you… something of worth… my position is not the worst, you see—'
The Lion prowled forward. Lockhart cringed and shuffled as far away from them as the tiny cupboard would allow him to.
Draco whirled around to Hermione. 'Can you believe him?'
Hermione stood slightly removed in the background, staring with wide-eyes at the flustered looking Lockhart. He was cringing away from her companions who were menacingly closing in on him.
'Granger?' Draco repeated, sounding slightly worried now.
'But—' she started, still staring at Lockhart with wide eyes, and a blush coloured her cheeks, 'But— I don't understand… you're here, too?'
'Granger?' Draco caught her gaze and raised a questioning eyebrow. 'Of course, he is, you told me, remember? So, what now?'
'Wh- what ?'
'What do we do now'? he repeated, sharply enunciating every syllable.
'Huh?'
'With Lockhart?' he said, frowning now. 'Come on, Granger, are you daft? You told us he got here with this Muggle contraption, the what's-it… balloon ? And—'
'But, how ?' she blurted out and stared at Lockhart again. Her cheeks were now a flaming red.
'Pardon?' said Lockhart eagerly, looking a lot less frightened now.
'How did you get here?' said Hermione, finding her voice again. She stepped forward and the heels of her red shoes clicked on the marble floor. Lockhart's gaze dropped to her feet and his eyes widened. Hermione followed his gaze, blinked a couple of times and her blush, a deep magenta now, spread to her neck. 'We need to get back!' she said with her usual tenacity, but addressing the floor. 'With your hot-air balloon.'
'My what ?'
'Hot-air balloon?' Hermione frowned, her irritation effectively restoring her countenance. 'A Muggle form of aerial transportation. Honestly, why does nobody know about this? It's how the Great Wizard in the story came here.'
'My dear girl.' Hermione's head snapped up. Lockhart regarded her with a mix of pity and disdain. 'I'm a wizard, not a Muggle!'
It shouldn't have been possible but Hermione blushed an even deeper shade of red. She opened her mouth to form a reply, but before she could say anything at all, Draco preempted her.
'No need to be such a prat about it, Lockhart,' he said, sneeringly. He looked Lockhart up and down. 'Never mind about the Muggle balloon then. Just tell us how you got here, that'll do. And then my friend and I—' he pointed at Hermione and himself, 'can finally go home.'
There was a long pause at the end of which Lockhart looked dreamily up to the ceiling. They followed his gaze but there was nothing there; just the pit of never-ending darkness stretching upwards.
'I must have forgotten. How strange.' Lockhart grinned toothily. 'But what I can do is offer you an autograph! Ten for each of you—what do you say?'
Draco sighed in exasperation. 'Great, another nutter. Now what? I thought he was supposed to be our guaranteed ticket home.'
Hermione's cheeks were still flaming. 'Don't blame me. I don't know how we got here either—'
'—well, neither do I.'
'What about the shoes?' said the Scarecrow, interrupting them. Both of them whirled around to stare at him. 'If I recall correctly, you didn't try that.'
'We did,' Draco said, sounding frustrated, 'and it didn't work.'
'But, and forgive me if I'm wrong,' said the Scarecrow and pushed his horn-rimmed glasses onto his tiny nose, 'only when Hermione wore the shoes.'
Hermione gasped. 'Yes! Maybe you should try them on!'
Draco stared at the Scarecrow. 'You can't be serious.'
'Oh but I am.'
'He's right,' said Hermione, her eyes shining with excitement. 'We should try it! We can hardly afford not to try something at this point.'
Grumbling, Draco acquiesced. Hermione pulled off the sparkly slippers and passed them on to Draco. He pulled his dragonhide boots off and slipped into the magic shoes.
'You look—' she started.
'Not a word,' he hissed.
Grinning from ear to ear, Hermione extended her left hand and Draco, beet-red in the face, took it into his right.
The Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man all stood around them, and they hugged each other, saying their goodbyes. Then, Hermione nodded. She and Draco looked at each other, holding their breaths. Draco clicked the heels together.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Nothing happened.
'No! That can't be right!' said Hermione.
Draco swore under his breath. 'Let's try again,' he said, frowning. 'Maybe I didn't do it right.'
He tried again, but they remained firmly rooted upon the marble floor of the Great Hall.
'What a waste of time,' Draco said grumbling, exchanging the red shoes for his boots as fast as he could.
'It was worth a try though,' Hermione said, slipping back into the red slippers. 'I guess we'll just have to find another solution— friend .' She grinned at him, recalling his earlier slip of the tongue.
Draco frowned but the tips of his ears were turning slightly pink. 'Don't overexcite yourself, Granger. It's the poor company that makes you look good in comparison.'
The Scarecrow rolled his eyes, but Hermione grinned even wider at the double-meaning of this second slip.
'Oh, just give me that book again, will you,' Draco said, his face now as pink as his ears.
Hermione fished The Wonderful Wizard of Oz out of her back pocket and restored its former size. Draco, still slightly bristling, tried to snatch it out of her hand, so Hermione, who had still held onto it, was pulled forward. She stumbled into his arms and he caught her around the waist, but the weight of the impact sent both of them tumbling backwards, towards the ground. They kept falling, legs and arms intertwined, staring at each other with wide eyes, deep brown and warm grey caught in each other, and they almost forgot about the ground that, for some reason, they still had not met, until—
THUMP.
They finally hit the floor.
'Ouch!'
'Oww!'
'Are you hurt?'
'No, not really. What about you?'
'I'm okay. Are we–'
'Hermione!'
'Draco!'
They jumped from each other. Draco busied himself with straightening his robes, while Hermione picked up the book that had fallen to the floor once again. With a frown and a wide-eyed glance at the comparatively mundane surroundings, she pushed it back into its place on the shelf.
Helen Granger and Narcissa Malfoy came rushing towards them and crouched beside their respective children.
'Darling! Are you alright? We couldn't find you!' Hermione's mother pulled her into a fierce embrace, and Hermione breathed in the familiar scent of late summer roses and lavender. There really was no place like home.
Narcissa softly put a hand on Draco's shoulder.
'Draco, you had us worried. Where have you been?'
Unsure of what to say, he looked over to Hermione. Her father had just stepped into the aisle and, he too had pulled her into a hug. Behind them, in the corridor, loomed the tall, frowning figure of Lucius Malfoy. With unveiled disgust, he stared at the Grangers who were huddled close together.
Draco schooled his features. 'I'm sorry, mother. I seem to have lost track of time.'
Narcissa Malfoy arched an eyebrow. Lucius's icy gaze pierced his son, his nostrils flaring.
'Please don't run off again, Draco,' his mother said. 'And now come.' Without paying the other family any attention, she swiftly followed her husband who'd turned on his heels and stalked out of the room.
Hermione, meanwhile, had sat down and pulled off the ruby slippers. Exchanging them for her trainers, she shrunk the glittering pair into pocket size. Under the questioning gaze of her parents, she offered them to Draco.
'Here. You should take them. As a keep-sake,' she said softly. 'Friend.' She smiled.
Draco hesitated for a moment but then snatched them out of her hand and stuffed them into his robes. For a moment, he stared at Hermione as though he wanted to say something, but then he turned on his heel and ran after his parents.
Hermione waited and waited for Harry and Ron to arrive. With all the ruckus, she must have completely missed both of them coming through the gate. So when the Weasleys shoved her and Ginny onto the train, hectically saying their goodbyes ('Oh, Arthur, where are Ron and Harry?' 'Probably on the train already,' 'Ginny? Ginny! Where's Ginn-? Oh, hello Neville! Do you kno— oh, there she is'), she was convinced that they had already made it onto the train at some point without her noticing.
Deciding not to think of any of it, she pulled Ginny along the corridor until they came across a compartment where only a rosy-cheeked Neville was already seated, watching his toad crawl across the window. His blond hair shone golden in the bright September sun.
'Hello, Neville! Had a nice summer?'
After exchanging obligatory pleasantries with her housemate, and after Ginny was adequately occupied in talks about the Sorting and the houses, Hermione quickly excused herself to look for the boys. Ginny stood, looking almost as concerned as Hermione felt.
'I'm coming with you,' she said, her face pink.
'No,' said Hermione resolutely, 'you better stay here, in case they both come looking for us.'
'All right.' Ginny shrugged, looking a little deflated nonetheless. 'Those pillocks,' she said, grinning shyly at Neville as she bounced back onto her seat.
'Yeah,' he said, grinning back. 'Bell-ends.'
Hermione shuffled through the compartments bustling with excited boys and girls chatting away about their respective summers and the beginning term. But Harry or Ron were nowhere to be seen.
So far she had spotted and talked to Lavender and Parvati, Seamus and Dean, as well a couple of Hufflepuffs she knew from Herbology, but no one seemed to know anything about the boys. She was starting to get worried.
She had just closed the door to the compartment where Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson sat with Fred, George and Lee Jordan, when a little way down the corridor a door opened and closed.
Hermione looked up and directly into the pointy face of Draco Malfoy. Just for a second, his expression wavered and betrayed something akin to—was it familiarity? Recollection? Was that the hint of a smile? But almost instantly his gaze flickered back to the compartment he'd just vacated, and the familiar sneer materialised. He opened his mouth, probably to say something vile when Hermione intercepted.
'I really like your shoes.' Draco's eyes dropped to his feet. Hermione smirked, adding with a sly smile, 'although I do think that ruby-red suits you a lot better.'
With a quiet chuckle, she walked past him, in a new search for Percy and Hermes. They needed to owl the Weasleys, sooner rather than later.
A/N: Sorry for flubbing the update, everyone! I gave a paper at a conference today, and I forgot all else in the days leading up. On a brighter side, it means that next update won't be quite so long. Hurrah! x