Disclaimer I don't own Harry Potter. All rights to the characters and universe the story belongs in belong to JK Rowling

Chapter 22 - The Coven

'That's bloody brilliant' exclaimed Ron.

Harry snorted and made his way to the opening. There were a set of steps leading up the inside of the mountain.

'What do you think? Go get the others?' Asked Ron. Harry just smirked at him. 'Of course not, how silly of me.' Harry's smirk grew wider as he mounted his broom and proceeded up the stairs.

'You know somethings bothering me.' Said Ron as they continued to climb, the stairs seemed never ending, Harry slowed up to listen. 'Why are they taking hostages here. Back home they were just asking for a ransom before attacking.'

Harry thought for a moment. 'I honestly don't know. Best guess is that over here that's how they've always worked. Back home, maybe Voldemort almost scared them off. He wouldn't have appreciated them making money off him, he would have wanted in and control of it.'

They continued to fly upwards until they eventually reached the top. I'm glad we didn't have to walk all the way up there. On dismounting Harry was surprised to find himself back outside, they evidently weren't on the highest peak as he could see the mountains rising far above him through the clouds around them.

The air was thin and a snowstorm was raging. There was an icy path leading from the opening they had just come from and as his gaze followed it he could see the beginnings of a bridge which seemed to be formed completely of ice. He pointed this out to Ron as they shrunk their brooms to pocket them.

They walked forward, stopping when they reached the edge. 'I can't see the other side.' Shouted Ron over the storm. Harry just shrugged already walking across, the wind was unbelievably strong, making it difficult to keep his footing on the slippery surface.

'How much further?' He heard Ron shout from behind him after they had walked around a mile over the bridge.

'I don't know' He yelled back turning his head slightly to look behind him, when he looked back around he stopped dead and Ron bumped into him. 'Woah watch it.' He then noticed Harry staring at something in front of him. He looked up, his mouth formed an O without making a sound.

Through the storm they could make out a grand castle, part stone, part ice. It seemed to be part of the mountain. As if when the land mass was formed the castle was formed with it. The second tallest tower ended with a turret at the peak of the mountain before them.

The west wing of the castle was marvellously carved out of ice and extended out into the tallest tower of the structure. There was also a thick ice gate, it wasn't like the clear ice of the castle, it was black as the night.

It's magical. Harry felt drawn to the castle, it had a Hogwarts quality whilst being completely different. It just feels safe.

'Who the bloody hell lives here.' Breathed Ron.

'I don't know mate.'

'Are we going in?'

'Yeah. I don't know how yet.' Said Harry There was a flicker of movement in one of the windows. 'It looks like it is being protected.'

'Do you think they know we're here?'

'No idea. I hope not whoever's in their really doesn't want to be disturbed.'

Ron smiled wryly at him 'What gave that away? The Dementors? The cave with the hidden door? No? Oh, Oh, the never-ending staircase.' He then frowned. 'Who the hell could live up here? It would take some exceptional magic to keep the warming charms going.

'I know we have them on ourselves, but they would wear off when we went to sleep. To keep the heat in and those ice structures up it would be ridiculously hard.'

Harry sighed, he had a bad feeling. Ron was right no one living could live in this place. At least not all of it.

'This place would make your blood freeze,' Ron continued 'it would be like having ice in your veins. Oh no.' He looked up as he realised something and saw Harry's grimaced expression.

'Vampires.' They said together.

While they continued to stare at the castle Harry suddenly picked up on voices on the wind from behind them. This could be our way in. Ginny's going to kill me.

'Quick someone's coming.' Before Ron could react Harry dragged him forward and off the bridge he then whipped out his invisibility cloak, proceeding to wrap it around the two of them. They had to bend down slightly so that it covered them.

'What are you doing?' Asked Ron in a fierce whisper.

'There's someone coming over the bridge. We're going to follow them in.' Ron was about to respond when Harry cut him off by pointing at the bridge. From the storm emerged three figures, the smallest amongst the group had their hands tied behind their back in captivity.

The other two were shepherding him/her towards the castle, one of them was the same man that was tailing Neville from the pensieve. It was the other man that caught Harry's eye. He was tall with well styled black hair. At least that curse left its mark. Thought Harry grimly as he took in Younis Priory's eye patch.

As they reached the gate there was the sound of a large iceberg cracking as the gates started to swing inwards. Without breaking stride Priory roughly shoved his quarry through and started along the path to the castle entrance.

'Come on, lets follow.' Whispered Harry. Ron nodded so they slipped through the gates before they closed behind them. The path was surrounded by iced sculptures and before the entrance doors was a large circular fountain. The fountains water was majestically frozen in place.

As Priory drew level with the fountain the doors opened and a woman strode outside to greet them. If she could feel the cold, she didn't show it. She was wearing a knee-high black dress which hugged her body, her blood red lipstick stood out against her pale face and long black hair cascaded freely down her shoulders.

'Ah Younis' greeted the woman, in a strong Eastern European accent.

'My dear Roza' said Priory with a bow, producing a blood red rose from his wand. 'It's been too long.'

'Indeed it haz, I don't believe you have been here to our new home before.' Roza replied taking the flower delicately from him.

'No, I haven't, how is it treating you? I must say it is an upgrade on your place in Serbia and that is saying something.'

'Yez it does, our employer has been most generous. Serbia still makes a nice holiday though. It'z always nize to go home.'

'Quite.' Agreed Priory.

Roza then bent down in front of the hostage 'Hello my zweat, my, my you have a ztrong heart.' The hostage quivered 'Yez I can hear it beating.' She drawled 'You will make a fine pet if the ransom izn't paid. Follow me you can leave her with the otherz.'

She turned on her heels and led the others into the castle, after some silent communication, Harry and Ron followed. 'She's not bad looking.' whispered Ron.

Harry shook his head at him 'Just don't let her suck on your neck.'

'Don't be daft Hermione would kill me.'

'Considering she's a vampire that would be the least of your worries.' Hissed Harry.

The entrance hall was large and grand with ice chandeliers floating in the air fitted with candles. The floor was made of granite with a blood red carpet over the top leading to the stairs. There were various chambers running off the hall as well and Harry spotted a few vampires leering at the new arrivals, particularly the young girl.

Roza led them up the stairs which at the first landed peeled off, one direction to the right further into the mountain, the other to the left towards the iced paradise of the west wing. Harry silently thanked the fact they went right.

They continued up another three flights of stairs when they reached what looked like a communal area. There were seventeen (on Harry's initial count) vampires in the room draped across expensive sofas and some of them were looking rather friendly with each other. On noticing the two men, two of the women walked towards them.

They leered at them as if fascinated when one spoke. 'I can zmell it, it haz been too long zince we have had fresh meat.'

'Yez zister' said the other 'Too long indeed.' Harry looked around and noticed the other vampires also staring hungrily at the three guests, luckily none of them had picked up on him and Ron yet.

'Roza.' Growled Younis in a threatening tone.

'Down girlz.' Roza soothed 'That iz no way to treat our guestz. Come now boyz there is no time to waste.' Said Roza and continued to lead them on.

They walked through the common room and through a door to the right which led to a descending staircase. This place is like a bloody maze. Once at the bottom of the stairs instead of continuing along the corridor, Roza led them behind a tapestry depicting the great Dracula, into a large circular room.

Harry looked around in angrily. This is a prison. There were ten barred cells lining the room, half of which held children which had been chained to the wall unable to move. Some were evidently unharmed whilst two of them were covered in blood and were mid change. Harry felt sick at the thought of children being bitten.

Roza led them to an empty cell and opened the door. 'Chain her in there and then follow me. There are thingz I wish to dizcuss.'

The man with them, who Harry remembered was called Hellman, took the girl into the cell and chained her in place. Once she was magically subdued to their satisfaction, Roza, Priory and Hellman left the room.

Making sure they were alone the two started planning 'What are we going to do?' Asked Ron.

'We need to get these kids out of here.' Said Harry.

'Yeah but how? They're half alive we won't get far.'

'I don't know.'

Ron thought for a moment 'Can you cast a disillusion charm on me?' Harry nodded 'OK you do that so I can keep an eye on the kids and try to find a way to free them. You take the cloak and try to find us a way out. Don't be longer than three hours though. If you are, I'll get out of here and get back up. Agreed?'

'Agreed.' Harry disillusioned Ron, then left the room. Not having a map, Harry left back up the stairs they come down and walked back through the common room. It had emptied some but there were still vampires milling about. He was careful not to make a sound and hoped the silencing charms he cast around himself would stop them hearing his rampaging heartbeat.

I best start on the far side of the castle. They wouldn't want to make it easy for us to get them out of here. He walked back down the main staircase until he came to the first-floor landing and entered the icy part of the castle.

It was as majestic inside as it was out. No detail was spared and each pillar along the path he walked was engraved with either runes of languages unknown or images. It's as if the castle is trying to tell its own tale. As he looked up he saw Ice shards hanging from the high ceiling with candles inside providing light.

The corridor ended at the beginning of a winding staircase. As he ascended the stairs Harry noticed that at certain points there were corridors that would lead off and even detected other hidden rooms. He didn't have time to search everywhere though so he just made his way to the top to see if he would be able to spot something.

Every now and then he would spot a vampire traversing the stairs or disappearing down corridor. He was thankful his charms seemed to be working. Eventually he reached the top and was met with the howling of the elements as he looked upon the battlements.

He circled them and once he completed the circuit, finding nothing, he walked back towards the door to start looking at some of the corridors. As he reached the centre, he heard a different sound to the crunching of ice as his foot made contact with something. It was almost metallic. He quickly waved his wand, clearing a layer of snow from the floor. He was staring at a silver trapdoor, upon closer inspection he could see certain runes inscribed on it and wolf head handles. It's like the doors back in the hideout in Birmingham. He thought excitedly.

Checking no one had joined him on the roof he stowed his invisibility cloak back in his pocket and opened the doors. He stared down into a large pipe which seemed to run down the centre of the ice tower.

Waving his wand so the snow whirled heavier around him and would settle back over the door he jumped, shutting the trapdoor behind him.

It was dark in the tunnel and a long way to fall. It was a near vertical drop and Harry was close to being airborne on a number of occasions as he hit various bumps in the ice.

Eventually it started to flatten out and Harry was flung out the bottom before crashing in a breathless heap against the wall of a circular room. Ow. He gingerly stood up and took in his surroundings. There was no door as far as he could see and the walls were all plain, the pipe he had fallen down hadn't moved or transfigured in any way, it just looked like a large hole in the wall.

It was then that he looked down, it was a map of Europe, the same one as the hideout where Priiory and Blade had gotten away last time. I wonder how this works. He walked over to where he was in France and didn't meet and sort of confundus charm. Strange there was definitely one here.

He then moved over the map towards England and the midlands. He gingerly stepped over Birmingham and he felt it. The same nauseas sensation as before, smiling to himself he started a variety of revealing charms trying to get how it worked.

He was so certain that this was a way out, as time went on, he got more and more frustrated. Maybe only werewolves and vampires can get through. Nah that would be daft. The Carrows or that Blade must have used this unless they all used the same portkey which I highly doubt.

As he stepped over the marker again a drop of blood dripped from the rip in his trousers where he had gone careering along the floor earlier. It hit the centre of the marker and Harry was instantly hooked away by the naval.

He landed heavily on his backside and looked up to a familiar green door. Idiot, why didn't I try that before. Checking he had arrived where he thought. Harry walked out through the doors and onto the station. Thinking fast he called the carriage and hoped, in the event of a quick getaway, it would still be there. He then sprinted back up the stairs and headed back to the castle in France.

He flew on his broom back up the shoot and then raced under the invisibility cloak to the prison where Ron was waiting. 'Ron you in here?' He asked in a whisper.

'Yeah mate.' Harry whipped off the invisibility cloak, 'I can't see you to take the charm off.'

'I'm right in front of you.'

Harry waved his wand vaguely and Ron appeared before him. 'You find a way out?'

'Yeah it's not going to be easy though, have you managed to find a way of freeing these?'

'Yeah, so how do we get them out?'

Harry explained the plan quickly and how to get out in case they got separated.

'There's one problem mate. None of these are going to be able to walk.' Said Ron.

'We'll have to levitate two each and go from there.'

'What about the other two?'

Harry grimaced 'We'll leave them behind. There's nothing we can do for them now they are better off with their own kind. If they were werewolves I would take them but vampires are different. They aren't hunted or scorned in society.'

'OK, let's go.'

Harry quickly disillusioned himself, Ron and the four children they were taking with them. 'Alohamora' he whispered. The locks on the cells he was interested in clicked open. They both released the children and then started levitating them out of the room and up the stairs. Holding the children above them so they could fight freely. Although they were hoping that wouldn't be necessary, they were about to be disappointed.

They had only made it to the common room when the door swung shut behind them and they were suddenly surrounded by a horde of vampires and two werewolves (They hadn't taken the liberty to transform yet). Best play for time.

'Remove your encharntmentz, they are pointlezz now.' Said Roza.

Harry waved his wand, revealing himself and Ron. 'We can ztill zmell them you know.' Said Roza in a bored voice.

'I know, I would rather they remain hidden for now.' Replied Harry.

'And what do you hope to achieve?'

'I was hoping to find a way out, that doesn't seem to likely now though does it?' said Harry conversationally as Ron glared at him.

Roza appeared amused 'Your friend lookz like he ztill haz zome fight in him. I like that.' Ron gulped.

'Yes well, unfortunately he is taken.'

'What a zhame I uzually get what I want. I zee your zcar, I never thought I would get the chance to meet the great Harry Potter.'

'I can assure you the pleasure is all mine. I'm afraid you'll find I don't quite live up to the stories.'

'Doez any man?'

Harry smiled at her 'I don't know, how about your employer, does he live up to his reputation.'

'Dependz on what you hear I zuppoze.' She told him nonchalantly.

'Oh, enough of this' growled Priory 'Stupefy!'

Harry's shield was up in a flash, and as the vampires closed in, a ring of fire erupted from his wand surrounding himself, Ron and the captives. Once the vampires were forced back in the wake of the blaze Harry went on the offensive, lions formed from the flames and started to attack. Priory and Hellman did their best to ward off the fiendfyre before fleeing along with the vampires.

'Follow me!' roared Harry as he fled from the room with Ron in his wake. He ran through the castle and back towards the top of the ice tower, vampires continued to approach out of hallways and hidden passageways only to be forced back as Harry kept up his assault. It was keeping all his concentration to control the fiendfyre and levitate the children, so, when he almost reached the top of the stairs he didn't see Priory and Hellman waiting for them.

'Protego!' Shouted Ron as a jet of red light barrelled towards Harry, he then ran past him to tackle the foes alone. Realising that he had to keep anyone else from following Harry kept up his fiery assault not letting bat nor vampire past him.

He steadily walked backwards up the stairs where Ron had forced his two assailants back onto the battlements. A quick glance showed him Ron's advantage had worn off, he released the fiendfyre and collapsed the roof onto the stairs to buy some time.

He whirled round at Ron's blood curdling scream and watched as his best friend hit the floor bleeding from the chest. Harry fired two quick stunning spells. The two werewolves didn't have time to react and were blasted over the ramparts.

Thinking quickly, Harry conjured two ropes which he anchored to the tower and used to catch them in mid-air, leaving the two hanging unconscious over the side of the battlements. He didn't think to bring them back to the top.

Harry hurried over to kneel beside Ron's side to apply some rudimentarily first aid. Satisfied Ron was in a stable condition, although unconscious, Harry burst open the trapdoor levitating Ron along with the four children down the chute before he followed.

This time he was ready for the descent, he hovered Ron and the others before the exit as he skidded out into the room ready to fight. He wasn't surprised to find Roza waiting for him. This time she dispensed with the pleasantries, attacking without abandon.

'Lumos Solem!' Shouted Harry pointing his wand at her. Bright sunlight erupted from Harry's wand burning Roza as she attacked, she transformed into a bat and flew behind him to strike, knowing where she was going to land Harry cut his leg so blood spurted to a spot on the map, as it hit the floor Roza landed directly behind him and was transported to a location in Romania.

Breathing heavily Harry levitated the others out of the pipe and activated the map to send them to Britain. Once there, he got them all on the carriage which was still waiting for them and set their destination. It was only when they were moving again did he tend to Ron's injuries further.

It wasn't until they were nearly in Hogsmeade that Ron stirred. 'Ah' He tried to sit up but couldn't manage it. Harry was at his side immediately.

'You Ok Ron?'

'Yeah I will be. What happened?'

'You were duelling Priory and Hellman on your own when one of them hit you with a nasty cutting curse across your chest. You've lost a lot of blood.' Harry informed him gently.

'What happened to them?'

Harry's face clouded over 'I left them stunned, hanging over the ramparts.'

Ron was about to ask how they were going to get down, one look at Harry's expression, made him think better of it. 'Where are we going?'

'Hogwarts. We need a safe place for the kids to get checked out before we can inform the rest of our team. I've written a letter for Robards, I'll ask McGonagall if I can use a school owl to send it. He'll need to tell the others what's happened so they can get our stuff and bring it back.'

'We're not going back to France then?'

'I don't think so. We need to work this out, see who these children are and get them home. Also, we need a rethink, now we know how to use the map, they'll be looking into a different way of getting around.' Explained Harry.

'I think that's a good thing Harry. It will take a while to coordinate and might force their employer out of hiding. He'll be rethinking everything.' Mused Ron.

'Maybe.' Sighed Harry.

'It's true. We know they want to work in the shadows. Well we are pushing them further and further into the spotlight. He'll make a mistake soon or cut ties with them all completely and disappear.' Said Ron matter-of-factly.

'I hope you're right.' Said Harry with a small smile. 'Can you sit up now?' Ron groaned and pulled himself up. 'Good I'm going to need help with that lot.' Harry said gesturing at the still unconscious kids.

'Do you think they'll be Ok?'

'I hope so mate, I hope so.'

As soon as they reached Hogsmeade Harry sent a Patronus off to McGonagall explaining what had happened and asked for her help. They then made their way to the castle.