Chapter 13

Something big was coming toward them. It seemed not to care whether or not about the things that got in its way. They saw trees fall in its wake. In seconds Kagome and Inuyasha jumped into action. They started to take the packs and put them up in trees. When the only thing that was left was the fire Inuyasha ran off, the darkness swallowing him.

Harry only had seconds to think about how much of a coward Inuyasha was, when Kagome saw the look on his face and explained that no one could see Inuyasha in his human form. Harry had almost no time to deal with this new information because before he could ask anymore questions Kagome left to stop Hermione from putting the fire out.

"Demons hate the fire they didn't start. We've won a fair few battles by having a fire out." She seemed quite sure of herself even though Harry thought the idea seemed ridiculous.

When the thing finally intruded into their camp Harry felt as if he had wandered into a dream. The giant stood over him taken aback that there were people there. It was an ugly thing, its green skin stretched over thick arms and legs. A simple cloth was wrapped around its waist. Its head was much too small for the giant body it sat upon, though Harry couldn't see a face since it was covered in a mass of brown hair. When it had understood there were people there it roared.

They were taken aback for a second or so and then they sprang into action. The thing was bent on trying to get just one of them, which gave them an advantage. It decided to go for Kagome first, and Harry smirked, the thing would soon have a few extra holes in his head. But when Kagome fired her arrow, the simple wood just bounced off the monster's forehead and left a nasty welt. The demon roared again, they hadn't killed it, only made it angry. Saliva flew from the things mouth when it started making its way even closer to Kagome.

Harry didn't know what to do but he started running for the thing. He remembered Kagome mentioning fighting a demon who hated light, I hope this works he thought.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" The yell barley made it over the noise the monster was making. A silver stag flowed from his wand as if it were water. Without even looking back the stag charged the fiend. The second the stag touched the things leg, it screamed and the patronus disappeared. Where it had hit, it had left a burn that seemed to get bigger and bigger, soon covering half of the demon's leg.

A clear blood curdling scream could be heard across the fighting ring. The thing realized that these small objects at its feet were no longer something to play with; it now decided they needed to be exterminated. It no longer swiped and staggered, it now moved with a greater speed and precision. Harry knew that he should conjure another patronus, but how many would it take to finish the fiend off? He then had an idea, but it would need a distraction.

After getting to Hermione and Ron and getting them to understand what he needed them to do, Harry set off with the task of getting to Kagome. The monster seemed to want to stay with Kagome and try to finish her off first; it must have remembered the pain from the stick that hit it. Kagome's eyes widened when she listened to Harry's idea.

"I can't believe I didn't think of that!" She smiled at him, and he signaled the others for them to start. Ron started to levitate some rocks and sent them flying at the giant's back, while blue flames spurted out of Hermione's wand at the ogre's head. When the thing was finally distracted Harry conjured another patronus. This time the stag knew what Harry was thinking and didn't charge. Kagome notched another arrow and the stag stood in front of it, the next second the arrow and patronus were flying in the air straight for the demon's neck. The arrow hit home.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had never killed a demon before. They had seen things that may fill Kagome's dreams with horror, but nothing Kagome or Inuyasha could have said would have prepared them for what happened next. The scream that issued from the demon's mouth grew higher and higher until it reached a level where they could no longer hear but feel. They felt it in their bones, and muscles, an aching pain that seemed to tug at their insides until everything hung loose when the scream ended. Harry thought that would be the end of it, but then the creature writhed and he seemed to collapse on himself. An acrid smell filled the air, a smell tinged with sulfur and other horrid chemicals. It was hard to explain what happened next but in seconds the demon was down on the ground in a pile of sludge.

Harry looked over at his friends. Ron was trying to console a silent, white faced, immovable Hermione; seeing them together Harry started staring around for Kagome. She was picking up the last remains of their camp quickly. Before he could go to her, Inuyasha emerged from the trees and wrinkled his nose. They spoke with words Harry couldn't hear, but they seemed to decide something and they made their way over to Ron and Hermione. Harry pretended not to see anything and looked up when Kagome came near him.

"We've decided to leave, demons everywhere will be attracted to the smell." She seemed to want to say more but was cut off when Inuyasha called to her.

It wasn't until a few hours of them carefully picking their way through the night when Hermione squeaked. Everyone turned, concerned, to her, she had been silent the entire time since they had left the campsite.

"I know a way that we won't have to be so careful." They all looked at her, the concern had fled and in its place was curiosity. She walked straight up to Inuyasha and flicked her want up at his face. Knowing the damage she could do with her wand Ron made moves to stop her, but it was Inuyasha who spoke first.

"Damn! Get that stick outa my face!" But before he could dodge out of the way Hermione had performed her spell. A small light engulfed Inuyasha and then it disappeared. With the light also disappeared Inuyasha's human exterior. He looked like he always had. Even he seemed shocked at the change. He looked over and over at his hands and then he twitched his ears on the top of his head.

"Hey! What did you do to me?!" He didn't seem mad now, he flexed his claws and before Hermione could stop him he ripped at a tree next him. Or at least that is what he tried to do.

"I was going to tell you that this is only an illusion and I didn't change you back." Hermione tried to say over his howling. He looked up at her indignantly, as if she was his mother and had told him to eat his vegetables.

The rest of the night had been silent but the tension of Inuyasha's appearance was lessened. Kagome only wished he wouldn't think that the spell changed him back into a hanyou. She gave a sly glance in his direction, it seemed as if he didn't think he was a hanyou. He didn't have that stupid smirk on his face, the face that seemed to say he could save any of their lives in a second from the most terrifying of demons.

Two people noticed Kagome's 'secret sly glance,' and both misinterpreted it completely. Harry thought Kagome was thinking about telling Inuyasha off and saying she wanted to be with him. He puffed his chest out, in the only way that men do, and strutted off, even though he hated strutting. Ron noticed this changed in Harry and coughed. Harry feeling stupid slumped down.

Inuyasha simply felt someone staring at him, and he knew that person was Kagome. He believed she was thinking about how big and strong he, Inuyasha, was and how she couldn't think of being without him. He puffed his chest out, in the way men do, and strutted over to Kagome. What he was thinking must have shown on his face because before he even got there

"I know that stupid look anywhere." Kagome said looking angrily at Inuyasha. Before he could do anything she yelled, "Sit boy!" Kagome stood over him, "and that should teach you to stop thinking like Mirkou."