Disclaimer: Not mine.

The Chasm

Chapter 7

The Meeting

It was daylight. A fact met by all three with relief. It was not unlike what they had seen before; rolling green slopes, misty in the morning light, rising against a backdrop of mountains. Harry smiled widely, and pointed out a small creek that ran from east to west, as Ronald couldn't keep his eyes of a small flock of sheep. Nudging Harry with his elbow, he nodded toward them explaining that they were an ancient bred and not often seen and never in Britain.

"My gods," Hermione breathed, "look. I have an idea."She pointed a finger to another circle of giant monoliths in the distance and started to run.

"Hermione!" Ronald yelled after her. "Wait!"

"Go after her. I'm going to see if I can transfigure something to carry water in." Harry called over his shoulder as he started to jog to the creek.

"Stupid bint," Ronald cursed, and started after Hermione.

He reached her as she was pulling out her wand and laying it in the palm of her hands, casting the point me spell. He watched the wand, feeling the same disappointment as she when it did not so much as twitch.

"Try something else. Maybe…"

"Ron," she interrupted, "we haven't felt the same sickness that we did the first time we came through the veil at the Ministry. You said that sometimes a curse could block magic, that it would take a while …it's not getting any better."

"I know," he admitted, running his hand through his hair and letting out a sigh. "It has me worried. Not the curse though, that part is simple. The first time I felt it, like I said I was sicker than a dog, but only that once. It gets easier every time you feel it until you won't even notice it. When we get back, I have a couple of journals and a text I'll lend you. It's the lack of magic that has me stumped. I keep trying to cast simple things but nothing works. Maybe we should head back. Without our magic what few supplies we have felt are useless."

"Whatever for? Now that we have water, we should be fine. I was just over reacting. Anyway, that Amazon back there read your mind so there has to be some way to get the wands to work again."

"Close to what? Fuck, we don't even know what we are looking for. And if she could use magic why didn't she use a wand? Why hold a blade to Harry's neck when she could have just binded him? No, Hermione, it was wandless…and I don't put what she did in the same boat with the type of magic we need."

Hermione sat on the ground, pulling out her notes and screwing up her face as she looked to the east and into the sun. "At least we can tell directions here."

"Maybe," he laughed, and joined her on the ground, "if the sun comes up in the east. We can't even be sure of that anymore. Blimey, we don't even know if it is morning here. That could be the west. Ever notice how the time doesn't carry from place to place? It seems hours later, afternoon here but when we left the bitch it was early morning."

"It seems…right here. I want to look around before we go on. We need to find people. Well," she laughed and lay on the ground, "more than people that want to slit our throats."

"That would work," he laughed. "We don't have enough left to buy our way out again."

"Who do you think she was? Do you think she is lost in here as well?"

"I don't think so. She didn't seem interested in finding a way out, just taking stuff." He plucked a blade of grass and put it between his teeth. "She didn't even look for a way when she was in my mind, more like what we were doing here."

"Ron? Do you think…she came here like Sirius? Could she have…died? I mean…I don't know what I mean, but nothing makes sense. Why would she be in here? How? I've searched everywhere I know of, there is nothing…nothing except for a couple of mentions of old myths, the books hidden up in Durmstrang and that scroll at Hogsmeade. Who else would have the same information? Who else knew of this place? There wasn't even anything concrete until we found that tablet, and no one outside of the museum knows about it. The Ministry keeps the damned thing locked up…so I am sure they have no idea what it is."

Ron looked over his shoulder to make sure Harry was still trying to collect water. "He keeps talking about Sirius. You shouldn't have brought him."

She looked to the creek and nodded. "I know. I thought about it later but the damage was already done. I thought after all this time he would have given it up. So, you said you have felt what we did before and it sapped your magic? How long did it last?"

He lay down on his back, his arms folded behind his head and began to tell her about the first time he had encountered what she and Harry had felt. Admitting that he had not only lost his lunch but had been sickened for days, he went on to tell her of the curse he and his brother had been called in on and the length of time they had wasted waiting for their wands to work again .

"You mean the curse you were there to break wasn't the one you walked into?"

"No, not at all. Most of the work we do is on objects that we end up destroying, or we try to dispel the curse to cart the object off to a museum or something. We have run into a few books, even a scroll now and then, but mostly old artefacts, statues and such. Although the worst I have seen is…" he paused and looked at her, wondering how much he should say, "well…on people. Most artefacts have old wards that still work, that's what you felt. A sort of ancient curse. It is meant to rob you of your magic so you can't tamper with whatever it is protecting. They worked for a long time before someone figured out that they just sort of wore off. Bill's working on a time accelerating spell to block the magical residue…you know, speed up the return of magic."

"So…it's possible that the curse we went through is to protect this place? So we can't use our magic against it?"

"It's possible…only…no…it feels…different." He rolled to his side and rose up on one elbow to study her face as he continued the story, trying to explain what he had been working on, and was still involved with. Without thinking, he laid his hand on her stomach and drew lazy circles, concentrating on his memories. He grinned and looked down at her rapt face and sat up suddenly, stopping in mid sentence.

"Sorry about that," he frowned and turned back to the monoliths. "Which one now?"

"Ron?" Hermione sat up, gently putting a hand on his back. "The last time you came home you didn't even tell me you were coming. I only found out after you left."

He swallowed hard, keeping his back to her. "I ... it was a bad time for me. That's when McKenzie caught the curse and we decided to take a couple of days off."

"I am sorry about him. He seemed like a good man."

"He was. I sent you an owl. I…I wanted to see you."

"I don't remember if I even got it…you know how I am at work."

"Yeah," he said flatly. "If Harry can't find a way to carry water we go back."

"Why didn't you wait until I got home? You just left."

"I couldn't." He stood up and brushed off his trousers, putting up his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and watched Harry who was just now walking towards them.

"You had enough time to see her. You could have at least had the decency to tell me you were going for good."

"I needed you," he repeated, dropping his arm and looking at her coldly. "You obviously had other, more important things to do."

She watched him walk to meet harry, feeling her eyes sting. She could hear them talking as they came up behind her. Keeping her head down she trudged along, trying to ignore them.

"This one is next." She stopped and looked up at the strange shape. "I don't get it. This circle is so much smaller. It only has twelve."

"Ron and I have been talking. We think we should spend the night here."

"One more," Hermione sighed. "There has to be someplace that is more than an empty space. We can always come back her for water and Mr. Wilderness here could dress out some mutton of us if we don't find anything else."

"You think we will find something like the Ministry?"

"Or a temple, a…somewhere where people live. Don't look at me like that. If one person is in here there could be more. I want to find somewhere with an explanation of all this. It can't just be place after place of empty space, or like the one with the bitch. I want to know why she is in here…what is she doing here? How did she know about this? Or did she fall in like Sirius? And if she did…where? When?"

Ron sighed loudly, "If we wind up someplace without water we could be in trouble. Harry's wand is still off as well. We can't take any with us."

"Then we keep going. Maybe we will be lucky and step into the real world. After all, we don't know what these mean. You said yourself that we shouldn't count on the meanings."

"Mione, we haven't looked around. We should spend a day or two here if we aren't going back. Even if there are people around, they may not be right near the entry. Like in Salisbury, it's out in the middle of no where." Harry offered.

"Fine," she turned and glared at him. "We have no food, we can't carry water, and you what to go on a trek. Do I have it right?"

"We are Merlin only knows where, looking for a tablet…wait for it…written before the beginning of language and you are asking me…if I have it right?" Harry said angrily.

"You don't think I am going to ask him do you?" She pointed her finger at Ronald.

"Bloody hell," Ronald said exasperated. "I didn't even say anything this time and she bitches at me."

"Shut up!" They both turned on him at once.

"If you ever wonder why I left you two the last time we went off, just remember this conversation," Ronald grumbled.

"Fuck off," Hermione spat.

"You want to fuck? I suggest you look up that Frank bloke you are always going on about."

"Shut up," she raged, slapping his face and then pushing against his shoulders, shoving him back.

"My gods," Harry blanched, looking from one to the other, his hand going to his forehead as he took short shallow breaths. "We have to leave. It's this place. We have to get out."

Ron looked at him, his teeth clenched in anger. "What now? Did you have another insight? The Great Harry Potter is going to save this world too? Take this cat with you when you leave. I can find another."

"Ron, when was the last time you lost your temper? We leave now. I'll explain later."

"Great," Ronald spat as he yanked Hermione's arm into a vice like grip and pulled her roughly toward the monolith. He shoved her forcibly into it and then turned to Harry, flexing his fists. "After you."

Spilling onto the ground, Hermione scrambled to her knees, wincing at what she knew would be bruises on her arms, and turned to watch Ron and Harry step through. When they finally did, she noticed Ron's lip and knuckles bleeding while Harry stood flexing his fist.

"You hit him?" She jumped up and ran to Ron, pulling his head down and examining her mouth. "Open up…okay, at least your teeth are all there. Harry, what in bloody hell did you do?"

"Him? It was you that split open my lip," Ronald said, flinching when she touched his mouth.

"I … sorry." Harry swallowed hard and looked at Ronald sheepishly, all anger gone from his face.

"Right," Ron sniggered, working his jaw as he felt it for damage. "Bloody hell, what happened back there?"

"You're the spell breaker, figure it out," Hermione muttered, turning her attention to Harry. "So what about you? Did he …"

"We would have killed each other back there," Harry said, looking at Ron guiltily. "If my wand had worked…."

"We avoid that place on the way back. Should have known when she talked to me," Ron tried to joke. "That or we can break the wands just in case and tie Hermione's hands. I swear she hits harder than you do. I know she has a better aim."

Hermione turned away from him guiltily, pulled out the rune symbolising the place they had just left and drew an X through it making a notation at the bottom of the picture. "Ron? Could you break the curse if we have to go back? I mean…have you ever run into something like that before?"

"Your hand or the place?" He started to laugh only to sober at the expression that came over her face. "Not that strong, and...no…no, nothing like this. Confusion curses, ones that make you want to leave, even change your perspective, seeing something dark and evil as something beautiful. Merlin, Mione, if I'd had a wand that worked, or if Harry did, we would have thrown the killing curse. And if you gotten in the way we both would have hexed you. Even if I tried to break it I would need a wand, and I couldn't promise to I could get it done before it took me over again."

"Maybe we should put the wands someplace they are harder to get to," she offered, still avoiding Ronald's face as she felt the sting of tears. "You know, just in case the magic comes back. Ron, pull your trousers down."

"My what?" he asked incredulously.

"Your trousers. Drop them," she said flatly, undoing her belt, glaring at Harry. "And you stop. This isn't funny."

She tugged her belt out of the loops and raised an eyebrow at Ronald, who meekly undid his own and lowered his trousers to his ankles, swallowing hard and looking at the sheepishly. "You laugh and you have to show Harry yours."

"Wouldn't think of it," she said seriously, as she dropped on her knees hearing Harry snort. "Doesn't everyone wear boxers with little red dragons playing Quidditch? Harry, you have a pair just like them I bet."

"Mum gave them…what are you doing?" Ron asked, looking down at her.

"Give me your wands, you too Harry. All of them," She wrapped her belt around Ronald's thigh twice, cinching it and pulling it tight then shoved her wand between the belt and the outside of Ron's leg. "Now, put your own belt on backwards, that'll slow you down."

Ron did as she asked, meekly looking up at Harry. "Listen, it that happens again…"

"When you look at me funny and start groping yourself I'll…"

"Oh come on. It's just in case. The damned wands don't even work, but I want to make sure." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Our backpacks are gone. We can get to our sleeves, pockets, everywhere! If you can think of something else, do it."

"It's fine," Ron assured her. "I just keep thinking about Moody. Wouldn't want to accidently hex off my…yeah, never mind."

Hermione looked around, turning to see a place that looked like the one they had just left. "Now what?"

"It looks identical."

"Not quite," Ron said pointing to the flock of sheep that grazed on the slope. "Half as many here and I don't feel different. Fuck, I should have known what was happening, should have figured it out when Hermione decided to talk to me with out complaining. It wasn't just the anger…it magnified what ever we felt."

"My gods, Harry, look," Hermione whispered, pointing to the horizon where a thin stream of white smoke rose over the furthest ridge.

"Listen, don't go off on me, but we can't make it today," Ron said, standing next to her. "It is farther than it looks. We will go on for a while before making camp."

"Since we have nothing left to make camp with…"

"It's not my fault, you are the one that …"

"Cut it out," Harry rolled his eyes and started walking without them.

They spent the rest of the day walking, once seeing the smoke stop only to start again in what seemed a few hours. Checking the sun and its distance from the horizon, they decided to stop for the night. Hermione flopped on the ground, tired and sore from the knee-high boots, pulling them off and falling flat on her back.

"These are hot," she said rubbing her legs. "Think I have a blister on the back of my leg of all places."

Ron looked at her and ginned. "Let me see. I have Mum's medicine cupboard shoved in my pockets."

"How small?"

He help up a roll of gauze and shrugged, kneeling down at her feet. "Not much good for anything large but good enough for a blister."

She sat up and watched as he pulled off her socks and pushed up her pant leg. Pointing to the sore spot on the back of her calf he laughed and told her to roll over and began to wrap the soft fabric around her leg.

"You should have said something before." He frowned and pushed up the other trouser leg. "That one should be okay, let me check those boots."

He flopped down beside her and examined her boots, working the dragon skin between his hands in an effort to soften it. Ripping off the decorative band around the top, he placed them back on the ground.

"The stitching in the seam is too rough, happens sometimes if it's not cured right. The edges dry."

"I wanted to tell you I didn't mean what I said back there."

"It was the place," he said, glancing up at her, "we all felt it."

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't tell you I was out of line."

"Accepted," he grinned.

"And?"

"Thank you?"

"Git."

"I 'm sorry too," he smirked. "No matter how bad we feel about each other, I've never wanted to hurt you. Well, maybe once."

She started to laugh then rolled over and sat up, reaching for her boots. "Really? When was that?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. Leave them off awhile. I'll go see what Harry is up to. We've been at this a long time, you need to rest."

She felt her smile freeze on her face as she watched him walk away. It was the first time he had made such an admission and she wished she could chalk it up to the place they had just left, but knew he had spoken in all seriousness.

That night Hermione gathered an arm full of the grass and tried to make a pillow out of it. Unable to get comfortable and clear her mind she fell into to a fitful sleep. She dreamt Ron had spooned into her back, lifted her head and slid his arm under her, pulling her into his chest while cushioning her head. She burrowed down deeper into his arms, inhaling his smell, at last putting her dreams behind her and fell deeply asleep.

She woke as he was in the process of removing his arm and groggily rolled to her back, "What? I thought I …"

"It's okay," he said, squatting down and pulling grass from her hair. "I think I like it short it doesn't get in my nose."

"What? Who told you…?" she gasped looking at the matted grass and realizing it had not been a dream.

"You never did sleep well by yourself and it was bloody cold," he said seriously. "Still having nightmares?"

"Sometimes," she said, studying his face, surprised to see true concern and not laughter. "It's been worse this past year or so. I think it's the whole dredging it back up. You know, the tenth anniversary and everything."

"Are you sure that's all? You did the same thing at Durmstrang."

"Of course it is." She pushed him back and stood up, brushing off her trousers and running her fingers through her hair, pushing it back from her face and looking for Harry. "I need to find a rock."

"The loo, madam, is behind that bush." Harry stood and made a formal bow.

"Thanks," she grumbled as she started in the direction he had indicated.

They walked until noon, all up hill and much harder going than the day before, before reaching the top of the ridge. The Valley below them held a single dwelling, an oblong thatched hut with smoke curling out of the middle of the roof. A small pen was attached to the back of the house, and although it was empty, it appeared to be for livestock. Hermione let her eyes sweep over the rest of the clearing and saw a drop loom, churns and piles of dried peat.

"It's like a picture out of a history book," Hermione whispered.

"Like on the telle?" Ron grinned, then saw her turn and glare at him. "Hey, it's the Muggles that make up this crap."

"Come on," Hermione sighed. "I don't see anyone. I hope they don't think we are like that harpy we ran into."

"Only one of us should go." Ronald kicked the dirt with his toe, and looked down at the smoke curling out of the middle of the hut's thatched roof. "She's right, we may not be welcome. Harry, you look knackered. I'll do it, just keep an eye on Hermione for me."

"No, I'll go." Harry squatted down and began to empty his pockets, setting the potions and shrunken supplies on the ground as well as his extra wand. Looking up at Hermione, he grinned sheepishly. "No point loosing it all. If our magic comes back we can save some of it."

"I don't like this, Harry," she whispered. "We should stick together."

"No, Ron's got a point. We shouldn't risk it." He turned back and nodded to Ron, then started down toward the hut, and ending almost an hour later in a small clearing of packed earth in an eerily quiet place.

"Hello!" he called, feeling alone and unsure.

He saw the flap at the doorway move, and stepped back, looking out of the corner of his eye for shelter if things went poorly. "I mean no harm."

A rough calloused hand pushed the flap open, revealing a man dressed in a tunic, a red-haired woman peeking fearfully over his shoulder, trying to pull him back into the darkness of the hut.

"I am here with two friends," Harry said, pointing back to the way he had come. "We could use some water."

The man looked up to the slope Harry had just indicated as the woman whispered into his ear. He gently pushed her back and closed the flap behind him, stepping out into the sun.

"If we could ask you some questions…about this place…or…"

The bearded man looked at Harry, his mouth opening, then closing again before he managed to speak. "Harry?"

"Sirius!" Harry stated the obvious, seeing his godfathers look of shock turn to a wide smile and his arms open. Harry rushed to him, throwing himself against his chest as they hugged each other, fighting back tears.

"Harry, Harry," Sirius choked, "I have thought of you so often. I didn't know if you made it out of the chamber. What are you doing here? Don't tell me you…"

"No, we came on purpose...I…I…yeah," Harry sobbed into his godfather's neck. "I knew it! I knew I could find you!"

"I don't know where to start," Sirius said laughing through his tears. "I stopped hoping to see anyone ever again. Now…here you are."

Harry released Sirius and stepped back to study his face. "You look good. A full beard? That's going to take some getting used to, but you look good."

"And you. Oh, Harry, you have no idea how good you look. You look more like your father than you know." Sirius cupped Harry's unshaved face in his hands, only to pull him into another hug. "Harry, the others? Did they make it? I should have taken you out of there instead of duelling. I should have made sure…"

"No, no we all made it. It's okay. Hermione and Ron are here with me, and Neville and Luna are fine. You were the…we thought you had died."

"The youngest Weasley? She made it out as well?"

"Yeah," Harry ginned. "She is home with the kids. I married her."

"Good for you," Sirius laughed and pulled him back into his embrace. "Don't ever let her go. Hold on to what you have, it can be gone so quickly. We'll just have to make sure you can get out of here."

"Who is she?" Harry ginned seeing Sirius look back to the woman who was peeking out of the door and run his hand through his hair. "Come on, introduce us."

"No." He tugged Harry's arm, holding him back, and shook his head. "You'll just scare her. Leave her be for a while. Harry, my gods, Harry. You have no idea how good it is to see someone. Even in Azkaban, I had people around me and hope that one day I would get out. But this place, Harry, this place …I thought I would die here."

"We came to take you home." Harry's eyes filled with tears as he saw Sirius wipe his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Go get Hermione and Ron," Sirius choked, "Let me talk to Mara before they get here. She is terrified that you are here to burn us out."

"Sure," Harry grinned widely before turning and started back up the slope at a full run.

.

.

She had known the night before that strangers had entered her valley. Had known it by the way the birds called out a warning, by the way the bleating of the sheep took on a shriller note. He had scoffed at her and told her she was being foolish and had chided her for hiding Wilhelm and Nada in the root cellar.

She had known he had entered in the same way eight years earlier as she had known these others came now. That time, the time Sirius had come, she had sought and found him, not waiting for a stranger to find her with bows and arrows that carried fire. She had found him, as he lay at the base of the stone, his breathing shallow, and his pulse weak, closer to death than life. Afraid to move him, she had gathered tall grass and study reeds, made a shelter from the sun and had waited. She had sat and watched him fight for life, then thinking he may yet live she had treated his cuts and set his broken arm. For two more days she waited, until she saw his eyes flutter and heard his groan.

Pouring fresh water mixed with herbs down his throat, she had nursed him back to health while she prayed to her gods to make her forgive strange men and their stranger ways. Once he was strong enough to stand, she had tried to make him understand that he should leave. He had laughed at her, shook his head and began to teach her his language. Now, she heard him call to her in the strange tongue of his people.

"Mara? Where are you woman?"

"Are they of the men in ships?" she whispered, peeking out between the flap and the doorframe.

"Mara," he laughed, opening his arms to her. "No, it is Harry. I told you of him. He is here. He …he found me."

"He will take you?" She questioned then seeing his nod ran into his open arms.

"Yes, at least with help there's a chance this time," he said smiling into her hair, "gods, it is over."

"The children will be scared. You must talk to them of these strangers before you take them," she said quietly.

"I know." He held her at arms length and tried to smile. "We will find a way. I told you, once I am home I will…"

She put her hand over his mouth and shook her head. "I will put meat in the fire. Your people will hunger and then I will ready the children."

"We will talk later," he grinned, picking her up and spinning her around. "My godson is here! He is here!"

Sirius anxiously waited for Harry to return, all the while telling Mara about Harry and his parents, not noticing the look of confusion on her face when he tried to tell her of Voldemort and Lilly and James murder.

"His own people? Was he of the men in the ships?"

Sirius laughed at her and shook his head. "No, it is different in the outer world. Wizards vie for power and….no, Mara. It is over. It will be quite safe for the children now."

He watched her storm out of the dwelling, not understanding her fear only impatient for the visitors to return. Seeing them coming down the pasture he grinned and ran to meet them. Giving both Hermione and Ronald bear hugs he urged them to follow him, feeling happier than he had if years.

"You've lived here since you fell into the veil?" Harry ducked under the lentil and entered the hut in front of Sirius.

"Yes, Harry, well after a fair amount of hunting around," Sirius said, not taking his eyes off the young man, "my goodness it is good to see you. All of you, come in, come in."

Hermione stopped just inside the door, taking in the dirt floor, the lack of furniture and a large fire pit in the middle of the room. Seeing a movement from further into the dark cramped quarters she snapped her head toward the far corner.

The woman stepped into view and nodded, nervously watching the door until they were all inside, then hurried to them, picking up a bowl of herbs, and holding it up to them, her hands shaking. Sirius took a handful of the offerings and threw them in the fire, asking the others to do the same.

"It is one of her customs," he said dismissively. "Mara, why don't you brew some of that stuff you pass off as tea."

"I would love a cuppa," Ronald grinned and sat on the floor in front of a rough-hewn slab of stone that lay on the floor and used as a table

"It is not exactly what you hope for," Sirius said quietly, lowering his head and leaning over the table to whisper. "Tasted like shite at first but if it's all you have you make do. That and Mara is quite proud of it. I made the mistake of describing tea to her and this is what she came up with."

"Where are the kids?" Harry smiled widely, jerking his head toward a homemade doll and a stick horse near the wall. "I have three of my own now, wait until you see Lily, she is the only girl."

"Mara? I told you to bring them in." Sirius spun around to look at her. "It is okay. They won't hurt them."

She turned in horror, looking at the Sirius and shaking her head. "No, they are dirty."

"Dirty?" Ronald said laughing. "It's fine. All kids get dirty."

"She means you," Sirius said, throwing his head back and laughing. "She thinks you will make them sick. There is a hot spring I can show you while she finishes tea. She won't let the children in until you bathe. Even I have to stop there on my way home from a walk about, it's nothing personal."

"You are kidding," Harry said incredulously.

"No, and don't even try to get one of the kids out once it is dark. She says the night air carries the fever. Anyway, there is a different place for you, Hermione. It is a custom to her that woman cleanse themselves after…well…each monthly as well as after sex. She won't understand if you bathe in the same place."

"That was common in a lot of the old religions," Hermione stammered. "Some still do, more for…rituals sake."

"Just go along with it." He jerked his head toward Mara and shrugged. "It's easier."

"Our magic is off." Harry stood, ready to bathe at once. "Could you Scourgify our clothes? I am afraid we were relieved of ours along the way."

"I have extras, Mara keeps me in enough tunics to last a lifetime," he laughed at Ron's expression. "She has some dried herbs and grass that she will rub the leather with. It works."

"Your magic is gone as well?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes, but other's have it so it must not be the magic." Suddenly his face brightened and he ran to the sleeping area, retuning with an odd looking wand made from twisted grasses. "Watch." He pointed it at the floor and managed to create a burst of sparks. "The only wood here is what washes up on the shore and I couldn't get a core into it…course this isn't working either."

"Great," Harry grinned, "if I need you to light the way to the loo I'll let you know."

Sirius tossed it on the table with a scowling. "I tried Harry, I tried to get back. I got lost in here. It's not as easy to get out as it is to get in. I hope we can make it. Maybe together there's a chance."

"Does Mara…is she a witch?" Hermione asked.

"She doesn't understand that," Sirius lowered his voice and watched Mara as she knelt in front of the fire. "To her…what she does…is normal. She thinks something happened that made me different. Perhaps my injuries or my soul. Her magic is…old. She makes things happen without incantations, without spells or wands…just by expecting something to happen. To her magic is part of her and she doesn't think of it the way we do."

"I've seen a Mullah like that," Ronald said. "When he walks if there is something in his way it just…moves…I don't think he is even aware he is doing it."

"The kids can do the same thing. No teaching, just…what they need. I've seen them climb in bed and the blankets cover them without them so much as looking at them. It's strange, but I think it is old magic. Magic as it was before it was diluted with non magical blood."

"What?" Hermione said, sounding shocked. "Don't tell me you have fallen into pure-blood thinking."

"I've had years to think about things, Hermione. If you haven't seen what I have there is no way to explain it. What Mara has is pure magic. She doesn't think about it, doesn't need to practice or be taught spells. Even in a situation she has never been is she can perform what we would need a spell for."

"There has to be an explanation for it," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"We can look it up when we get back," Harry cut it. "First we have to figure a way to get home."

"We need to make a plan," Ronald said thoughtfully. "I don't want to run into that female Rambo on the way back."

"Rambo?"

"Muggle movies," Hermione said flatly. "We encountered a very upset unwelcoming committee of one."

"She wanted our supplies and was quite willing to slit our throats to take them."

"The Banshees?" Sirius said scowling. "Those blood suckers would as soon kill you as look at you."

"Banshees?"

"That's what I call them. Don't think I ever heard what they called themselves. Ugly, foul smelling, the screeching noise…you didn't see them?"

"No," Ronald said, worried about the return trip. "One place like this, only it's cursed. We almost killed each other, and one with a bitch that took our supplies and almost slit Harry's throat. Other then the …reception room just off the Ministry that's it."

"Wet, swampy place? Did you go there?"

"No, rocky like…in the mountains, high up, a few trees, and dark."

"Come," Mara called from the doorway, holding a clean tunic and looking at Hermione in disgust. "We go now."

"Go," Sirius stood shooing them off. "Clean up while I tell the kids you won't eat them. Mara has been filling their heads with old tales and strange ideas. Only in this place, I am sure there are things that would eat them. We can talk about this later."