Disclaimer: Not mine.

The Chasm

Chapter 9

Starting Back

"Okay, ready?" Ronald asked, picking up Wilhelm and swinging him to his back. "Hold on now."

"Dad?" Wilhelm spun his head around and sought his father, suddenly afraid of the red headed stranger.

"Right here, kid-o," Sirius said encouragingly. "Can't carry both of you. You hold on tight now. Okay, so do we have it narrowed down, Hermione? Which one from here?"

"I guess it doesn't matter. How far is the circle from entry in that one?" Hermione pointed the monolith that sat at the very edge of the shore.

"A good day's travel," Sirius muttered. "It's not like anything you've seen before. There's not much there really. It's dark, night lasts about twenty hours…strange sticky fruit, at least I think it is…strange mushrooms that I was too scared to try. The only good thing about it there's nothing that screams and scratches around at night. Later, if we need a place to hide for a while we could use it. "

"I was wondering about food, there's not much here and what little you had we've taken. Will Mara be able to grow enough for herself?"

Sirius laughed and nodded. "She did for years before I came. She was excited once to see a new bird. Seems they occasionally land on one of the monoliths and fall in, although it's been years since that happened. She said she kept following it, hoping when it shite she would have a new fruit or a tree. I only farm because of the kids and boredom, that and it keeps things closer to the house. She still goes into the field and collects the wild grains and berries, she prefers it."

"Yeah, well…I think we should find a different portal," Ron said flatly.

"You have been to the Abyss? Harry, that's the one you were talking of?" Sirius studied Harry's face, and turned to Ronald. "That's where you lost your supplies?"

"Not exactly lost mate, taken."

"Tall witch, dark hair, wears a little more than nothing, carries a staff?"

"No a big knife," Hermione muttered. "Some fucking Amazon that will use your liver for target practice."

"I was there once. I left from there and went to…it hasn't a real name, none of these god forsaken places have a real name, but the one I happened on was a swamp, not a dry place in it. Not from what I could see," Sirius said, sounding reluctant to continue.

"Sirius, if you want to …."

"No, sorry, Harry," he sighed loudly. "I couldn't get dry. After just a few days, I felt like my skin was sloughing off. Terrible being wet all the time, say nothing of the creping rash that invades places best not talked about in mixed company," he grinned, looking from one to the other. "I left as soon as I found the circle. That was before I understood the limits, none to soon that…should have studied the portals but I just wanted out, wound up in your Amazon place. Crazy witch. Don't think I ever heard her name and I wasn't about to stick around and find out what it was. I don't think she saw me. She was busy with some Inferi. I figured if she had seen me she would have followed me out."

"Do you think she is like Mara? That she was born here?"

"No, and Mara wasn't born here. She…anyway, no…the crazy witch came. I don't know from where, or when, but even the way she talks…she hasn't been here long."

"She didn't seem interested in finding a way out, only what we were here for."

"Well, someone one must be bringing her in and out…I wish we could stay away from there but it's the easiest way. It is a dark place," Sirius warned. "I couldn't place the sounds. I think even Remus would have…" his voice dropped off as he thought of what had become of his only friend he had thought to be still alive.

"How did Mara get in? She…no offence, but she seems…odd." Harry asked.

"I think she…died."

"Bloody hell you say," Ronald gasped.

"Do you remember in the Ministry? When I fell in? There was this…rush…a rush of magic. Surely you felt it."

"I've felt it before, we all did," Ronald said with a nod.

"Hermione and I were sick, and we still don't have our magic back." Harry added.

"One has nothing to do with the other. Anyway, it was as if the rush washed off the spell my dear cousin hit me with. By the time I finished vomiting and realized I wasn't in the chamber I felt fine."

"You didn't come back out," Harry stated the obvious.

"I couldn't, not from there. Didn't you know that before you…shite. Harry, you need to find a way to the outside in a circle. They are the only ones that don't let you go backwards…as if once you are here you have to pass a test. It took me two years to figure how it works. I kept trying to get back to the beginning and when I did, it was a waste of time. Wasted bloody years doing that and got lost in the process. No, you have to find a different gateway out. You can still come out in the Ministry if you can find its mate. That has to be the trick."

"Finish, about Mara," Harry said quietly, still unable to voice his opinion of his godfather leaving her alone or the uncomfortable feeling that Sirius was not as sure as he sounded about knowing the secret of getting out of this place. "Doesn't she know how to get out?"

"Right, she prays," he laughed. "She doesn't understand why I want to leave. Harry, to her she isn't in anywhere…this is her world. The concept that I am trapped here, that I should want to leave is beyond her reasoning. You may as well tell her you want to walk on Jupiter."

"She let you take the kids," Hermione pointed out.

"Because they are mine," he said sternly. "She's understood that from the day they were born."

"Go on, about Mara," Harry prompted.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I think the magic in the monolith replaced her life, brought her back as it is. Healed her…only more… when she fell in she was dying, but not from a magical curse, not like me, not a curse that could wash off. She has scars on her back, her side, her…Harry, she should be dead if what she said happened is true. Only she doesn't see that. She says her god saved her. Now, if she gets a cut, or falls…she heals instantly with no sign that she was even hurt. She tells the kids stories about her home, her family and …sometimes she…" his voice trailed off as he stared into the distance. "She forgets a lot…it was a long time ago."

"Sirius?"

"I don't know, Harry, she believes all the old crap, myths and such. I've always hoped to get back but she…she has no hope. Just…every day the same until…I don't think she could survive even if we could find a way. She would either die in the leaving or die seeing what the world has become. They are closed to her." He looked to the monolith and jerked his head, indicating they leave. "Come on, I want to have a good day. Sorry, it's been so long since I've had people to talk to I am hungry for it."

"Then we better get started." Hermione stood looking up at the monoliths, no longer confident that she knew anything and unable to listen to Sirius speak of Mara any longer.

"Go ahead, Nada, which one should we try," Sirius said over his shoulder, waiting for the small hand to point. "That ones gone, how about the one next to it?"

"That's the one you called the Abyss, the one with the crazy witch," Harry said frowning.

"Right, but the circle is close like I said. If you didn't see them from where you were it must have been night, but trust me…a few meters and we're there. Once we cross over keep moving, straight ahead, across some loose rocks...so watch your step. However, we can be out in minutes."

"Guess that's it," Ronald laughed, starting to walk forward.

"Wait! Nada? Come here honey." Hermione looked apologetically at Sirius, dragging Nada off his shoulders. "I'm shorter. This is the smallest portal we have used."

"Let me walk through first," Harry said with a sigh. "I hate this part. Come here, Wilhelm. We'll go through and make sure it's safe for the lady."

Hermione settled Nada on her hip and stepped forward after giving Harry and the boy a few moments. As soon her feet settled on the other side, Harry immediately pushed her to the side, screaming at her not to move as he tried desperately to keep his footing on a ledge that began to crumble under their weight. She moved Nada toward her back, instructing her to hold on, as she clutched her with her right arm, her left reaching to Harry.

"Grab my hand," she pleaded.

He had one hand on the boy who clung to his back, and as he tried to reach Hermione, his foot slipped, sending him face down, his legs hanging precariously over the edge of a dark fissure in the rock. He felt the weight of the boy and his weak hold on the edge as he slipped further back, clawing at the rock with his fingernails, desperately trying to stop from sliding further down.

"Harry!" she screamed. "Hold on…please, hold on!"

Ronald materialized onto the breaking ledge, knocking Hermione to her knees as he careened forward, tumbling over the ledge and landing on a slightly wider outcropping several meters below, followed by Sirius who managed to throw himself back against the stone entry.

"Ronald! Oh my god," Hermione set Nada's feet on the ground, hissing at her not to move and tentatively began to crawl to Harry as Sirius reached for his daughter, pushing her against the stone next to him. Hermione reached out and grabbed Wilhelm's arm, finally laying on her stomach to haul him off Harry's back at the same time peering over the edge to seek Ronald.

"Wilhelm, crawl over me…get to Nada, use Hermione…now go…hurry," Harry said to the child, trying to sound confident.

"Nada, Nada, look at me," Sirius called to his daughter loudly, covering up the sound of breaking shale and trying to take her attention away from the sight in front of her. "Hey, Dew-drop, Just keep looking at me, it's like a game. Just don't move."

Wilhelm pulled himself up and hooked one foot in Harry's belt, managing to push up enough for Hermione grab him and push him over her head so he could continue to crawl over her to the back of the ledge.

"Hermione, careful," Sirius said evenly, his eyes on the ledge, yanking Wilhelm to his side, next to Nada. "This world is disappearing. It's failing, like the desert I told you about."

"Mione!" Harry looked up at her as the slate continued to break way under him. "I can't make it back up."

"No, no…Harry …I need help, don't you dare do this…don't you dare!" She latched on to his sleeves and hung on to him, feeling him slip away from her. "Don't do this, don't you dare. You can do it...please."

Harry looked over his shoulder to the sheer drop off seeing only the black stones in the darkness and white foaming waves below.

"Harry?" Ron called up to him. "Try to move to your left…there's an outcropping. Come on, it's like jumping out a window."

"Yeah," Harry swallowed. "The one at the top of the astronomy tower. I can't Ron, if I move the whole bloody thing is going to cut loose."

"Hold on, hold on…" Hermione said franticly. "Sirius, quick! Give me that rope, your belt…from your tunic. Harry, I have an idea, hold on for one second? Just one second? Can you do that? Please."

Not waiting of an answer she grabbed Sirius's rope belt, fastened it around Harry's right wrist and began to pull, feeling Sirius reach out and grab her waistband, giving her more leverage as she wrapped the rope around her own wrist. Keeping his feet planted where he stood, one hand grappling for a firm hold on the slick rock face behind him Sirius spat at her not to wrap the rope around herself, telling her all she was doing was making sure if he fell he went with him.

She watched the dried grass rope bite into Harry's skin and his hand began to turn blue as he fought, kicking at the air in his attempt to reach the rocky surface, until he could finally throw one leg over the ledge and haul himself up. Her hands shook as she released the belt and flung her arms around him.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," she cried.

"I'll see what I can do." Harry swallowed hard and looked back over the ledge at Ronald. "Fuck."

"Harry, ease away from the edge," Sirius said softly. "No sudden moves."

Hermione looked up to study Sirius's face, seeing him looking off she followed his eyes and saw his slight nod. On the far side of the crevice stood three monoliths, one threatening to topple over the ridge, the other two lying on their sides.

"It goes to Durmstrang," Hermione said excitedly.

"It may as well go to Hogsmeade for all the luck we are going to have getting to it," Sirius said sadly, looking back to his children. "This won't hold us long. We have to keep moving or go back."

As if on cue, a low tremor stated at the bottom of the fissure, shaking the ground under them and vibrating the monoliths hard enough to make them visibly quake.

"Harry, if we can make a rope do you think you could get over there?" Sirius asked, squatting down near Harry, not wanting the others to hear.

Harry looked at the wall of slipping rock that curved around the dark fissure, shaking his head. "Only if I can get down past where Ron is, it looks sturdier down there. I think I can cross over then climb up."

"Your belts, they are made from dragon hide, if we put them together…"

"Here," Hermione pulled off her jacket, leaving her only in a short white tee. "If we can find something that will cut it, you can make strips and add it to the belts."

"It's up to you, Harry. You are lighter than me and Ron, neither of us could make it and Hermione may not have enough strength to pull the children over." Sirius looked back at his son and daughter that sat huddled against the stone. "I want them out of here. I should have waited until they were older. Mara was right about that. If you can't do this, I will take them back and wait. Harry, think about it, f you can get to the other side …maybe we can all get home. I don't know another world with this stone, I've never seen one like it. It's still our best chance out. If you can't…then I can take them back…but if you can…well…they will be safe."

Harry peered down at Ronald and saw him nod. "It looks pretty good from down here. The only tricky part is once you are across it may start crumbling the same way."

"I can tie off the rope once I get the kids over," Harry nodded grimly and pulled off his belt.

"Sirius?" Ronald called up to the ledge. "We could go back and try another route. What do you think?"

"Not now," Harry called down. "I can do it." He locked his eyes on Sirius' and gave him a reassuring smile before pulling off his belt.

"Help Hermione get the buckles off her trousers, I'll try to fashion a couple of carabineers. If you can tie off the rope it will be easier for us to cross," Ronald called up.

Sirius took the jacket, empting the pockets on the ground, ripping and cutting at the material with the stone axe and pulling it apart with his teeth, as Hermione and Harry attacked the buckles and straps. Once he had several lengths, he then knotted them together, hooking one end around his feet and pulling back on with all his weight to test that it would hold. After what seemed an eternity he tossed it down to Ronald who already had Harry on the platform with him.

Harry slipped the loop under over his head and pushed his arms up until the rope was tight around his chest, twisting it so the led was at this back, he gave Ron a lopsided grin and started out. Ron held the end of the rope Sirius had fashioned, feeding out a little at a time, ready to haul Harry back at any time.

"Nada," Hermione scooted back, unable to watch as Harry picked his way over the sheer face of the rocky sides of the crevice, choosing instead to get the children ready. "We are going to put the rope around you and…"

"No!" She shook her head glaring at Hermione. "Papa? Say no."

"Afraid not, Nada," Sirius joined them. "Remember the stories I told you? Yes? Remember I told you we would go there one day? Well…today we go."

"I want Mum," she cried, throwing her arms around Sirius's neck.

"We are late," Wilhelm said, tears welling in his eyes. "Mum gets angry if we are late and I don't like it here. I want Mum."

"Will, Mum isn't coming," Sirius said gently.

"NO!" Nada screamed, pushing against him. "I want my Mum! I go home."

"Dad? Mum said she was making something special, with honey…remember? The way you like it?" Wilhelm's eyes filled with tears as he tugged on his father's sleeve. "I can take Nada home. I know the way. Mum will be waiting and I can get all the way to the ridge by myself."

"He made it!" Ronald's voice shouted up to them, momentarily silencing the children who realized what was about to happen.

"Will, you first," Sirius said gruffly, catching the end of the rope that Ron threw up to him, the other end held firmly in Harry's hands. "You are a big boy now. You can try to go the way Harry went, and if you slip, he will pull you up. Like a game…it…"

"No, Daddy, please …" Wilhelm looked down, not able to see the bottom. "I'll stay here with you."

"I am coming too. Do you think I would let you go without me?" He gently chided the lad as he picked him up and lowered him as far as he could, letting go and watching Ronald catch him.

Hermione lay on her stomach watching as the small boy started to climb the rock as Harry had done. Feeling her own tears when she saw how his hands shook, and his chest hitched with sobs, she wanted to look away. Then suddenly she was holding her breath as he fell, not breathing again until Harry pulled him up and had him safely next to him.

"You guys better be quick," Harry shouted as he swung the rope over his head, finally releasing it and sent its end sailing back to Ronald. "This place is getting unstable. I can feel the whole fucking thing moving."

"Heads up," Ron called as he slung the end of the rope up to the top ledge, waiting until he saw Sirius' hand grasp it firmly before he let go, leaving one end to tie on the girl, the other with Harry.

"No," Nada wrapped her legs around Sirius, her hands fisted behind him, clutching his collar. "I'll be good…promise…I'll be a good girl. I want my Mum."

"Ah, honey," Sirius breathed heavily, afraid if he started cry he would never be able to finish. "I'll be right there. The rope won't hold the both of us…''

"Hurry up," Harry called as another quake sent reverberations up to the shaft. "It' going to let loose."

"That's it," Sirius spoke sharply, no longer having time to be kind and needing Nada to respond. "You young lady will do as your told. Now put your feet down."

As soon as she slid her feet from around his waist, her lip trebling, her tears mixing with snot and running down her chin, Hermione spun her around and forced the rope over her, ignoring her pleas and screams, being as rough and down to business as Sirius had been. Nodding to Sirius he roughly pushed her over the edge, and lowered her down to Ron.

"Harry," Sirius yelled, "Pull her up. She can't make it."

Nada screamed as she was yanked off her feet and slowly rose up the slick surface of the cliff, all the while calling for her Mum, her sobs echoing down the stone shaft. Harry wrapped the rope around his waist reaching out to grab Nada's hand as the ground shifted. Falling to his knees he held on to Nada with one hand, half turning and shoving Wilhelm into the stone behind him with the other, not able to take the time to watch as the boy was swallowed into the monolith, he reached with his now free hand, using both to haul up the small girl.

Hermione let out a scream as the monolith began to topple over what remained of the ledge that Harry still clung to, falling into the dark void toward the sea. With a look of resolve and a slight nod to his godfather, Harry pulled Nada to him and leapt from the crumbling ledge, colliding with the great obelisk as it and he fought to survive in the same space.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed from her place on her knees, then leaned forward sobbing onto the ground.

"Mione," Sirius squatted down behind her, his face white, his voice shaking. "They were pulled into it as it fell, they made it."

"You don't know that." She sat up, furious that he would have put the children at risk and furious that she had allowed it.

"You won't know until…until you are back." He stood up assessing their situation. "Ron?"

"Yeah." Ron sat on the ledge, coughing and fighting for air. "Bloody hell, we got to get the fuck out of here."

"Ron? Are you okay?" Hermione lay down on her stomach and peered down at him.

"Yeah, but a wee bit dusty down here. I just inhaled half a mountain."

"Look down, only about a meter or two…it opened up a new fissure…you can make it along the edge if you are careful. I'll lower Hermione down first."

"Mione? I got a good look from here…I think he's right. I think Harry made it."

She swallowed hard and slipped her feet over the edge, letting Sirius hold her hands and dangle her down as far as he could before letting her drop. Ron stepped out on the edge of the new fissure, making room for Sirius and gave him the signal to jump.

"No, I'm going back." Sirius said lightly, shrugging his shoulders. "You tell Harry, tell him…tell him I have what I want. Tell him to take care of my children, and let them know that we both love them.''

"If you go back, you said yourself you can't leave again," Ronald frowned and locked his eyes on Sirius feeling something pass between them.

"Ron, take care of her. Don't wait until she's gone and regret it," he said to Ron as he locked his eyes on Hermione. "Tell Harry I love him, and tell my children their mother is proud of them."

"Sirius, you can't do this," Hermione screamed, trying to see him over the edge of the ledge. "You won't get another chance. You promised Wilhelm…my gods…if he made it what do we tell him?"

"The only time I remember being happy before I came here was at Hogwarts. Seven years of my entire life. Tell Harry my family is here, he'll understand." He knelt down and peered over the edge, pulling a talisman from his neck and throwing it down to them. "Give this to Wilhelm. Tell him I stayed with his mother. I love her. I don't think I believed it until now…seeing the children…knowing I will never see them and what she must feel. She gave them to me. She did that for me. You have no idea how hard it was for her in this place with no other women to help her, what she went through.

They're young, they'll forget and someday they'll ask you questions about us. Tell them…tell them we love them…tell them how much they were wanted, and tell them they are Blacks. They don't understand last names," he said as he tried to laugh. "Give that to Wilhelm, tell him he is the last of the Blacks and I expect grandchildren. Gods, tell Harry I love him. He'll understand."

They watched him turn and step back into the monolith, disappearing back to Mara's valley, Hermione screaming for him to come back as Ronald pulled her into his chest.