Chapter 23

Mist

"I just saw something move! It looked big!" Ginny jumped up, looking frantic.

"I didn't see anything," Hermione wearily rubbed the second-degree burns on her hands.

"I did," Harry got up, wincing. "We'd better get out of here. He scrambled around, picking up objects that had fallen out of his pockets onto the floor. "Dagger, check. Beozeor, check. Thing I don't know what it is, check. Okay, let's go."

"I doubt it'll be that easy," Ron grumbled pointing to the exit. "Look."

The doorway was clouded with enchanted silver mist.

"Great," Harry said nervously. "Who know what that does to you?"

The three of them heard a loud growl and spun around. Hermione let out a small scream. But there was nothing there. She thought she heard something giggle.

"I saw something!" Ron cried. "There's definitely a creature in here."

"One we don't want to meet, I'm sure," Harry said.

"I guess we have to go through the mist then," Ginny said.

"No, let's not be rash," Hermione warned. Another noise, and they jumped. Hermione saw a VERY huge dark form dart into a corner of the vast room. She thought she recognized something about it and her stomach clenched in fear. "Okay, let's be rash."

"Fine by me," Ginny said, and she rushed into the mist.

"GINNY!" Harry, Ron and Hermione screamed as she jumped through the fog and then fell like a dead weight to the floor, the magical barrier dissipating behind her. The Trio then heard a loud roar behind them, and without looking back, rushed through the now clear path towards Ginny. Ron, who was behind Hermione, gave a scream of pain, and Hermione knew the creature had bitten him, and blindly grabbed for him behind her, tugging him with her as she tumbled to the floor. Just behind them, a wall crashed down suddenly and something smashed against it mightily.

"GINNY!" Harry gasped, running to the prone redhead.

"Harry, Ron's in trouble too!" Hermione's voice reached a pitch she thought impossible.

Ron had fallen to the ground, gasping like mad as black poison spread from a wound on is leg.

Harry swore. "What's wrong with him?"

"That thing that almost got us was a Manticore. Ron got stung," Hermione held him close to her. "If we don't do something quickly, he's going to die!"

"Wait…wait…" Harry began to say something, but suddenly Ginny jerked to life in his arms. "GINNY!"

"HARRY, WATCH OUT!" Hermione screamed, seeing how unfocused Ginny's eyes looked just before she screamed "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry lunged out of the way of the Killing Curse, and it just missed him. "What the-"

"That mist was some odd form of the Imperious Curse!" Hermione cried. "And…it's eating away at her! Look!"

Indeed, Ginny's skin appeared to be turning pale and sick looking, tautening around her bones, like she was quickly wasting away. She wasn't in as immediate danger as Ron though. Harry tried to take the wand away from her, but she appeared to be as immovable as stone and he was forced to dodge another deadly spell. "Hermione! How do you cure the poison?"

"The potion takes ages to make, Harry, and I don't have the ingredients!" Hermione screamed, shaking Ron desperately as his eyes began to roll up in his head. "A beozeor would work, if we had one, but-!"

"I have a beozeor!" Harry gasped. "Get it out of my pocket."

"You…WHAT?"

"I found it in the Room of Requirement! GET IT!"

Hermione dashed over, and grabbed the curdled stone from Harry's pocket, curses barely missing her. She then dashed back to Ron, and stuffed it in his mouth.

"Eh, De ja vu," Harry managed to say, as he tried desperately to restrain Ginny. Ron coughed and sputtered, then his eyes snapped open and he looked around blearily. "Is he okay?"

Hermione nodded. "He's going to need some time in the Hospital Wing though…again. But he's fine."

"Good, then HELP ME!"

"Sorry, Ron, I have to go!" Hermione sprinted up from the semi conscious Ron, to Harry, and she tried to wrest Ginny's wand away, with him. Ginny pushed her back with unnatural strength, she smashed into a stone wall so her head exploded with pain, and slumped down it, trying desperately to stay conscious.

"Hermione!"

She could see nothing but dark and pain, hear Harry's distant tinny voice. First in coherent screaming and noise…she could not make out, all she could hear was Harry needing help…then…"Ginny…this is not you! Fight it! C'mon…Voldemort…doesn't like…er…love! MMMPH!"

"Er…" Hermione summoned light and images to swim before her. "…Harry…"

"Er….it worked…" she heard his voice ring.

"Wha…"

"I, uh…kissed her…and it appeared to…er…OW!"

"Harry?"

"She slapped me. She's okay now."

"N…no I'm not…my skin…"

"It's okay…Hermione…wake up, we need you!"

"Heal her, you idiot!"

"Right…"

Hermione felt the pain lift and she could see clearly again. Ginny was herself again, but she was collapsed on the floor, looking like a famine victim. Harry was beside her with his face heavily scratched. He put his wand to Ginny's head. "Finite Incantatum!"

Ginny stopped losing mass, though she remained in the same malnourished looking state.

"It worked. Again." Harry rubbed his face wearily.

"Simple things," Hermione reminded him, forcing herself to get up and sit next to Ginny. "Don't worry, Ginny, we'll get Madam Pomfrey to fix you and Ron up…ugh…what did you do to me…I feel horrible."

"I knew you shouldn't have come…I knew it…" Harry shook his head, looking frantic.

"Shu…t…up…Harry," Ginny said through gritted teeth.

"Oooooohhhhh…" someone moaned.

"Who was that?" Harry snapped.

Hermione looked over at Ron, who was still lying there with no idea where he was. "It wasn't Ron…whoever it was, I'm willing to bet it was the same person who's been giggling…and humming…in fact…I think it sounds…awfully…familiar…"

"Oooohhhh…"

Something suddenly appeared before them.

"Good God," Harry said, clutching at his face.

"Robin: War. Hmmph. Good God.

Wonder Girl: What is it good for?

Impulse: Absolutely nothin'

Secret: Say it again.

Superboy: That's a cool song.

Secret: There's a song?"

-Young Justice.