Thanks to lovenotknown for reviewing.
Song: 'Kesenai Tsumi' by Nana Kitade (Full Metal Alchemist)
Ch. 18: The Mountain Cave
In the middle of the rain Cassius screamed for the vampire to free Ginny while Theseus neighed in depair. The vampire's hair had become drenched and plastered to his face while the black cloth that had been covering him fell to the wet soil.
Ginny felt fangs brushing her neck. She wanted to cry and scream, but nothing came out. She simply stared at the dark creature in front of her and just when she thought the creature's fangs would pierce her skin the grip around her neck became non existent and she fell to the ground. Ginny panted and grabbed her own neck before her gaze went upwards to see the man that was standing in front of her. Now that he had hidden his fangs she couldn't believe what she was seeing. He had to be the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life, but at the same time he was intimidating, frightening. Her whole body quivered in his presence as the vampire's crimson eyes studied her. He didn't seem to care about the downpour. "Why are you here?" he asked making Ginny jump.
"I... We... We were sent b-by S-S-Sappho," Ginny couldn't help stammering nervously.
She yelped when all of a sudden she was lifted from the ground and the net over Theseus and Cassius vanished. She watched stupefied as the vampire went and grabbed Miosotis, easily placing her on his other shoulder. Ginny had no idea how he was able to also carry both his crossbow and Cassius' bow. In what seemed like fifteen minutes later she shrieked when she was suddenly slumped upon the floor of what seemed like an abandoned house, but the imagery changed and then her surroundings looked like a living room. The living room had a brown sofa, brown coaches and a woodened table in the middle that she suspected the vampire had done himself. The walls were white, but there were no portraits adorning them. Miosotis' unconscious form was placed by Ginny's side and Ginny saw the tall man checking the werewolf girl. "She'll be alright," he said.
"W-Who are you?" asked Ginny with a quivery voice.
"My name is Yapheth. Why has Sappho sent you here?"
"So you're the one she wanted to send us to?" Ginny was very unsure if she was even with the correct person. Yapheth could be another vampire that knew Sappho.
"You should be the one to know that, not me."
Ginny took a deep breath and said: "Sappho told me she would send me to someone who could help me in finding a way to save Harry."
"I help no one. Return to your parents," Yapheth replied coldly as he wandlessly performed a drying charm on himself, surprising Ginny.
"You can perform magic? Are you a wizard or a purebred vampire?" Ginny seemed to be getting more at ease.
Yapheth hissed: "What do you care? I despise what I am."
Ginny gasped and swallowed. "But... Does that mean you were made against your will?"
"No. It means I was born against my will."
A very confused Ginny stared at Yapheth. "You can't decide to be born..." Her skin crawled when Yapheth started to laugh bitterly. "Sir?" Yapheth's eyes connected with her own. "I won't go back to my parents until I know I've saved Harry."
"Then you're a foolish child. There's nothing you can do for him."
"How do you..." Ginny stopped herself when she remembered vampires can read minds. "Forget it, but why would you say something like that?"
"His heart will die. That's his fate and you can't change it."
"No!" Ginny screamed and her eyes watered. "I don't believe in fate! Nothing has happened yet so I can prevent it!"
"You can't! No matter how much you love a person if that person's fate is to die then that's what will happen. You can't stop it. You will see him wither and perish, but at least you're mortal and you can choose to die with him. Be grateful."
Miosotis had awoken during the small discussion and she reacted to Yapheth's words: "Just because you are miserable doesn't mean you have the right to make others feel miserable too! So you lost someone? Everyone has lost someone or is destined to lose someone during their lives! She hasn't lost that person yet so there's still hope!"
Ginny expected Yapheth to talk back to Miosotis, but he didn't. His eyes seemed empty when he suddenly asked: "Would you like some tea?"
Miosotis and Ginny looked at each other and then Cassius also looked at them from where he was with Theseus. Both males were in their natural forms and Ginny murmured the spells to make them human again. Yapheth didn't seem surprised by what Ginny had done. In fact, he had brought tea for all of them. He placed trays with cookies and cups full of milk tea on the living room's woodened table and said: "I have to leave now. Feel free to sleep or do anything you want inside the house, but don't go outside. There are extra rooms and you can explore the house at will."
Cassius approached Ginny then and said: "He is a strange fellow, but I don't think he's a bad person." Ginny nodded at that, but feeling insecure.
XxXxX
After using the soda can portkey Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Severus had entered a town. It was late in the afternoon and they knew they would need a place to spend the night. They were going through a market place in a small town when a very old woman stopped Hermione grabbing the girl's hand: "May I read your future, pretty one? I'll do it for free. I'll do it for free!" Hermione was trying to free her hand, but it was in vain. The old woman was 'reading' the held hand and gasped: "There is darkness ahead. Do not enter abandoned buildings. Avoid them at all costs, my child. If you enter an abandon building you will die for another. You will give your life for someone you love."
The old woman freed Hermione's right hand and left singing to herself. Ron looked pale, Severus looked worried, and Harry frowned. They had all heard the old woman, but Hermione was furious: "That's all rubbish, you know! And I thought that after Trelawney you would know, Ron! Divination is a very unstable branch of magic! You guys know this, right? RIGHT?" The teenaged males shrugged, but Severus was in deep thought. "Anyway, we were already in the Shrieking Shack and nothing happened. We have no intentions of returning to the Shrieking Shack and there are no abandoned buildings on our list of places to visit so there is nothing to worry about, alright?"
Harry was immersed in thought all of a sudden, just like Snape. With Trelawney, it had always been obvious that she was a fake. Her predictions were repetitive and stupid, but the way in which that old woman had made her predictions was eerie. Harry couldn't even detect if the woman was a Muggle or a witch. "Severus! Was that woman a witch?"
"That is exactly what bothers me. I don't think she was a Muggle, but her magical aura wasn't that of a witch's either."
Ron was suddenly trembling and they all looked at him. He spoke in a whisper: "We are in Ireland... Ireland is the homeland of the Banshees... One of the appearances they may take is that of an old lady... Seamus told me once. They always predict..."
They all said in a soft voice in unison: "Death."
XxXxX
That night they were sharing a room together at an old Inn. Hermione had been extremely silent after their deduction about the woman not being a Seer wannabe having fun, but a Banshee. Hermione hadn't read much about Banshees, but what she had indeed read wasn't at all comforting. They predicted when someone was going to die and in everything Hermione had read about them, they had been accurate.
They all went to sleep that night and for some reason Hermione didn't want to share a bed with Ron like she had done at the Inn in Newage Town. Ron ended up in bed with Severus, although complaining, while Hermione shared a bed with Harry. For some reason she wanted to be close to Harry that night as if he could offer some sort of special protection and comfort.
During the night Hermione woke up to an eerie howl like noise. The noise changed into the most horrible scream she had ever heard. As she opened the room's window, there was a woman like creature that looked as if she was made out of mud or clay. The creature was green and had long black hair down to her feet. She had her mouth open making that awful sound that was making Hermione's skin crawl getting goose bumps all over her body. Hermione screamed.
Harry was horrified by what Hermione was seeing, but the creature vanished. Harry held the girl that wouldn't stop screaming. She was convulsing as she screamed and Severus started putting silencing charms on the room. Ron ran towards Harry and kept trying to hold Hermione with his friend. Her convulsions wouldn't stop, but Harry held her strongly and Snape got a vial from his backpack. Ron tilted Hermione's head back, in position for Severus to pour the calming liquid down her throat. As she swallowed, the screams stopped along with the convulsions. Her body went completely limp and Harry started to tremble, but Severus put a calming hand on Harry's shoulder: "She just fainted."
Ron's eyes were full of tears and he looked at Harry: "What did she see out of the window? Did you see it too?"
Harry nodded. The image of that creature would stay with him for the rest of his life. He had seen it before in Third year when Seamus Finnigan had to face the Boggart in Remus Lupin's DADA class, but this was real. The one that was really a Boggart was nothing compared to the real thing. It was like with his own Boggart and Dementors. The Boggart Dementor would never be as creepy as the real thing either. "It was the Banshee. She... vanished."
XxXxX
In the morning, no one had slept except for the fainted girl because of her unconscious state. Harry couldn't go back to sleep after what he had seen outside that night. Severus and Ron had tried to remove Hermione's limp form from Harry's arms, but Harry refused. Harry placed the girl on the bed and lied next to her. Ron had joined them in the bed, one boy on each side of the girl, while Severus remained vigilant during what remained of the night. It had been 1:30 AM when Hermione had woken everyone with her screams.
Hermione awoke at about 9:00 AM and she was quite calm to their relief. They had a light breakfast before leaving toward the mountains. For the trip, they had bought sandwiches and snacks that they had saved in their backpacks.
After a two-hour walk, they finally reached the area they needed. They had passed the Galtee Mountains quite a while before. Some Muggles that lived in the mountain area warned them against going further telling them that the people that had entered that mountain area had never returned. Some Muggles even told them that the mountains far beyond were haunted. Of course, to them that only meant that they were on the correct path.
It was another hour of walking before they were in front of a very tall mountain. They couldn't see its top area because it was covered with fog. Hermione spoke in a calm tone, which was a relief to the others: "If this is what they call the Ghastly mountain in wizard books then the cave has to be on the upper part."
"Bloody hell! How are we supposed to get up there? We cannot fly, Hermione! Do we have to climb all the way?"
"Oh please, Ron! That's why Dumbledore told Harry that he would need the Firebolt!" The girl was actually beaming, but then frowned: "But that means Harry will have to go alone..."
"I'll go," said Severus. It had been years since the last time he had been on a broom, but he didn't want Potter to go by himself to an obviously dangerous place. Still, Harry contradicted the wizard.
"No. It has to be me." He searched for the tiny broom and enlarged it. The Firebolt was in front of them in all its splendor. "Wait here. I assure you that even if I'm dying I'll be back."
Hermione got angry: "Harry!"
Harry laughed: "I was joking, Hermione!"
After bidding them a temporary farewell Harry mounted his broom and stomped the ground before take off. Soon he was soaring and relaxed. It had been a while since the last time he had felt the sensation of flying.
Harry explored the whole mountain before reaching the top. He was glad that he didn't need his glasses, as the fog would have clouded the lenses. At the top of the mountain it was very cold. He was wearing a warm jacket, but had easily noticed the change in temperature. It was a huge drop compared to the ground area. He quickly landed and didn't have to walk far to find the cave. It was there, full of branches and small animals crept through its corners. Harry remembered the cave in which he had been with Dumbledore and hoped that this would be easier as he entered.
The first thing Harry noticed was wards that had obviously been tampered with and broken. "Lumos!" he exclaimed as he noticed the place getting darker. He felt the crushing of something under his foot and almost screamed as he noticed the ground full of skeletons. Harry then felt something about the skeletons and gasped. Those skeletons had once been Inferi, but something or someone had destroyed them and skinned them to the bone. The remains of strong magic became more and more evident as he walked. He kept avoiding skeletons as he proceeded inside when a pebble hit him on his left shoulder: "Ouch!" Then a second pebble and a third. "Cut it out!" he yelled to no one in particular, but there was a sudden giggle. Harry looked around with his wand and there it was, a kind of creature he had only seen in Hogwarts, but this one was female. It was a female Poltergeist. "Who... Who are you?"
The Poltergeist kept giggling, but replied: "I'm Hydea and you shouldn't be here, boy. These are 'His' domains and if he finds you he'll skin you alive."
"Whose domains?"
"The Master's domains."
"Do you mean the Dark Lord? Do you mean Voldemort?"
The Poltergeist started to laugh until tears were coming from her eyes. "The Dark Lord he says! Voldemort he says!" With that, the Poltergeist continued laughing hysterically until finally calming down. "You're a funny boy! Voldemort cannot even kiss the Master's feet. The only reason why the Master is not the king of all the land is because the Master says that wanting dominance is a triviality. Still..." There was fire in Hydea's evil looking eyes. "These are the Master's domains. Get out!"
"I... I have to search for something first, something that might be hidden inside this cave."
"The blue chest?"
Harry's heart started to beat rapidly when Hydea asked that particular question. "Is it really here? Where is it?"
Harry thought the Poltergeist would start laughing again, but she didn't. "It is not here anymore. The Master removed it a very long time ago. He didn't find very funny that some stupid wizard would have used this cave to hide that thing..."
"Where can I find it then?"
The Poltergeist cackled before looking at Harry: "Follow me, but be careful. There are things in here that shouldn't be awoken."
Harry followed Hydea nervously wondering where she was taking him if the chest was no longer in there. Soon there was a small lake that they had to cross, but the water was red. Hydea looked at him: "You shouldn't touch the water. Do you have a way to cross? I have no problems as I float..."
Harry was on his Firebolt in seconds and Hydea smiled creepily: "A prepared funny boy! I'm beginning to like you!" Harry flew parallel with the Poltergeist until it was safe to walk again. He continued following the floating creature until they arrived at an area that looked like some sort of altar. There was a brown chest that was obviously replacing the blue one. Harry opened it easily and found a note inside:
To the dark lord.
I have what you hid in here. These are my domains and I do not agree
with such dark things being hidden behind my back. I know very well
what it is. If you want it back, I'll be waiting in the Old Blackened
Raven's Ruins. If you dare to come and claim it that is. Come anytime.
You will always find me as I am... Eternal.
"Who is he? Who is your Master, Hydea?"
The Poltergeist ignored Harry and simply said: "Instead of asking questions I would worry about getting out of here."
Harry immediately turned to see Inferi heading his way. It seemed that whomever it was that had taken the Horcrux hadn't completely wiped the cave of Inferi. "SHIT!"
"That's right! I won't help you. I already led you here as you wanted, but you will have to face those yourself. Bye bye!" The Poltergeist disappeared through a wall.
"Incendio!" With that, Harry managed to at least keep the Inferi at bay as he quickly mounted on his Firebolt and started his escape from the cave. Making sure the note was safe inside his pocket he was flying towards the cave's exit when he felt something slash his back. A strange creature that he couldn't identify was pursuing him. It was a dark flying creature and again it hurt his back, making him flinch in pain. The creature kept doing that over and over until Harry thought he would die of the pain, but he could see light ahead. The exit was in front of him and with great ease, he maneuvered his Firebolt to go faster getting to the light of day. The creature didn't come out after him and Harry sighed in relief. He flew downwards holding the broom as best as he could. He could feel that his body was losing blood fast. The cuts on his back had to be deep and he didn't even want to think if the creature's claws were poisonous. He only wanted to get to his friends.
XxXxX
Severus felt a strange sensation on his back and then he could see the Firebolt coming down too fast and immediately knew something was not right. If Harry kept going down like that, he was going to crash.
"What the hell is he doing?" asked Ron horrified. He had also felt something at his back, but ignored it.
Hermione, rubbing her back with her right hand, opened her eyes wide: "He is bleeding! Severus! He is bleeding a lot!"
Just when it looked like Harry would indeed crash, Severus stopped the possible accident with a flick of his wand. He ran to the boy, and in seconds placed Harry on his stomach and started to chant closing the gashes. Harry was panting in pain, but Severus then placed him on his back and gave him a potion, Harry drank it quickly and grabbed the older man by the coat's collar: "It's not there. It was taken. Here!"
Severus grabbed the note, not freeing Harry from his other arm, and read. Hermione and Ron also read the note and the question everyone had was voiced out loud by Ron: "Who can that guy be? Wizards are not eternal..."