BY THE DIVINING LIGHT
Chapter Five: The Plain of Delight
"Harry," she laughed. "Harry stop it!"
But Harry didn't stop, he bundled another handful of snow down the back of her neck and she shrieked again. A blissful sound in the silence of the snow. He'd just bent to pick up another handful when she leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his chest and pulling them both into the snow.
There was a brief wrestling match before he ended up on top of her. He grinned down, their breath shimmering between them, coalescing together. She returned a shy grin as their cold noses touched. Then in a crunch of snow and the rustle of heavy coats they were kissing.
When the kiss broke, he clung to her bottom lip with his teeth, a cheeky smile on his face. She pushed him away, giggling again.
"Stop it, you'll give me chapped lips."
"Oh, so that's what they're calling it these days?" laughed Harry as he watched her face flush a deep red.
With a playful cry of anger, she threw herself at him again. She pushed him back into the snow and straddled his stomach. She looked down at him, the smile still on her lips. As his hazel eyes met hers, something twisted in his stomach. Something glorious. Her brown curls fell around his face as she leant in for another kiss.
This time it was softer, much less urgent and desperate. It was new for both of them; the soft touch of a lover and they revelled in it. When hands strayed, the kiss broke, both unsure how to continue and they stared at each other in silence for a long time, unsure what to say.
Eventually Harry broke the silence with a laugh.
"I'm getting kinda cold here," he said, grinning.
"We should probably move," replied Hermione. But she didn't, instead she lowered her lips to his once more and they brushed momentarily. Then she leant back and giggled.
"What's so funny?" asked Harry and she sighed happily.
"Somehow, Harry Potter, you've twisted my little brain around," she gazed at him fondly. "Harry, I think I-"
Harry hit the bottom of the Everwell and heard his leg snap beneath him. A cry burst from his lips, fuelled partly by broken leg and partly by his broken heart. His thick silken canopy draped around him like a tent. It was strange; he didn't remember opening it. For a long while he lay against the stone, tears leaking from his eyes, his leg throbbing painfully, blood pounding in his ears.
Then regaining his resolve, he rose. He wobbled precariously for a minute, trying to keep his weight on his uninjured leg, wincing each time he had to move it. For a moment he struggled with the silk canopy that had wrapped itself around him, before he cast it off angrily. He took a moment to catch his breath, the world span around him from the nauseating pain that gripped his body. Finally, he looked around, his vision still swimming.
He stood immersed in darkness, barely able to see his own hand a foot in front of his eyes. It was not the same rustling, cloying dark that he'd seen before on the star stairs, but it was still intimidating.
He lifted a trembling hand and worked very hard to still it. A moment later he had conjured a handful of the familiar green fire. The parachute's blue and green hues, though muted, were now visible to one side and Harry could now see that there didn't seem to be any obvious damage done to his leg.
A little way away he saw a vague shape outlined in the darkness.
"Sir?" Harry asked, trying to force his voice to be steady.
"It is I, Harry," returned the headmaster's voice as the figure shifted, though it didn't come any closer. "Are you hurt?"
"Broken leg," said Harry gruffly.
"It shall have to wait until we are free of this place," said the headmaster quietly and Harry frowned. There was something odd about Dumbledore, Harry wondered if he was hurt until a more pressing matter occurred to him.
"Are we alone?" asked Harry, shifting slightly and leaning more on his uninjured leg.
"Quite. You, I take it, saw Hermione Granger?"
"Yes sir," said Harry, a little surprised, it was a keen deduction, even from Dumbledore. "Who did you see?"
The headmaster said nothing, but moved closer, walking stiffly as though unpractised. Harry frowned deeply and stared at the headmaster; Dumbledore wasn't one to ignore an injury, even if he might play it off.
"There's great power here," came Dumbledore's voice again and there was a strange note to the voice. Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stick up. The headmaster came closer, walking backward and staring out into the darkness.
"Yes," said Harry, pushing the feelings of concern aside; this was Dumbledore. "What was that memory?"
"There is a curse on this place," murmured Dumbledore and in that second Harry realised immediately that this was not the headmaster. Dumbledore would never have ignored a direct question from him. A sudden thrill of fear leapt through his stomach and he stumbled away, seeking some string in his pockets.
"NAME YOURSELF!" roared Harry. His fingers closed on a piece of string in his pocket. Slowly the headmaster began to turn to face him and Harry felt a deep sense of foreboding, as though he didn't want to see the headmaster's face. When their eyes met, Harry saw the same dark, soulless, empty darkness he'd seen before on the star stairs. The elf.
Harry's fingers worked to quickly tie a knot, seeking to bind it. The creature set itself upon him in an instant and whisked the string from his fingers with a swipe of a clawed hand. It gazed down at him with the expression of a predator. Harry swallowed.
"Child's play," it hissed in an ungodly voice and the fibre of Harry's entire being shuddered. Faster than Harry could react, it lashed out with a clawed hand, flicking him away across the floor.
He crashed face first into the ground and he felt his nose break, blood running freely down his shirt. The pain from his face equalled that in his leg, but he drove himself to continue. Exhausted, he staggered to his feet but the creature was upon him again before he could act. Long skeletal fingers closed around his throat, pinning him.
Their eyes met and Harry felt his very essence shrink away again, burned. For a long time they stared at each other and Harry felt himself trapped by the eyes, unable to tear his gaze away. The elf smiled broadly, a mouthful of razor sharp teeth making a hideous mockery of Dumbledore's face.
"You might know the rules of my world, Harry Potter," it hissed angrily. "But you do not belong to it."
It shook him angrily with such strength that Harry's chin thudded hard into his chest. Even more blood poured on to Harry's shirt. The elf gazed at it hungrily for a moment, then lifted its hand to kill him. As it did Harry, who'd been recapturing his lost handful of flames, thrust his palm forward and the green ball of fire erupted outward, catching the elf and tossing it across the Everwell.
Harry rose wearily and raised his hand again. A rush of thick green flames blossomed forth once more, filling the air with a sickly green light. But with a single wave of the creature's clawed hand, it halted and then faded away.
"Your magic is nothing!" it hissed, gliding toward him; Dumbledore's feet scraping pathetically along the floor. Harry raised his hand again but with a single slash of a finger, it sent him crashing to the floor, jarring his leg painfully. Harry gave a scream of pure agony, then lay still a moment trying to blink the dizziness out of his head.
Hermione's face appeared above him, the same soulless eyes blinking in her face.
"I loved you, Harry," she whispered. "But you let him kill me."
"NO!" roared Harry and thrust his hand forward decisively. A wave of kinetic energy, the most brutal magic he knew, emanated from his finger tips and forced her away. He clambered to his feet, still pushing away. Hermione grinned back at him, exposing razor sharp teeth, but didn't come any closer.
"Better, Harry, but still so far from impressive."
Another flick of her finger and he was on the floor again, blood ran up his nose and he spat it out viciously, trying to rise. She skipped over and pushed him to the ground with a cold finger against his forehead. Harry twisted away in fury, spitting another mouthful of blood at thin air. Neville knelt beside him then a moment later, Ron reached out his hand and grasped him firmly by the arm. The fingers froze him.
"We're cold Harry," said his mother quietly. "As cold as the grave."
Harry broke the bind, spun away and lashed out with the invisible wave of magic again; forcing a little distance between them. Then he lifted fist hand above his head and a spherical shield appeared around him; the transparent red magic would protect him a little while. He crouched in his bubble for a moment and focused his will, trying to block out the pain of his face and leg. Outside, the creature stalked up and down, almost spitting in anger.
"You can't hide in there forever," it hissed. "Soon I'll come inside and get you."
Harry forced his bone back into position with a crack. Hot white pain shot through his body and a scream broke through his clenched teeth. He ran his hands over his leg, a picture of deep concentration on his face. A moment later he felt the bone mend with another sharp stab of pain. He tested the limb gingerly, it was by no means perfect, but it held.
Then he looked up and locked eyes with the creature which looked back in shock. Harry let a small smile grace his lips.
"I hope you took a good long look at Dumbledore's memories," said Harry, softly. "I hope you saw how vindictive I can be, I hope you know how much I'm going to make you hurt."
The creature managed to compose itself and smiled menacingly back. Harry rose through the shield and it popped like a bubble. The elf surged forward but Harry was ready. He casually lifted his hand and it stopped dead in its tracks. For a moment, he saw something akin to fear etched on its face. Harry smiled, relishing in the expression and then slammed the elf violently into the floor with a sickening thud.
It leapt to its feet almost immediately, but reeled slightly and Harry hit it again, ignoring the hot anger in his veins. It wheeled back comically, falling to the floor in a mix of tangled arms and legs. Harry tossed it again, this time smashing it powerfully into a wall. It flopped down into the darkness and disappeared.
Harry became aware of the smell of burning flesh floating through his nostrils. He looked down and hissed when he saw the skin at the tips of his fingers begin to blister and crack. There was no pain though, he supposed that they'd been fried.
"Is that all, Harry?" The creature rose again, still smiling, still empty. It was now wearing Sirius Black and Harry felt another rush of hot anger flow through him. "I'm impressed now though; so much skill that you burn your self out as a focus? Pity that such talent goes to waste with such a pathetic body."
"I'll destroy you, even if it costs me everything," whispered Harry resolutely.
"That's an idle threat," it whispered in amusement. "You only have one thing left to lose and it's so close to the brink. You're broken, Harry Potter. Clean in two. Even if you save your friend, you can't ever replace that hole inside you."
Harry just stared.
"It's okay that you loved her, she was a beautiful woman with a beautiful mind. But she's all gone now." Harry made a move to attack but the elf carried on hurriedly. "But there's a way you can see her again, Harry."
Harry paused, indecision stalling his next attack. He knew that anything it offered was bound to be perverted, but surely listening couldn't hurt?
"Accept death, Harry. You'll be reunited for eternity. Two beautiful minds, floating free, together, forever." Harry swallowed and shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak but the creature made a shushing noise. "I can't lie to you. You know that."
Harry sank to his knees and wrapped his arms around him. The elf came over to him, gentle now, and its fingers stroked his cheek softly. He looked up into Hermione's face; her eyes were closed and the slightest of smiles graced her lips. If he didn't know better, it could have been her.
"I've missed you so much, Harry," she whispered.
"I've missed you too," he said, tears forming in his eyes and he clamped them tightly shut. "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," she soothed. "You know, I lo-"
"No, I'm sorry," repeated Harry.
The creature opened its eyes and blinked when it saw the opened earth cube on the floor before it. Its eyes met Harry's for a moment and then Harry pulled the last knot from the string that bound the heliopath, a vindictive smile spread wide across his face.
The explosion was huge; a tower of fire burst up into the air, corkscrewing for a moment before raining down upon Harry and the elf like lava. The closest thing Harry had ever experienced to the pure fury of the heliopath was a fiendfyre and even that paled in comparison.
A thousand pinpoints of light flooded into the elf. It stared at Harry for a moment in shock, confusion clearly written across its face. A moment later it was consumed from the inside out. A flash of fire and then a handful of ash fell to the floor.
The tiny balls of fire floated in the air before forming into something vaguely bipedal. Harry lifted his hand in preparation fend the heliopath off, but it made no move to attack him.
Harry looked inside it and felt the same sinking feeling he had felt when looking into the eyes of the elf. There was a moment of understanding between the two of them. The heliopath's sole purpose was to protect the world from the creature it had just destroyed. It no longer saw any threat from Harry.
The teen laughed bitterly where he knelt and rose wearily. The divining light from Conlaodh's illuminated the entire Everwell and he saw now the item he'd come in search of; a tiny wooden cup that rested on a pedestal at the middle of the circle.
"Harry?" came Dumbledore's voice.
Harry spun, his hand outstretched and Conlaodh rose up behind him intimidatingly, showing harmless embers down on Harry's back. The headmaster's blue eyes gazed back at him, concern plainly written on them. Harry knew it was really Dumbledore and dropped his hand. Dumbledore came to kneel by him.
"Are you okay, sir?" asked Harry, hoarsely. Dumbledore laughed softly and Harry looked up at him again in confusion.
"It is hardly my welfare that should be the concern at this moment," said Dumbledore again, more softly and then looked around him in amazement. "I hope you are aware that you are extraordinary beyond all measure. You have proven yourself once again, beyond even my wildest dreams. I'm proud of you."
For a moment Harry stared at him quietly, before he buried his head into the man's beard and wept.
A long moment passed and Harry eventually caught his breath. He moved slightly and found to his surprise that the headmaster had, at some point, put his arms around him. Dumbledore released him now and Harry met his sympathetic eyes.
"I loved her," he said softly.
"You did," said Dumbledore and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, the touch spread warmth through his entire body. "And she loved you."
Harry caught himself before a fresh wave of grief washed over him and gently rose from the floor. Conlaodh rose above them, illuminating everything. Together Harry and Dumbledore walked toward the pedestal, the headmaster supporting much of Harry's weight.
As they stepped on to a ring of stone that surrounded the pedestal, the walls of the Everwell began to glitter like a thousand stars. Then, as though someone had pulled back a curtain, the walls parted to reveal the Plain of Delight.
A vast city unfolded around them and the floor of the Everwell hovered high above the skyline, looking down on the most amazing sight Harry had ever seen.
Every building was constructed entirely of thin blue magic that fluttered like silk in a slight breeze. Tall, spiralling towers climbed to an enchanted sky and beneath them, thousands of buildings enveloped the ground, glittering as the light caught them. The entire city hummed with magic, Harry could feel it rolling over his skin in waves, smell the ozone generated by such power, taste magic in the very air.
He looked excitedly to a stony faced Dumbledore.
"Look!" he exclaimed. "There's so much there. So much magic. So much power!"
"Indeed," said Dumbledore quietly. Harry looked at him in amazement.
"Everything we could ever want is just there," he said. "We could use it to defeat Voldemort."
"No doubt," said Dumbledore, even more quietly.
Harry looked again and smiled. He knew that the object behind him was a mere trinket compared to what waited out there. Why wasn't Dumbledore moving? Why wasn't he excited. He looked back to his mentor who surveyed him grimly.
"You think it isn't real?" asked Harry.
"One would imagine it was," whispered the Headmaster and his eyes never left Harry's.
"Then we should go, we should take it. We would be unstoppable with that much power!"
Harry took a step toward it but looked back to see Dumbledore standing stoically still, still staring at him. A shiver crept up his back.
"What are you waiting for?" he asked impatiently and turned back to the sight before him. He was about to take another step when Dumbledore spoke.
"Harry," he said. Harry looked back, the headmaster still hadn't moved. "Wait a moment."
"What for?"
Impatience flooded through him as he stared at Dumbledore, who still hadn't looked away from him. The old man's eyes contained none of their usual lustre, just something Harry couldn't place; sadness? Disappointment?
"Is this really what you came here for?" asked his mentor, his voice soft, it flowed over Harry.
Harry swallowed and looked back at the city behind him. Suddenly it didn't look as inviting; the twilight blue buildings looked intimidating, dangerous even.
"No," he said but added defensively. "But this is here, isn't it? Why shouldn't we turn it against Voldemort? We'd destroy him easily. We could find something to save Neville there and something to bring back-"
Harry closed his mouth abruptly, knowing he'd revealed his true desire. Dumbledore said nothing, but merely gazed at him through glassy eyes. Harry found himself getting angry.
"If he were here, Voldemort, he wouldn't waste a second in getting his hands on this kind of power!" shouted Harry.
"Voldemort would never have made it here," he replied stonily.
"No and all the better for us," snapped Harry in retaliation.
They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Dumbledore's annoyance gave way to sadness.
"Harry, remember before we came here, I had you stand before the mirror of Erised?" Harry nodded slightly, his throat constricted tightly. "Do you remember what you saw?"
Realisation flooded through Harry and he'd never felt more thick in his entire life. He knew what this was now; the final test of character. The old world had offered him everything he wanted; power, glory, Hermione. He'd been so close to accepting.
Purposefully he took a step back toward the pedestal and the moment he did, the enchantment broke. The city that had stretched out so beautifully around them flickered and then gave way to reality. There was nothing there; Harry knew the magic had long gone, long ago given way to the ravages of time. Once a civilisation had stood here, now all that remained was dust and memories.
"I'm sorry," said Harry, he couldn't bare to face his mentor.
"Older and more experienced wizards you have been felled by temptation," said Dumbledore, there wasn't a trace of anger in his voice, only sympathy. "It is a great testament to your character that you could turn your back on everything you've ever wanted.
Harry looked at him and walked quickly back to the plinth.
On it rested a tiny wooden drinking vessel, barely bigger than an egg cup. Harry couldn't help but smile in amazement.
"All this way, for this?" he asked.
Dumbledore smiled back.
"All this way, for this." he repeated.
Harry looked up at Conlaodh.
"There's nothing more for you here," he said. "But you could come with us if you liked."
There was a moment of indecision from the heliopath, before it abruptly flew at Harry, coalescing in a spiral around his right arm. It was a comforting presence that filled Harry with a desire to stride purposefully into the future. Conlaodh tugged slightly upward and Harry smiled in response.
"I think you'd best hold on, Headmaster," he laughed and offered him his left arm. Dumbledore seized the cup deftly, finding Harry's wrist simultaneously and they both found themselves whisked upward.
The speed at which they travelled was phenomenal. Within moments, they'd reached the top of the Everwell, but Conlaodh wasn't finished there. Along the passage they streamed, Conlaodh's burning light divining the way. They burst through the enchantment holding the boggart at bay like a knife through hot butter.
Harry caught a glimpse of his boggart again, before it was crushed under the locomotive power that was Conlaodh at full steam. It too was burned from the inside out and gone in moments, Harry could only stare at the power that the heliopath so casually exerted.
Onwards they went, the layers of star stair enchantment peeling away to show the bare rock beneath and a moment later, they were in the vast chamber that had housed Conlaodh. They hurtled, as though free-falling, to the roof of the cavern and up the narrow hole that lead to the real world. Eventually they reached he consecrated iron disc, where Conlaodh stopped, he had no power against this.
Harry however flicked his hand and the iron burst away, shattering into dozens of pieces. His fingers stung again as they burned, but they were near the world of wand magic again and he no longer had to worry about injuries that could be fixed in seconds. They tore up into the haunted cavern above and Conlaodh's power flashed out again. A tidal wave of fire engulfed the cavern, tearing the spirits asunder and releasing them from their centuries of torment.
Harry and Dumbledore watched in awe at this last effortless display of power. Then a moment later, their feet touched the ground. Harry looked around them at the empty cave, now illuminated and cleansed by the heliopath.
"That was amazing Conlaodh," he said, blinking.
Conlaodh reached out and touched his mind. Harry understood that this was where his power lay; in the gateways between worlds. From here on out, he would begin to lose strength. Harry nodded and turned to Dumbledore.
"We must find our own way out of this cave," he said, but Dumbledore gave him a little smile.
"I wouldn't worry too much," said the headmaster.
Fawkes appeared upon his shoulder in a flash of fire and peered around in interest. Harry held out his arm, which Dumbledore seized again and this time it was Fawkes who pulled them along effortlessly.
Moments later they were in the fresh air and Harry found himself never more grateful for it. He took in sweet cool mouthfuls of it and revelled in the sweet tang of the breeze and the sunlight on his face.
"I will never take this for granted again," he said aloud and Dumbledore chuckled.
They enjoyed it for a few moments more, before they turned back to the cave from which they had come. Below their feet an entire race of creatures had lived and died for untold millennia, they had known joy their, had families and homes. Now it was a mausoleum, a dark hole full of bones, dust and tragedy.
"We have to close it up," said Harry.
"We do indeed," replied Dumbledore.
They looked at each other for a moment and Harry sighed deeply.
"Wands out?" he asked.
"Wands out," confirmed the headmaster.
Together they pointed their wands into the hole below and with a unified purpose; a blend of old and new magic, collapsed the rock below them.
Conlaodh and Fawkes kept them suspended above the ground as the earth sank into the cave below them until there was nothing more than a rubble filled crater below. The Plain of Delight sank beneath the rock and was gone forever.
Gently they were lowered to the edge of the vast hole and after a moment Dumbledore turned and walked a few paces away. Harry merely stared down into the hole, his heart aching.
Somewhere in that hole, he'd sacrificed everything he wanted to save the world. Every fibre in his being trembled with loss. He'd loved her, truly. But that was behind him now. There was one last stop to make and then only one direction to travel; forward.
Momentarily he felt Conlaodh press comfortingly against his mind and he smiled gratefully. He still had one last place to visit before he could say goodbye. This in his mind, he turned from the crater and rejoined Dumbledore. Together the group, now four in number, walked southward.
"What's so funny?" asked Harry and she sighed happily.
"Somehow, Harry Potter, you've twisted my little brain around," she gazed at him fondly. "Harry, I think I love you."
A wide smile reached Harry's lips and he tipped his head forward to meet her lips again.
"I think I love you too."