Well, I managed to get the next chapter up in a decent amount of time! Hoping this update finds all of this story's followers and reviewers well - I'm personally doing alright (in case anyone was wondering.) This next chapter is a bit longer than the others, but I just finished it earlier today and so if there are any grammatical, spelling, or continuity errors here, please forgive me, and it's alright to let me know in a review. Anyway, read on, and enjoy!
Chapter Five: To the Edge of the Earth
"Oh, this is all so ridiculous, Harry, I really don't see why you want me to do this."
Harry and Ron gave each other amused looks. "She's not going to bite you, Hermione, and the worst thing that could happen is that you'd fall off. Ron and I are going to be here the entire time to make sure nothing happens."
Hermione was glaring at them disbelievingly, her gaze flickering between them and the mare that they'd brought out from the stables for her to ride. The pair were grinning at her, and she could tell by the mischievous looks on their faces that they weren't about to let her out of this.
With a huff, she relented. Continuing to grin, Ron helped hoist her up onto the mare's saddle, while Harry held the reins to keep the mare steady.
"I don't like this," she said immediately when the mare tossed her head.
"Oh, come on, Hermione, you haven't even started moving yet," Ron said in merriment.
Well, much to the boys' delight, Hermione didn't like it any better when Harry actually began to lead the mare around the paddock, and she wanted to get off more with every passing second, but she didn't dare try to get down from the saddle until the two boys helped her off. At which point she'd glared haughtily at them both before storming off shouting something about having chores to do. Neither Harry nor Ron ever forced her to get on a horse again.
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Harry rose early the next morning, woken by a courier owl who'd brought him a message from Remus telling him where the knights were gathering to make their departure for the hunt for Death Eaters. The prince had rolled out of bed, stuffed himself into some decent clothing before exiting his room to find that a raccoon from Sirius' Animagus Squadron was waiting for him to escort him downstairs.
The prince and his furry entourage made their way towards the northern stables, where there was a flurry of activity.
Squires were going every which way, grabbing supplies and riding gear for knights as mounts were groomed and mounted, and armor was being secured.
Remus, Ron, and Sirius were waiting for him at the stable doors. It unnerved Harry to see his godfather standing in the full armor of an Animagi officer, and his stomach clenched to realize that he might not be seeing Sirius for a fairly long time.
Sirius seemed to sense his unease, and gave Harry a brief, tight hug and thumped him on the back. "It'll be fine, Harry," he said confidently, with a grin. "Don't you go all getting worried about me. There are almost thirty of us setting out, and we're all capable of taking care of ourselves and each other. I'm taking some of the best Animagi soldiers I have in my squadron. If there's any Death Eaters out there, we'll be sure to catch them and give them what's coming to them."
"No knights from Slytherin, though, the slimy bastards," Ron remarked.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they sent out couriers to warn any Death Eaters that might be out there," Sirius agreed darkly.
"What worries me is the report Officer Brennan gave to us," Remus said. The king was scratching his chin in thought, as he looked ahead with a contemplative expression on his face. "I don't like this idea of anyone investigating our security measures, and King Lucius seemed all too interested in them during his visit."
"She told you what King Lucius was doing when he first got here, didn't she?" Harry supplied. "He was asking Hermione, of all people."
Remus nodded. "Probably thinking he could get it out of a loose-tongued servant girl. It was a stroke of luck he happened to be asking one as sharp-witted as our Hermione. You reminded me, Harry, we'll have to think of a reward for her, clever little thing that she is."
Harry already had something in mind, and made note to tell his second godfather later.
Moments later, Sir Kingsley Shacklebolt approached them, and he gave a deep bow to Harry and Remus each before straightening and saying, "Sir, we're almost ready for your sendoff. Sirius, you might want to get to your position at the front of your corps - your officers are looking for you."
Sirius nodded, and turned back to the rest of them. He shook hands with Ron, thumped Remus on the shoulder, and gave Harry one last hug.
"I'll see you when I get back, pup. I don't want to hear too much about all the mischief you've caused while I was gone." After a brief pause, he amended, "Well, I do, but make sure that it doesn't surpass anything your father and I did. We like holding our records, you know." He winked, and just like that, he was gone amongst the flurry of knights mounting onto their horses.
A few minutes later, Remus was escorted to the head of the company by Sir Shacklebolt, where Ron and Harry stood off to the side to watch the exchange that was about to take place.
It felt as though the entire palace grounds fell silent the second that King Remus of Gryffindor raised his hand to gather attention.
"To all of the knights who have chosen to make this journey, we welcome and thank you," he said loudly, in a booming voice that Harry was sure he would never be able to replicate. "It's been a long while since we've seen such a combined effort from the four kingdoms" (at this, Ron snorted and muttered something to Harry about Slytherin being absent, and from the looks on some of the knights' faces, it was easy to see that Ron wasn't the only one who shared this opinion) "and it gives me a great deal of hope if a threat does indeed face us. We will stand together in the face of this new enemy, if there is indeed one to face.
"As you have gathered, your purpose on this mission is to seek out Death Eater activity in the Forbidden Mountains, where we have reason to suspect that their cause has been taken up again. Muggleborns have begun disappearing from our outermost villages, and so we call upon you to find out the precise reason for these disappearances. Because we all remember how troublesome the Death Eaters proved to be last time for all four kingdoms, and if now is the time to face them again, as we feared we might have to, then we must be swift and wise in our actions.
"The blessings of all four monarchs go with you, and all of Hogwarts honors your courage. We hope to see you all safely returned. So, my brave knights, you set out to protect your families. For your people, and your homes!"
And with this, the King of Gryffindor stepped away from the knights gathered, and with a loud shouted order of, "Move out!" from Kingsley, the company moved out of the stables and galloped towards the great gates that protected the palace grounds. Harry spotted a motley crew of animals amongst the mounted horsemen, one of which was a recognizable great black dog, and the prince grinned as the dog howled and barked as he moved with the rest of the company. Within but a few moments, they were out of sight, and their mission had begun.
Remus clapped the two boys on the shoulder, and he told Harry that he would expect his godson for a meeting with the council after lunch in the throne room before heading back up to the main part of the castle. With one look at each other, the two boys went off to find some food to eat before Harry had to go to the meeting.
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"How was the council?"
Ron and Harry were walking side by side down one of the garden paths, seeking out Hermione, whom they'd been told had been ordered to trim the rose plants that were at the southern tip of the gardens. After having sat through a two-hour council meeting that had been just as boring as it had been pointless, Harry was rather glad to see his red-haired friend and to be seeking out the third member of their trio.
As they walked, Harry talked about how the council had been somewhat empty, considering as half of the council members themselves were knights that had left this morning. He talked about how Remus had essentially been telling everyone to be on their guard, because they had absolutely no idea what the company was going to find, and how until their return their number one priority was keeping Harry safe and making sure that he stayed out of trouble. And added on how he himself didn't even understand how that had taken two hours of his day.
But this also explained the crow that was flying above them in circles - all because Sirius had gone didn't mean that his Animagus squadron had been ordered to stop tailing the young prince.
They found Hermione, as they'd suspected, trimming the roses. Her face was flush from the heat of the early afternoon, and her hair was as bushy as ever in the humidity. She was grumbling quietly to herself, and Harry smirked as he heard something about one of the head servant matrons, Romilda, and where she should stick the freshly trimmed roses.
"Hullo, there, Hermione," Ron greeted her cheerfully.
Hermione looked up in surprise and grinned at the sight of them. "Oh, thank the Lord," she said gratefully, standing up and giving them both a brief hug. "I've been waiting for a distraction for hours. How was the send-off? Did you get to see who all was there?"
"Most of them were knights from Gryffindor," Harry told her, and for some reason he felt a prick of that same anxiousness from last night when her eyes immediately became trained on him. "But there were a few from Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw."
"None from Slytherin, though," Ron pointed out. "Sirius reckons they probably sent out warnings to any Death Eaters that might be lurking around. Wouldn't surprise me if they did."
"Oh, Ron, that's an awful thing to say," Hermione chided him. "You can't just assume things like that. Perhaps they have things to deal with in their kingdom. They're getting ready for a wedding, I heard - Prince Draco Malfoy wouldn't stop boasting about his wife-to-be whenever I was around. Liked to mention how she was pureblooded and a noblewoman and all that. As if I could actually care less." Hermione snorted as Harry and Ron grinned at her.
"I can't imagine anyone wanting to marry that git," Ron declared. "D'you reckon the reason Queen Narcissa's nose is always turned up is because she can't stand the smell of her own son?"
Harry snickered, and even Hermione admitted an amused smile.
"Well, in any case, I hope the company will be alright," Hermione then said, worry in her voice. "If they run into more Dark magic…"
"I'm sure they'll be alright, 'Mione," Harry reassured her, giving her a smile. In truth, he was worried too, for Sirius and for the rest of the knights that had gone, but he didn't want her to see that. "There were plenty of them that went, and every single one of them is great at magic. Speaking of which, why don't you just trim the roses with magic? It'd be a lot faster."
"There's a Magical Detection Charm on the gardens and the grounds where servants usually do the work," Hermione explained. "We're not allowed to use magic out here - usually it's a punishment for those of us who have magic. For the ones that don't, this is normally where they work."
"Blimey, Hermione, what're you being punished for now?"
"Nothing, really," came the answer with an air of forced cheeriness. "Romilda is just devising all the possible ways she can to keep me busy. I thought that perhaps she'd be a little less horrid after the ball had passed, but apparently I was wrong. Or perhaps she's just waiting for things to die down a little. Either way, this is an absolute pain."
"Do you want us to help you?" Harry asked, concerned.
Hermione waved at him with almost a dismissive hand. "No, that'll only make it worse should someone see you, I'm sure. You don't have to-"
"Hermione Granger?"
Harry and Ron turned to see one of the palace guards standing behind them. Upon seeing the prince, the guard started a little and bowed, and Harry frowned in discontent.
"Er, pardon, your Highness, but His Majesty King Remus has requested an audience with the servant Hermione Granger, sir," the guard said, and immediately Harry realized what this was. A grin came over his face as he glanced back at Hermione, who looked both shocked and reasonably frightened.
"His Majesty?" Hermione questioned. It was the closest to stuttering that Harry had ever heard her. When her eyes zeroed in on his grin, immediately she scowled. "Harry, why are you smiling?"
"Nothing. You don't have anything to worry about Hermione," Harry told her. When Hermione gave him a mutinous glare, Harry glanced back at the guard, dipping his head. "We'll walk her to the king. Is he in the throne room?"
The guard nodded nervously.
"Thanks," Harry said. Looking back at Hermione, smiling, he said, "Leave your stuff. Don't worry about Romilda, we'll take care of her. C'mon."
Hermione, continuing to glare at him, merely stalked past him and started heading in the direction of the castle. Frowning slightly, Ron leaned in and muttered,
"What does Remus want to see Hermione for?"
Just continuing to smile, Harry replied, "You'll see."
The three friends ventured back up to the castle together, Hermione all the while fidgeting nervously, Ron frowning contemplatively, and Harry smirking as if there was a private joke that simply nobody else would ever understand.
Thirty minutes later, after Harry and Ron had been waiting outside the throne room for about fifteen, Hermione came bouncing out, positively the happiest the pair had ever seen her. Ron looked absolutely startled when Hermione unexpectedly threw her arms around his neck in a huge hug. Harry grinned as she gave him the same treatment, though his heart thudded against his ribs as she kissed him on the cheek, and when she pulled away, beaming, there was still a warm spot on his face where her lips had just been. He resisted the urge to feel the skin there, choosing instead to smile proudly down at Hermione as she gushed,
"Oh, Harry, I can't believe it! However did you manage to pull it off?"
"I didn't manage to do anything, 'Mione," Harry told her. "You've more than earned it."
"Would someone mind telling me what the bloody hell is going on?" Ron grumbled.
Hermione whirled around to face him. "Oh, Ron, it's just the best thing that's ever happened!" she replied, almost breathlessly. "King Remus is giving me a servant's position in the library! I get to work in the library, Ronald! And Harry's the one that recommended me!"
"Blimey, you'll be in there day in and day out," Ron remarked, though he was smiling and it was clear he was happy for her. "They'll have to pull you out by the hair to make you go home at night now. Harry and I will never get to see you - you won't want to raise your nose up from a book long enough to greet either of us."
With a laugh and a slap to his arm, Hermione led the two boys off, and they spent the remainder of the afternoon telling a scandalized Romilda Vane that Hermione was no longer under her authority and telling her parents of the joyous news. And the whole time, Harry couldn't help but grin at seeing Hermione to happy, and he knew that he'd made the right choice in telling his godfather about his dear friend's love for all things written. It made him feel a warmth he hadn't felt since… well, it was a warmth he had never felt before. And he didn't realize it was there until long after the sun had fallen, and Hermione had bid him and Ron goodnight.
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"We might as well go back," grumbled Andrea Brennan from Sirius' side. "It's been almost two weeks and we haven't seen anything but game and too many trees."
Though Sirius gave his youngest officer a stern look, he couldn't help but agree with her inwardly. It had been almost two weeks since they had set out from Gryffindor Palace, and it had taken them three days as an entire company to reach the edge of the Forbidden Mountains. They'd pressed on in the hopes of finding Death Eater activity, but now they'd traversed so far into the mountains that even Sirius feared that they wouldn't know their way back out.
Every day had been the same. They awoke sometime around dawn, ate breakfast, stamped out the campfires, packed up the tents, and moved out. Lunch was a meal eaten on horseback (or in Sirius' squadron's case, on foot), and they wouldn't settle until after the sun had set to eat dinner and rest.
At this point, it almost felt as if they were aimlessly wandering through the mountains, and Sirius began to wonder if it had been a good idea after all to bring so many knights with them.
The forest around them was quiet, but not unnaturally so. The clopping of horses' hooves, the skitter of wildlife in the underbrush and the trees, the sounds of insects buzzing through the air, the crunch of branches underfoot… it seemed as if there was nothing out of order out here in the wilderness beyond their kingdom.
But Sirius continued to stay on alert. Because that was precisely the reason why this might be the perfect place to hide for Death Eaters.
But it wasn't hard to see that there were several in the company who felt the same way as Andrea. There were many grim and even bored faces among them, though a majority of those who were bored or impatient were younger. Those who were survivors from the previous war looked grim and just as alert was Sirius was himself.
"Sirius?"
The man looked up to see his younger cousin, the lady knight from Hufflepuff Nymphadora Tonks, riding over to him on her steed. There was an uneasy expression on her face as she reined in her horse to walk alongside Sirius.
"Something wrong, Dora?" Sirius asked her, using the childhood name he knew she preferred.
Tonks looked around as if she was being watched or listened to, and murmured, "Something doesn't feel right. For the past few days now, I've felt like we're being watched. And I'm not the only one who feels that way." She added that last bit quickly when Sirius opened his mouth to reassure her that all was well. "Sir Cedric Diggory thinks so too. And so does Mad-Eye."
"Mad-Eye Moody always feels like he's being watched," Sirius reminded her.
"But he's a right brilliant knight at the end of the day," Tonks refuted, her eyes glinting in defiance. Alastor Moody had been her mentor, in the days when she'd trained in Gryffindor to become a lady knight, and she had come to respect him in the highest manner during her time there. "I just think Kingsley should be keeping a better eye out. Have your scouts reported anything? Anything at all?"
Sirius shook his head. "Our birds aren't seeing anything or anyone else, not even smokes from fires. And anyone with a nose doesn't smell anyone but our company. My scouts will be back from their patrol in a few minutes, and then we'll see," he told her.
Tonks huffed, clearly having hoped for a different answer. "Well, I still don't-"
Her voice was cut off by the scream of a horse up ahead and shouting. Cracks suddenly resounded in the silence, and there was no mistaking that a majority of the yells now echoing through the forest were men and women shouting spells. Magic.
Death Eaters.
Praying that wasn't true, that this was just some bandit group they'd encountered, Sirius and Tonks exchanged one look at each other before Tonks went charging ahead on her steed and Sirius shifted into his dog form and chased after her.
The pair of them rounded a corner to find that the front of their company was being bombarded with combative spells, and immediately Sirius could tell that they were outnumbered. How is that even possible? he asked himself desperately, feeling his heart drop. What was worse was their attackers bore the masks that had inflicted such terror in their lands all those years ago - Death Eaters.
Without a word, Tonks threw herself into the fight, charging in. Sirius followed shortly after her, shifting back into his human form and whipping out his wand to repel a curse that had been shot his way. Around him, he could hear men falling from their horses, the creatures themselves whinnying in terror. Sirius cast shield charm after shield charm, occasionally getting in a few offensive Stunning jinxes.
"They're going after Gryffindor knights, Sirius!" Tonks came running to his side, seemingly having lost her horse in the fight. She Stunned a Death Eater a few yards from them, only to have to repel a returning jinx a split second later.
"Why?" Sirius grunted, casting a Disarming Jinx at one of their opponents.
"Practically none of them are going after me or any of the other knights from the other kingdoms," Tonks replied breathlessly as she repelled a Slicing Charm. "It hardly makes much of a difference who we go to help, there's too many of them. It's an ambush - they were waiting for us!" She spat and ducked to avoid a Killing Curse sent their way.
"But why go after knights from Gryffindor?" Sirius asked, more to himself than anyone else as he spun around to deflect a Stunner.
"I don't know," Tonks answered. "Listen, you'd better get out here."
"What?" Sirius pushed them both down to avoid a Cruciatus Curse before yanking Tonks back to her feet.
"I know, it sounds insane, but you've got to listen to me. Take some of your Animagi with you; get back to your palace. Warn the king. I'll bet you anything that's what this is for."
Sirius considered it for a brief moment as he and Tonks began fighting back to back. The sheer numbers of Death Eaters that they were facing astounded him - he hadn't even been aware that there had been this many left alive at the end of the last war. But as he looked at the very young face of one of their attackers, he realized with a sick feeling in his stomach that many of the people here were new recruits. People who had joined recently.
"I'm not leaving you behind," he grumbled.
"You don't have a choice. I don't exactly have a four-legged form," Tonks replied.
Sirius sent a Stunner at one of the younger recruits, and smirked in satisfaction as the man dropped, Stunned. "Dora, I'm not about to-"
"Sirius, Tonks is right!" Sir Kingsley Shacklebolt approached them on his destrier, his eyes alight as he released a powerful Pushback Jinx on a number of their foes. "Take some of your officers and get them out of here. We'll hold this lot off as long as we can. Get back to the palace and tell Remus what's happened. I'll bet you anything that's where they're headed. That's an order! Tonks, take my horse, go with him."
Sirius gritted his teeth at the same time Tonks verbally protested, glaring up at the more experienced knight. If anything, he hated being ordered to do something, let alone being told to run from a fight. But an order from the leader of their company, and an order to get back to warn his godson of the danger… it wasn't as though he could refuse. Clenching his fist, he nodded at Kingsley, before grinning and saying,
"Give them hell for me."
With that, he ducked out of their particular fight, his eyes searching for any of his squadron he could recognize.
"Brennan!" he barked, seeing the young woman bravely fending off two Death Eaters at once. Immediately he sent a Stunner in their direction, and after one fell, the young Animagus quickly Disarmed the other and shoved him away from her. She whirled around to face him, confused. "We're getting out here! We need to warn the king!"
Nodding, she dashed over to him, and together they managed to gather a few of the other knights before charging back into the forest that they'd come - some on warhorses and the others in their four-legged forms.
A few of the Death Eaters made to go after them, but one of the senior officers of their corps stopped them. "Let them go," she cackled, her gaunt face alight with a deadly excitement. "They're doing exactly what we want them to. Soon all of Hogwarts shall know that we are ready to strike, and ready to return our master to his former glory."
Grinning somewhat madly, the newer recruits simply looked at each other joyfully before returning back to the fray, which had now become more of a slaughter than an actual battle. That same senior officer, who went by the name of Bellatrix Lestrange, eyed the chaos with a bloodlust akin to that of a lethal predator's. As she slashed her wand and killed one of the bolder Gryffindor knights that came rushing at her, she realized just how much she had missed all this. Serving her Dark Lord in the only way she truly knew how - to kill and torture all who opposed her.
The old war had ended abruptly and messily, with the sudden destruction of their master's body at the hands of what had then been a toddler. Many of their comrades had been captured or killed, but Bellatrix had been one of the few who had escaped and had taken to hiding in the mountains, where they had remained until their master's spirit came to them, telling them of his location and of his new mission to restore himself to his lost form.
For many years now, they had been recruiting, sneaking through the kingdoms and finding those who shared their mission - to destroy the nonmagical blood in Hogwarts and create a new supreme order where purebloods would reign, halfbloods would serve as their slaves, and any born of Muggles and all the Muggles themselves completely exterminated. It was a glorious purpose, and Bellatrix had devoted her entire life, no, her entire soul to the cause.
And, soon enough, their master would return. First, they had to kill Prince Harry Potter, and Bellatrix Lestrange had absolutely no qualms about also murdering anyone who dared stand in their way.
Did you all enjoy it? I hope so. The overall plot's starting to really get moving now - I don't have the entire story planned out yet, but I know the general direction I want it to head in. A majority of this FanFic is just getting written and plotted out as a I go along. And for those of you Harmony shippers who began reading Prince of Light just for the coupling, well, there are some good moments coming up for you. Little hints of them here in this chapter too. Well, let me know what you thought! Even a simple few-worded review makes my day, it really does. But, you don't have to, of course. Thank you all very much and I hope to have the next chapter up in a reasonable amount of time.
- Harp