WELCOME TO AMERICA, HARRY POTTER!
Chapter 4: The Battle for Mai
"I need to do some research!" I tell everyone then walk down my hallway to my workroom. I lock the door behind me.
"Bob!" I snap.
Bob appears quickly, his expression worried. "Harry! The spell holding us here is from someone here with us!"
I'd already guessed that. "Yeah, I know. So how do we break it?"
Bob mentioned a few ideas but I'd already thought of them and none would work on this situation. After more than fifteen minutes of fruitless discussion, I make a request of Bob.
"I want you to keep your eyes and ears open to everything that's going on."
"In other words, you want me to spy." Bob said flatly.
"Yeah!"
"How provincial." Bob snorts but does as asked as I return to the others.
The others are sitting rather uneasily, not speaking to each other. Morgan apparently has discovered my jazz records and has put one on the record player. The soft refrains of a clarinetist drifts over the room.
The three kids listen with fascinated interest.
I go up to Morgan. "I already know this is a trap spell and one of us set it. I need to know what is going on if we're to get out of this."
Morgan remains mute.
"Look you! This is a hostage situation and the more information we have the better our chances are of getting out of here alive. If you know anything, spill it now!" Murphy growled at him.
"Morgan, tell him! He's right! He can't possibly aid us if he's completely in the dark!" The warden named Amber said tightly.
The tall dark warden studies them all then comes to a decision. "We were at a special meeting being held in the park a mile from here. Things got ugly and we were attacked. We......"
"Stop! Say no more!" Ancient Mai commanded as she clung tightly to the banister on the stairs.
I throw up my hands up in disgust. "Mai, it makes no sense keeping it secret any longer." I argue.
She just give me a cold look then hisses in pain. "I don't understand why I'm not healing. I shouldn't still be so tired or injured." She says distractedly.
"Take her back to the bedroom!" Morgan orders Wallace. He nods and helps Mai away from the stairs.
We all look at each other nervously. The fact that someone in the room is responsible for us being trapped makes everyone tense and watchful.
Time passes, I realize it's been some three hours since the Hogwarts kids had arrived. I frown in concern. Getting up, I go back to my workroom.
Bob is there immediately.
"Aren't those kids supposed to be gone by now?" I asked.
"I'm afraid this spell is preventing the transport spell from working. They are as trapped as we are." Bob said unhappily.
"Oh that's just swell and the longer they are gone the greater the chance they will be missed." I said in concern.
"Yes! That's very true!" Bob agreed.
"We've got to do something....." I say, "Have you seen anything useful?"
"No. Murphy paces, Morgan is brooding, the children are huddled together whispering, and the others are getting tense and suspicious of each other." Bob said caustically.
"Wonderful." Disheartened, I go back to the living room.
Bob suddenly appeared in the room causing Murphy to jump in shock.
"What the hell are you? Harry, he came through the wall!"
"Yeah, he does that. He's a ghost."
She looks at me in bewilderment. "Ghosts exist too?" She said in a tiny voice. "Of course, they do." She adds in resignation.
I just shrug at that.
"We have got to find a way out of here! Maybe a shield spell will help, this net can't be that thick!" Amber suggests.
"We're not certain that is true. Something about this just isn't right." Morgan said, thoughtfully.
"Nothing living can go through that without some kind of protection." I said, heavily.
"That's right but we have someone who isn't alive." Morgan said suddenly, looking at Bob.
Bob doesn't look too happy about Morgan's unspoken suggestion but it really is our only option.
I'm worried for him and, surprisingly, so is he. "You'll be alright, Bob. I'll summon you back right away." I try to reassure him.
"I hope you can Harry, but there are no guarantees about something like this." He said worriedly.
"I know. I don't want to lose you either. Be careful." I said softly.
He nods, sets his shoulders and steps through the now open door and disappears into the darkness.
I stand at the door as time crawls by. Thirty minutes pass and I'm really worried. I began calling his name, 'Horthbert of Banbridge, I summon thee'. I repeat my call over and over for some minutes.
Murphy comes to my side. "It's been a while Harry."
"I know." I say softly.
"How long have you known him?" She asks curiously.
"Since I was eleven. He was my teacher." I say absently as I continue to stare in the darkness.
"Dresden! Your ghost is here!" A shout from Amber comes from the living area.
I turn and run to Bob's side. He looks terribly shaken.
"So how far is it to the outside, Bob?" I ask anxiously.
"Harry, there is no outside. This whole building has been taken inside hell." Bob said grimly.
Silence fills the room. Our situation is far worse than we'd imagined.
Bob and I return to the workroom and try to think of what could possibly be going on and who set the spell holding us prisoner.
In the living room, sitting on the couch, the three Hogwarts children stare at the adults in concern.
"I don't like this!" Ron whispers, tensely.
"None of us do, Ron." Hermione murmured.
"I wish there was something we can do. I don't like just sitting here." Harry hissed in a low voice.
Hermione put a hand on Harry's arm. "Harry, don't! This isn't anything we're familiar with. Their magic is different from ours and could cause even more serious consequences if we try anything." She warned.
Harry sighed. She was right. For once, he wasn't really eager to jump in as he had at Hogwarts. Everything was so different here. This darkness was a spell and they knew someone here had cast it but the aura of power he felt was so strange and different, it was impossible for him to feel who it might be. As unhappy as it made him, he would have to wait and hope this Dresden fellow could find a solution. Somehow, Harry felt a kinship with this American wizard.
I leave the workroom since Bob and I weren't coming up with anything that would help our situation. Murphy comes up to me to ask if I'm alright.
Suddenly there's shouting from upstairs. "No! Leave her alone!"
Morgan charges up the stairs and the next thing we see is he and Wallace are fighting.
"He was trying to kill Mai!" Amber yells to us.
Wallace growls, "She's the reason we're here!"
He and Morgan are trading sword blows when Murphy suddenly shoots Wallace, dead. Everything goes silent. Hermione is shocked and sickened, turning her face away into Ron's shoulder as he holds her. He and Harry's faces are grim.
I stare at Murphy in stunned surprise. She looks just as stunned.
Morgan and I remove Wallace's body and stow it out of sight. I return to Murphy and try to comfort her.
"I've never killed someone before! Now I've killed a wizard!" She says angrily. "Harry, ever since I've been around you things keep happening. I don't like this......this isn't like me!"
"I know Murphy. None of us like this. We're all tense."
She shakes her head and shoves me away. She looks over my shoulder and frowns. I turn and see Mai making her way down the stairs leaning heavily on Amber.
We make her comfortable on the couch and suddenly the ominous rumble is heard again. Amber had gone for a blanket and was racing down the stairs.
"The darkness has taken over the top floor!" She reports as she covers Mai.
"Why is it moving?" Morgan asks in confusion.
"Actually, Morgan, that's the wrong question. Something is holding it back!" I say with sudden insight. I look down at Mai. "She's is controlling the darkness. Mai is trying to protect herself but something is weakening her."
"But what? Nothing could get in here without an invitation." Morgan stated flatly.
My mind flashes back to when Murphy came to my office. It seemed like years ago. NO....I breath in shock.....it's not Murphy. As I suddenly as I realize that, the thing that wasn't Murphy suddenly attacks us.
Morgan and I erect a barrier instantly. Thankfully the kids were close by. They quickly scramble to stand behind us and watch wide eyed at the thing that still looks like Murphy but the voice definitely is not.
It rumbles as if something far larger is standing there. "Took you long enough, Harry." It said coldly. "I have a proposition for you."
"And what might that be?" I asked the thing.
"Kill Mai and join us. You have a great deal of power, Harry. You're just on the wrong side. Join us."
"No thanks!" I ground out.
"Pity! Then I guess I'll just have to do this myself." It said with a smirk then a blast of power struck their shields.
"Morgan what is that thing?" I demand.
"You're not going to like it." Morgan said grimly.
I just look at him as we struggle to hold back the things power.
"It's something very old and capable of taking many forms, a wyvern." Morgan said.
"A wyvern....you mean a dragon......wings, fangs, fire-breathing.....that kind of dragon?" I asked in utter shock.
Morgan just nods and I hear Ron squeak out 'Did he say dragon?'
It's going to kill us if I don't do something fast.
I turn to Mai and realize what I needed to do. I put my hands on her and begin to make her sicker.
"Harry what are you doing?" Morgan shouts angrily.
"Just hold the shield." I order him.
"But you're killing her!" He argues but maintains the shield with the surprising help of Ron, Hermione and Harry.
"I know. It's the only way to defeat that thing." I grunt, concentrating on my task.
The dragon has taken its natural shape and fills the room, its a truly frightening thing and its breathing fire on our shields. Suddenly it screams and the room is lit by a greenish light, getting brighter and brighter...... abruptly the dragon is gone and so is the darkness.
There's no time to celebrate. "Everyone! Send your energy into Mai. Make her better!" I shout.
Everyone puts a hand on Mai and focus' their life energies into her. Minutes later she is opening her eyes. We move back in relief. Through the windows the bright afternoon sun shines in.
I never thought I'd be so glad to see a simple sunlit day before.