An hour or so later, Padma's spinning feet touched soft, marshy ground and promptly folded. She hauled herself out of the muck and glared at the Portkey disguised as an old hat. Trying fruitlessly to brush off some of the filth, her eyes travelled across this new landscape.
Perhaps it had once been beautiful, vibrant landscape, but what was left now resembled a graveyard. Dying trees leaned over a grey lake, brittle branches drooping over the water in hopeless defeat. The grass was sparse, and what was there was pale and sickly. The lake water glooped and glimmered, its dark waters appearing repellent rather than inviting. A small island stood in the middle, the few trees huddling against the hill for protection. A very slight pressure on her skin indicated that attempting to Apparate would not be wise.
What to do now? The Dark Lord's instructions had not been very explicit.
"This Portkey will take you a . . . secret location. There, I have hidden a Dark item which is essential for the upcoming battle — a bracelet. Do not, by any means, put it on, or you will die. I hope this will go as well as your last mission; don't you, Padma?"
"Yes, my Lord," she had whispered, his use of her first name sending shivers down her spine. For some reason, it emphasised yet again that this was no game.
Well, the first and most logical thing to do would be to find a way across the lake. A boat would be best. Padma began to poke among the reeds, but soon realised they were too rotten to hide anything in. Swimming was the next alternative, although it didn't seem the most attractive in this weather. She walked to the very edge of the lake, water oozing in through her thin soles, in an attempt to see how deep it got. Physical activity was not her strong point. As she liked to tell people, her talents lay in intellectual fields, not Quidditch ones.
The water seemed very murky. She leaned in closer, trying to peer through it. Suddenly something scaly leapt out of the water and sprang at her throat. Padma screamed and toppled backwards, kicking out as hard as she could. As she heard it squawk in pain and surprise she scrambled up the shore as fast as she could. The creature followed warily, baring sharp teeth in anticipation.
It looked vaguely like a cross between a monkey and a fish. Slimy scales covered a small, humanoid body. As it crawled towards her, she saw a dip in its head which appeared to hold water.
Her mind raced as she rifled through dusty memories of her old textbook, 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'. A Kappa! It was Mongolian, wasn't it? No; Japanese. And — Padma's throat tightened — it ate people. She climbed slowly to her feet, trying not to provoke the already annoyed creature into charging.
She groped in her pocket for her wand, determined not to be prevented from completing her task by an unintelligent animal. Her questing fingers found nothing. Heart pounding in her chest, she realised it had slipped out of her pocket as she fell. This changed things.
How did one defeat a Kappa? There was a definite method, she could remember that much. Something to do with… carving your name into a vegetable. But how would she get one here, and have the time to carve? Padma's hair flew in front of her eyes as she cast about, looking for an alternative.
But wait — what about the water it carried? Adrenaline surged through her as she finally remembered. Bow! She had to make it bow to spill the water!
The Kappa moved closer, confident this strange human who wasn't even running away would make an easy meal. It launched itself suddenly at Padma. She cried out and leapt backwards out of reach.
Bow… bow… how to make it bow? Her thoughts scurried like rats trying to escape a Jarvey.
Inspiration struck suddenly, at the same time as the Kappa leapt again. This time she lost her balance, lashing out wildly. The Kappa retreated, snarling, giving her time to find her feet once more. As she stood, she felt the rough grain of a stone against her hand. She stopped in her tracks. The creature looked up, surprised at this unusual behaviour in its prey. Its reptilian eyes widened as she tossed the stone at its feet, and it looked down.
Padma laughed in delight as the water ran down its scales. Feeling elated at her success, she began to walk back to the lake to retrieve her wand. A growling noise arrested her movement.
No! That has to work! That's what I learnt She spun around to face the Kappa, hopeless dread spreading numb tendrils through her. She froze as its shape seemed to ripple, shimmering and wavering in the pale light. Within a few seconds a tall horse stood before her, shaking its mane of bulrushes.
A kelpie! No wonder, Padma thought. This creature had appeared very interesting to her at the time she had learnt about it; after all, who wouldn't be fascinated at the true explanation of the Loch Ness Monster? Able to change shape at will, though generally preferring the equine one which it occupied at present, kelpies also delighted in feasting on human flesh. Luckily, the solution to this one was fresher in her mind. She crouched down and swiftly tore a strip of material from the end of her robe, scooping up her wand as she did so. Twisting the cloth into a rough bridle, she sought to recall the exact words of the Placement Charm.
"Locusum!" she cried as she tossed the bridle towards the kelpie. It reared back in fright, long legs pawing the air frantically. It couldn't escape the makeshift bridle. It settled down quietly once it was in place, other than a stubborn hoof pawing at the ground.
Padma exulted. The solution to her problem! The kelpie would be docile now, and easy to command. She walked to its side and sung herself up a little ungainly. Wobbling slightly, she directed her steed to the island.
Some time later, considerably wetter and more dishevelled than when she had left the headquarters, Padma arrived at the island. She slid off the kelpie thankfully, grimacing as her sodden robes clung to her icily. After tying the kelpie up for the journey back, she set off up the hill.
Within a few seconds she spotted a small wooden box, adorned with hissing carvings of serpents. The light caught it in such a way that the tongues seemed to flicker in and out. Discarding these superstitious observations, Padma extended her arm and sent a cautious 'Alohomora' towards the box. It snapped open, revealing a rather dull gold bracelet. Feeling a little disappointed despite herself, Padma Levitated it out of its encasement, just to be on the safe side. No catastrophes occurred, and so she delicately picked it up and slipped it into her pocket. As she strode back down the hill, she couldn't help feeling a little let down. All that fuss for such a plain bracelet she mused. And how useful can it be? You're hardly going to force a bracelet on an opponents arm during a duel, so why is it necessary for the war? It makes no sense. Although I suppose it might have its uses in more subtle murder plots…
The kelpie lifted its head as she approached, and trotted eagerly into the water. Padma leapt off its back as they reached the far shore. She considered leaving the bridle on, but decided against it; she didn't want to make it too easy for someone else to access the island, not after what she had gone through. Releasing the animal with a quick Severing charm, she fled to the Portkey before it could exact its revenge.
The last thing she saw before she touched the Portkey was the kelpie charging at her with murder in its dark, merciless eyes.