Chapter Fifty-Seven
"Tennengong is still in the Cellar." Blaise said to Aurelia, "I think we ought to check on him."
"I'm going to stay with Hermione, we will join you shortly." Draco said as the group followed Blaise.
"Are you okay?" Draco asked Hermione gently.
"I've been better." She replied with a weary smile. "Do you remember anything about when... you know...?" She asked.
"I only remember seeing your face, and feeling terrified that my body might have been responsible for hurting you." Draco said, his words catching in his throat with the emotion he felt. "Do you remember?"
"No! Thank God!" Hermione said, honestly. "All I remember is being dragged up here by... you know, after that I can't recall anything until just now!"
"Well, I suppose that's a blessing." Draco said, looking relieved, "I couldn't bear it if you looked at me and remembered me attacking you."
"What a weekend eh?" Hermione said, with a smile.
"Well, at least it wasn't forgettable." Draco laughed. Then he cupped her face in his hands and looked deeply into her eyes. "I love you Hermione Granger!"
…...
The New Order of the Phoenix arrived in the ritual room in time to watch the end of the ceremony. Bertram didn't go quietly. He struggled and fought and attacked Tennengong, but the shamen stayed strong and Bertram's victims were no longer timid or tethered. They lashed out at him each time he tried to escape them and soon his corrupt spirit was being ushered into the soul trap.
Tennengong screwed the top on and sealed it with wax from one of the candles, then he chanted some words and covered the jar with the black handkerchief. The ghost women celebrated his incarceration and all too soon it was time for their departure. They held hands and they said goodbye, then they began to give of a startling yellow white light, which grew in intensity until it was so bright that it was painful to look upon. There was a flash and every member of the group closed their eyes and raised their hands to shield their eyes, and by the time they lowered their hands and opened their eyes there was no longer any sign of the women.
"They gone!" Tennengong simply said. "I finish." Then he picked up the jar containing Bertram's nasty spirit and handed it to Luna. "Be careful with this one!" Tennengong told her.
"Oh, I will Ten, don't worry." Luna assured him.
…...
Draco tenderly helped Hermione to dress, and then, hand in hand they made their way to join the rest of the group in the cellar. They passed the shamen on the way.
"Are you the Manang Bali?" Hermione asked, and Tennengong nodded, "Is it over?"
"Yes. My work here done," the shamen said, "must go now, my uncle possessed by spirit of angry bull." With that the shamen left. Draco and Hermione looked at one another for a moment as if silently asking the other if he really just said what they thought he had. They shook their heads in disbelief and continued on to meet the Order.
…...
"We're leaving now." Fred said as they followed the group down the labyrinthine tunnels.
"Yeah we want to go and meet our new niece." George added.
"Nephew!" Fred argued!
"Niece!"
"Nephew!"
"Niece!" George shouted as the two of them apparated, their argument still echoing throughout the passageway long after they had disappeared.
Draco and Hermione met up with the group in the small larder type room. Neville explained to them about the ritual and told them that everything was back to normal.
Luna held the jar up to show them, "Here he is! The nasty bugger!" She said shaking the jar. "He'll make a great addition to my collection though." She said and she lifted the jar and laid it down on one of the shelves in the larder alongside hundreds of other jars and bottles.
Blaise looked at Luna astounded, "What? You mean all those are..."
"Some people collect stamps." Luna said, as though this was the most normal thing in the world, "I happen to be very proud of my collection of ghosts and spirits. They come in pretty handy at Halloween."
The group stared, dumbfounded by this revelation. "What?" Luna said looking around at them, "I don't let the nasty ones out!"