A/N: ...And to think my amazing betas Christina Teresa, Seakays, and sunshyndaisies do this all out of the goodness of their hearts. Aren't they wonderful? You know I think so! And just for the record- a bit of a shippy chapter coming up after this- they're not quite together yet, but that doesn't mean there can't be shipping in absentia. Absence makes the heart' and all... :)
Happy (long) reading! NZ
Chapter 14
A Shout in the Dark
Hermione jerked awake and stared straight ahead into the darkness. Her heart was pounding and she breathed as shallowly as she could manage, listening...
The Yeti howl was terrified and terrifying, simultaneously waking her and chilling her to the bone in spite of the sultry heat of the summer night.
But she didn't hear it again-or anything else for that matter-only the chirping of the crickets in their ceaseless rhythm broke the silence. Perhaps it had only been that nightmare again...
She'd slept fitfully the past two nights since the encounter with Flaime. It wasn't so much that she was recalling her short-lived fear of the Yeti that day, but that there'd been a general uneasiness about the camp since then, and it was growing steadily stronger. Sitting up, she reached to the bedside table and picked up a glass of water, hoping a deep draught would somehow calm her nerves enough to get a few hours of sleep tonight.
For the most part, her activities had been achingly normal the past few days-she had worked with Starr and Leif, compiled Null's reports, recorded his Yeti sessions when asked, distributed the mail, and ordered supplies from the Ministry. With the possible exception of the handlers, who appeared a bit strained after Sloane's departure to St. Mungo's, everyone acted for the most part the same with one another as they had a week ago.
But there was no avoiding the palpable tension in the air-and she sensed the Yeti felt it too...
Scooting down under the covers, Hermione squirmed until she found a comfortable position and nuzzled her face into the pillow. Thankfully, she was so exhausted that once her mind and body calmed it wouldn't take long to get back to sleep...she was nearly there already...
Then like a dagger rending new canvas, the second howl ripped through the empty silence. Immediately her heart resumed its frantic pounding once it descended from her throat; she bolted upright in bed, knowing full well that this time it was not her subconscious mind playing nightmarish tricks on her. The new howl was followed quickly by another from a different Yeti, then by several answering cries from other points in the habitat. The first two howls were bold and aggressive, the answering cries more lamenting and sorrowful. But there was no doubt in her mind that something was amiss outside the encampment fences.
Her ears perked at another sound. There was movement on the far side of the camp-faint smacks and bangs, brushes and a dragging sound near the lab building. Chains rattled and one set of the enormous double gates banged open or shut, though it was impossible to tell which at this distance. She knew she was too far away to hear distinct voices, but she could hear occasional shouts along with the sounds of people walking and working.
Her nerves had been on edge to start- her lack of sleep and the isolation had magnified the problem. Being twice brought back from the verge of sleep tonight had impaired her sensibilities even more and although her normally infallible sense of reason was still telling her she was safe, her gut-level reaction was fear.
Hermione considered getting up and going to the window, but she knew she was too far away and behind too many obstacles to see anything on the far side of the camp. She could tell from the narrow shafts of light shooting into the room in splinters from around the edge of her window blinds that the enormous flood lamps in the middle of the compound had been lit. She wondered what kind of serious circumstances had prompted such an action.
Light...more light in here will help... Hermione told herself logically, pulling her wand from the bedside table and turning to reach for the candle she'd snuffed out earlier. Finding its waxy solidness by touch alone, she tilted it so that her wand would aim point blank at the wick.
The candle sprang into flame and lit the room with a faint, even glow. It gave her some comfort to be able to see a bit more, but unfortunately it didn't stop the outside sounds from seeping through the walls. Trying to ignore the fact that all of her senses seemed focused on what she could hear in the camp and beyond, it occurred to her that she wouldn't be going back to sleep very soon.
New sounds broke into the chorus of bangs and rustles that she'd heard so far-but these sounds were definitely not human. Yips and whines were barely audible, but they were on the move-coming closer and moving in what seemed to be some great arc surrounding the point where her cabin lay. They became louder and she found herself hearing low growls and panting and the furious muffled patter of padded feet- feet that were running-running in a pack...For whatever reason, they had released the dogs.
She had known from early in her stay here that there were guard dogs kept in the compound somewhere, but she had yet to see any of them-or even hear them more than a handful of times. While the zoologists and the handlers spoke in hushed tones about how they were to be used only on those bad nights,' she had yet to understand how they could be kept so quiet.
But not tonight-which led her to believe this had become one of those bad nights' at some point-and the thought of what that might mean made her shiver. Drawing her knees up and hugging them close, she found herself hoping that this protective action would somehow hold out the eerie creepiness that wouldn't leave her alone.
Deep, booming barks broke out between the frenzied running and panting and Hermione was reminded of what those double fences around the main camp were all about. The dogs had been released between the inner and outer rings of fencing-they were meant to patrol the area between where the humans tried to safely find a few hours of sleep and where some possibly frightful occurrence was taking place among the Yeti.
Though she could see no magical reason to support her fear, she suddenly doubted the effectiveness of the Security Spell on her cabin. That, and another thought prodding her mind caused her to hug her knees yet tighter and rock herself for comfort, whispering It was only a name, and not a very pretty one, but for some reason she needed the comfort it brought tonight.
Another fierce Yeti yell echoed through the camp.
The idea worming itself into her mind probably should have made her feel safer, but somehow it only chilled her more. Those dogs surrounding the camp and patrolling to make certain that some possibly crazed Yeti was kept out-also made certain that there'd be no chance of easy escape for the humans held within.
Judging from the fact that she suddenly heard her alarm clock going off, Hermione decided she must have fallen asleep sometime during the early morning, but it certainly didn't feel like it and it couldn't have been for very long. Her head ached from the tension of all that had occurred in the night and as she attempted to stretch her limbs, she found them to be stiff and achy from having been held tense and curled tightly to her.
After splashing her face endlessly with cold water, which did little to help wash away the drowsiness, Hermione dressed and headed for the commons. Perhaps some tea will help...she thought. Expecting the usual emptiness in the room as she opened the door to the dining area, she was surprised to find it much more active and populated than normal.
A number of the handlers sat at one table with Dr. Voyde; as usual, Carl was sitting by her side and doing a good amount of the talking at the table. Unshaven and with dark patches beneath their eyes, all of the handlers looked as though they had had a very rough night, though Hermione could see no obvious injuries of any kind.
Although it was far past the hour that Dr. Null considered early', Hermione spotted him sitting alone at a table. Null was unshaven as well and more disheveled than ever -his breakfast lay mostly untouched on his plate, though a telltale dab of jam on his shirtfront showed he must have tried to eat something. Every few seconds he scribbled notes on the roll of parchment lying unfurled on the table next to him. He held another parchment in his hand as he read it. She wasn't sure whether she should invite herself to sit with him if he was involved in something, but she certainly had a few questions to ask.
May I? she asked, reaching for the top of the chair across the table from Dr. Null.
Dr. Null, as usual, seemed to be absorbed in his reading and finished to a certain point before responding. Then he looked up at her. Hmmm? Oh- by all means-do sit down. I don't know if I'll be very good company, though.That's all right-I'm not sure I'm up for much stunning conversation myself, Hermione admitted, settling into her chair. Tulip appeared almost immediately at her elbow. Some toast and bacon, please, Tulip. And strong tea-lots of it.
Null didn't seem to pick up on the subtleties of her statements, but then he sometimes didn't pick up on things when she all but hit him over the head with them. Besides, she'd lost him to his reading again during the moment she'd been talking to Tulip. Being subtle was getting her nowhere.
So what-exactly-happened last night?
Null looked up soberly. He ran his fingers through his uncombed hair and slowly released a deep breath. A challenge-male challenge. Spyder tried to take on Trey-dueling him to become unofficial leader of the group. Without going into detail, it got fairly ugly-divided the group even more so than they were before. What's worrisome is that Spyder used to need the support of Flaime before he'd get so aggressive. Now it seems he's willing to go it alone-which makes things look worse for Flaime being released back into the habitat.Was anyone hurt? Hermione asked anxiously.
Human or Yeti? Null asked dully, though he didn't wait for her answer. They're tired, but it seems the handlers pulled through okay. Not much we can do in this kind of situation except to protect the females and the young. We've got no chance against warring males in the wild-you probably saw how that could be true in your experience with Flaime the other day. And that was supposedly a controlled situation.But the Yeti-have you seen Starr? Or Leif? Hermione questioned, ignoring the pot of tea Tulip set down in front of her.
Leif's all right. We spotted him coming out of some deep brush at the edge of the open area where the fighting started. We haven't seen Starr yet, but we think we heard her-one of those secondary calls. As I mentioned before, Trey's her mate-and she's very loyal. If he received any injuries at all, she would be with him, tending them. Plus you have to keep in mind the adult Yeti usually fall into invisible mode when there's any kind of ongoing physical aggression within the group-all of them, not just those that are involved. The young don't always resort to it so quickly, but for the adults it's almost second nature.But-can they see one another when they're invisible?
Null shrugged and shook his head. We're not sure. We think that they have some sense about each other's whereabouts that we're unaware of. But we simply don't know enough about the species to be sure. Null glanced at the parchment he'd been reading and shook his head. Poor timing, though...really poor timing.Poor timing? Hermione questioned tentatively, reacting to his worried look.
All of it: the fact that the Yeti are getting so restless, the fact that we can't find out why, the confirmation that Phelix Nardstone is coming in ten days or so-name it, Null said dejectedly. For the future of the project, it's all just really poor timing.The future of the project? Hermione repeated in surprise.
Perhaps the limited future, Null mumbled.
Hermione started, her brow furrowed, isn't that the point of the whole thing? To do research and find out about their behavior? Surely they've got to give you time to work on it-nothing can be done overnight. And didn't you yourself say that they've jammed far too many Yeti into the outdoor habitat? They've got to take that into consideration.
Null chuckled softly and smiled a little, apparently at Hermione's naive idealism. They might give us a little leeway on the number of Yeti here affecting their behavior- if they happen to look back at the grant proposal. That did state that overcrowding could become a problem. But even when they know they can't expect complete solutions, they expect some results and at least a few answers to take back to the Board-which so far we haven't been able to supply.Won't they be satisfied with the way you've taught the Yeti to communicate with us? she asked.
But having the Yeti communicate with us isn't directly solving their problem, Null explained. Yes, it may be the means to an end, so that we can find out from inside' sources what's going on between them. Yet even when they let us know what's going on, we don't yet know how to resolve it so that we can help save the species. In the eyes of the Ministry, they're just as endangered now as they were in the beginning, if not more so. Plus there's one more problem-a big one-which seems to be mostly attributed to me.
Hermione was appalled.
Null nodded dully. Sloane. There've already been shockwaves going up the ladder about what happened here. As soon as he hit St. Mungo's he became a burden to the Ministry, both financially and politically. They're saying it was my lapse in judgment that caused the whole thing-I asked him to get closer to Flaime.But you asked him first if the other two could handle Flaime! Hermione couldn't fathom the injustice of it all.
Thank you, Hermione, for your vote of confidence, Null said quietly. But there will be an inquiry-which will sound like another mark against the project until proven otherwise-my side of it, anyway.We still don't know if the handlers did anything to the Yeti. What if they-Stop. Now, please, Dr. Null said firmly, glancing toward the handler's table where everyone was still engaged in conversation. One of the worst things I could do to myself now is to interfere with Dr. Voyde's study-and interfering with her people would accomplish the same. She's not the one whose integrity is in question at the moment, mine is. It would look very bad if I tried to implicate her or those she hired in any wrongdoing unless we have solid proof. Yes, I worked with Starr yesterday-she did indeed give me the same response she gave you, which gives both you and I the satisfaction of knowing that you made a correct interpretation. But all we have is the word of one Yeti regarding one incident that was shown through a new and highly speculative and controversial means of communication. There are those at the Ministry who still think the Yeti have no great intelligence at all, much less enough that they'd be willing to accept their word over that of any wizard. But the word of one Yeti against a whole group of professional handlers and a well-respected zooliwitch with an impeccable reputation? It'd never fly.And that injury to Flaime? Did you find out what caused it? Hermione asked anxiously.
Well, we don't have a final answer as of yet-and I know where you're going with this. It was a deep cut - possibly caused by one of the handlers, Dr. Null said, watching Hermione's eyes grow wide, or possibly by a sharp branch. That's my point-it could've been anything. We can't know for sure until there's been some further testing done-Dr. Voyde took some fur samples and scrapings at the site of the wound.But what if there was- Hermione persisted.
Dr. Null held up his hand to stop her. Would it be solid proof? Hard evidence?
Hermione closed her mouth, still open from trying to protest. Thoughts of the two handlers tormenting Tod, the look in Flaime's eyes when he was ready to fall on her -defeated, the expression on Starr's face when she trusted Hermione enough to tell her Trey had been hurt by Sloane, the handlers even laughing about causing pain to one of their own...She knew something was there, something. But solid it wasn't-none of it. she mused stubbornly. Not yet.Then, quite frankly, I'd rather not get distracted by it, Dr. Null said. Hard work and research are what have always paid off for me, Hermione-that's the way I intend to see my way clear of this.
Dr. Null was so emphatic with his last statement that Hermione was a bit reluctant to ask her last question.
An inquiry- is that why Phelix Nardstone is coming? She was already afraid of the answer. After all, if he was coming in ten days, Dr. Null's funding could be pulled even before her internship was over.
No, thankfully, Dr. Null answered. Tentative plans for Dr. Nardstone to visit were made some time ago, dependent upon his health and our progress here. I've actually known Phelix for a number of years. He believes that our learning to understand the Yeti and giving them credit for their great intelligence is what will eventually lead to their salvation as a species. I was hoping his visit would assure us of another year or two of funding at the very least. But with things going as they are now? He shook his head. I'm not so sure I even want him to see Trapperton. A voice to their side startled them both. Dr. Voyde had stopped at their table on her way to the door. The rest of the handlers were exiting now, walking sluggishly in their exhaustion.
Just wanted to let you know we'll be on light duty and shorter shifts today so that we can let the men get some sleep and be ready for tonight again-just in case. That means we may not have a lot of handlers to devote to moving the Yeti in and out of the training rooms. Dr. Voyde glanced pointedly at Hermione as if she might plan on escorting the Yeti herself again.
Null nodded. No problem. We'll just take a break on the training sessions-the Yeti are likely as tired as we are anyway, most of them. Besides, I never seem to run out of reports to catch up on. Maybe I'd better get on them before all this caffeine wears thin. The zoolowizard looked down and noticed the rolls of parchment on the table. Oh- and Pamela, Dr. Nardstone's confirmed- his office is saying ten days.That's what I hear- Dr. Voyde seemed to stop mid-thought, then spoke quickly. Oh-ten days? All right, then. That gives us a little time to prepare- if the Yeti give us a break.Cross your fingers, Null said.
Hermione's brow furrowed at Dr. Voyde as she walked away towards the Commons door. Either I'm much more tired than I thought or she was on her way to saying she already knew about Nardstone...
Mind if I desert you here with your breakfast? Dr. Null asked. If I'm going to get anything done today, I'd best do it before those two hours of sleep cave in on me.
Hermione suddenly realized that she'd completely ignored the breakfast Tulip had served long before; it was likely stone cold by now. Oh-no- that's all right. Please go on, I'll be over shortly.All right then. See you soon. Dr. Null turned to walk away, leaving his parchments on the table.
She knew he was tired-but then, this was nothing unusual. Dr. Null? Did you want to take these along? Or would you like me to bring them when I come?
Null swung around. Oh-no - I definitely meant to take them. Thank you for reminding me. He reached down and quickly rolled the two parchments, sticking them most of the way into his inside robe pockets. (She hoped he'd missed the shirt-front jam with them.)
Obviously she was tired, too, she thought, criticizing herself for blurting out the reminders about his parchments. Otherwise, she could have had free access to all of that information, whatever it was...
After he'd gone, Hermione looked around the Commons and found herself alone. She stood, picking up her plate and the teapot, ready to take them to the kitchen to be warmed when Tulip rushed out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishcloth.
Oh, no, no, no, Miss Hermione, the house-elf scolded. Tulip will be doing that. That, it's work for house-elves, miss, not doctor-interns.
Hermione smiled at her ambitious attitude. It's all right, Tulip. I do it at my own house all the time. In fact, my parents expect me to help when I'm at home.Oh, it's a bad, bad house-elf at work for Miss Hermione! Tulip said indignantly. She took the teapot from Hermione's hands. Your house-elf he needs hot tea on his head, miss-hot tea, he does! You must beat your house-elf, miss, will he not work-it's right he do his duty!No! No-I wouldn't beat my house-elf! Hermione said in horror. I mean-my family-we don't even have a house-elf.No house-elf? Tulip asked in confusion, but didn't pursue the issue. Trapperton has house-elves and one is me. So Miss Hermione gives teapots and dishes to Tulip at Trapperton. Gently pulling, the house-elf eased the plate from Hermione's hand into her own.
Hermione sighed. All right. But only if you answer a question for me.
Tulip frowned in confusion. Miss Hermione she wants to know something that knows Tulip?Yes- please. These problems at night with the Yeti-the yelling, releasing the dogs, using the flood lamps- were all of these things happening before I came here, too? Or has it just started?One, two, Tulip answered, but she started to look around the room in fear, as if someone else might be listening.
Hermione asked.
Miss Hermione she asks Tulip two questions not one, Tulip said strangely. Tulip knows not of what you're talking about. Tulip is but a house-elf. She brings warm food and tea but then very, very busy must be. The house-elf swung around and rushed off toward the kitchen.
Hermione then realized it was unlikely she was going to get any answer, much less one that might help her find the kind of solid evidence Dr. Null would need to clear his name completely.
But perhaps if one source wouldn't help, another one (or two) could...
-So Ric copied off a page of the owner's manual for the model number he thinks your motorbike might be- according to the other parts you've brought him, Leo was explaining as he handed over a box with three parts sliding around in the bottom. Plus he drew up a quick diagram to show you how he thinks it will attach into the exhaust system.
Ron pulled the page eagerly from Leo, scanning the hand-drawn picture. It was starting to amaze even him that he could make sense of how the motorbike parts in the box ought to fit together and replace the corroded and warped pieces he had sent home with Leo two days before.
And as much as I'd love to let you stand there and stare at that piece of paper to your heart's content, we've got loads of stuff to get out of here today, Leo said, shoving his now-empty coffee mug aside and grabbing a parchment with a very long list of parcels on it.
Ron took Leo's hint, telling himself he could look over the papers again later at lunch. He folded the diagram and the copied page carefully, tucking them inside the box with the parts and folding the flaps over to hold it closed. Then he promptly pushed it far under Leo's desk so that it wouldn't get mixed in with any of the shipments for the day.
Still, turning his mind off regarding the motorbike repairs was a whole different matter. In fact, at some point while he was mentally fitting the assembly onto the exhaust system, it occurred to Ron that Leo had just given him special instructions on exactly where to ship the supplies box that had been shoved into his hands, but that he also hadn't heard a word of it. The next thing he knew, he was staring at Leo's back as he walked away toward the Owl Room and, judging from the quickness in his step, the supervisor was irritated with Piddle again. Probably a bad idea to ask him to repeat himself right now, Ron thought.
Ron looked at the address stamped onto the box he held and saw that, just like the one going to the French Consulate the other day, it was encrypted with runes. Usually only the names were encrypted with the locations still readable. But in the case of this box, someone had got just a bit carried away with the spell and it was all encrypted. No problem if you happen to know the incantation, Ron thought smugly. He had actually become quite practiced at performing the spell the past few days and had tried it on probably more than a hundred boxes while Leo was upstairs or in Space Dislocation. But then he decided he'd better not get overly confident and headed into the stacks of boxes to confirm whether the Ship To' was local or international.
...What Leo said started with an s', that I know... Saskatchewan? Sri Lanka? South Wales?
Pulling his wand from his back pocket, Ron pointed it at the address, incanted Aparecesco Escondidum!, and waited for the letters to settle into place.
Ahhh...Scotland south - knew it was an s' Ron whispered to himself. Okay-memorize the whole thing for the log book before you go out there so you don't look like a total knob: Scotland south, Trapperton Compound, Attn: H. Granger...Ron's eyes opened wide and he felt an odd fluttering in his stomach. He shook his head to clear it and read it again. H. GRANGER?H. Granger! Ron shouted triumphantly before he realized what he was doing. Still holding the rather large box, he half-hopped, half-danced in a circle there in the middle of the stacks, later thankful that no one had been around to watch. he yelled, not caring who heard this time. Grinning from ear to ear, he strutted from the stacks to go enter the address in the log book (and find something else to write on to take it home, he thought).
Grinning widely as he turned the corner into the main aisle, Ron found Leo back from the Owl Room. The supervisor was seated at the shipping desk now, watching him with a strange mix of curiosity and apparent doubt for Ron's sanity. It was only when he saw Leo's face that he coughed, stepped back out of sight, and quickly changed the converted address back into the encrypted runes before continuing to the desk.
Pretty excited about the Shipping Department these days, Ron? Leo asked sarcastically. Wish I could get that excited about a supply shipment. Maybe it's a rookie thing.
Ron felt his ears turning hot and red, but he was too happy to care. Sorry- didn't mean to be so loud.
Leo shrugged. No problem, really. Just that most blokes your age'd only get that excited about remembering something like-what? Oh maybe -a pretty little witch? Have a good evening last night then, did you?
This time Ron felt his entire face going red-now he was embarrassed. Don't know what you mean- all I did last night was change out a braking system. He tried to pass it off casually, but he sensed he wasn't doing a very good job.
Leo just blinked at him, looking doubtful and amused.
So now-on top of the fact that he had parts to work with for the motorbike tonight, he had to owl Harry with the good news and make a plan regarding just how he was going to contact Hermione. Even if she hadn't had the decency to owl him and Harry at all, he wasn't going to let her off the hook so easily (perhaps he would give her a hard time about not writing, but he was so glad to find her, he might even wait until the second letter for that...)
On the other hand, he'd been here almost a week now- maybe he wouldn't have to wait for home to make that plan. How difficult was it to weigh and measure parcels-or deliver them in the building for that matter? He could figure out how best to contact Hermione while he worked- and just the thought of it, of finally knowing where she was (well, sort of) kept such a permanent grin on his face that Leo felt compelled to smirk at him the entire rest of the day.
The book lay open on the desk in front of Hermione's unseeing eyes.
Grrrr! Those two! Hermione thought, gazing over the book and out of the window. Probably think they're going to teach me a lesson by not writing-probably decided to leave me hanging high and dry here on purpose just because I told them at first the Ministry didn't want me to write. How was I to know I could get away with it and not be in trouble?
She rolled her eyes at no one. Do you hear yourself, Hermione? Since when did Harry and Ron ever back down from doing something just because they were worried about getting in trouble? How hard would they laugh at you for going by the letter of the law, even at first? She'd written them twice and received no response from either of them, the prats. She wasn't about to lay her dignity on the line even one more time; she'd show them.
The anger at Harry and Ron welling inside of her made her feel better on the surface. But it did nothing to allay the nagging little pool of loneliness buried deep inside.
It was a very warm, humid evening and she leaned up in her desk chair to pull the damp, wrinkled shirt away from her back as she sat in her quarters. Even with the windows in her cabin wide open, the sticky air pressed in on her and there wasn't even an inkling of a breeze.
Null had released Hermione early in the day when they'd finally caught up with reports; both had felt too worn and bedraggled to go on after their long, sleepless night. Hermione had retreated to her cabin, where she'd fallen asleep in the late afternoon heat. One long nap later, she had taken a book to dinner with her to read as she ate alone in the deserted Commons. But now she was wide-awake, hot and restless. She felt the urge to get up and out of that enclosed space-a walk would be nice. But where to go? No doubt Tulip was busy with the after-dinner clean-up, Tod was likely helping, and she knew she didn't want to go anywhere near the handlers' building.
Sticking her wand in the back pocket of her walking shorts, she set out for the lab. It had been a while since she'd checked on Flaime, who she knew was still housed in the east soc lab until his fate was decided.
The camp was especially quiet. There were no lights on in Dr. Voyde's cabin, but Hermione could easily guess where she might be if she wasn't there or in the lab. Random male laughter came from the handlers' building, but she could see no one outside. She had just used the Security Spell to lock her cabin, hoping there wasn't enough heat left in the last few stubborn sunbeams to heat her cabin even further, but she could see that all of the windows in Dr. Null's cabin were as wide open as hers had previously been. There was no one moving around inside, but there was an oil-lamp burning in the window, bright enough to shine warmly from the lengthening shadows of the surrounding trees.
Slipping quietly into the large gray building, Hermione found herself alone as she walked along the dim hallway to the office room and the east soc lab. She faced the enormous one-way mirror, visually scanning the woods-like terrain. The waning natural light from the glass panes overhead was still bright enough to spot any movement, but she saw none. Although it took her ten minutes or so, she finally spotted Flaime, high up on a wide ledge leading to one of the cave shelters. He was lying on his side, apparently asleep, slightly curled into a fetal position with one shaggy arm cradling his enormous head. She wondered at first if he was all right, but then she watched as he stirred, stretched, and rolled a bit to calmly settle into another position. If he was concerned about what was to become of him, there was no indication of that this evening.
Sighing that her walk hadn't evolved into anything even remotely interesting, Hermione turned to go and nearly tripped. Someone had left one of the huge sacks of dog biscuits lying open near the door; they'd probably been on their way to distribute them into the training rooms. Or maybe they'd been abandoned in the confusion last night since they were used to reward the dogs for their hard work in the runs...
The dogs, Hermione thought, I've never seen the dogs.
Although at first she was uncertain of pursuing her idea after the eerie feelings of last night, she tried to think about it in the more rational light of day and after several hours of sleep had returned her sense of reason. She'd never feared dogs before - well, aside from Fluffy, perhaps-but normal dogs, even large ones like Fang, had always attracted her, not repelled her. And certainly these dogs had to be kept in cages- somewhere- when they weren't working as guard dogs.
Suddenly a sly smile lit her face-her walk had just become a little more interesting. Perhaps a little adventure was just what she needed-she'd show Harry and stupid Ron. Turning to scan the desks in the office room, she couldn't immediately see what she was looking for, but in a rubbish bin near the door to the back hallway, she spied it. Shaking off bits of other rubbish, she pulled out a battered burlap sack with several small holes in the body and a seriously frayed edge at the top. She whipped the bag against one of the desk chairs sitting nearby, turning her head to avoid the cloud of dust that came her way. Several whacks later, she went to the huge bag of dog biscuits, filling the burlap bag with handful after handful. Now she was ready for her grand adventure.
She wasn't sure if she was permitted to visit the dogs, but certainly no one had encouraged her in that direction, so she thought it perhaps best to keep the entire excursion under wraps.
From the cement stoop of the east lab entrance, she could look around the camp a bit.
The double fencing was visible all the way around its edge, stopping only at the locked and warded entrance gates that led out onto an open, and empty-for-miles grassland. Furrowing her brow, she hadn't expected to be stymied so quickly. Where could they keep the dogs?
There was one area of fencing she couldn't see well in an area where she'd never had reason to be before. It was visually blocked from where she stood by the lab building and ran between there and the handler's quarters. She looked quickly around the camp again, finding no one about yet aside from Tod, who was busy cleaning something outside of his and Tulip's apartment in back of the kitchen. She could vaguely hear his rambling voice as he chattered in his native house-elf tongue with Tulip, apparently still inside. But Hermione wanted to take no chances.
She slipped inside the building again, sneaking through the office room with her bag of dog biscuits and tiptoeing into the back hallway that led out to the habitat. Briefly considering heading into the natural habitat itself, she realized that it would soon be dark and that the habitat was likely not the best place for a young unarmed witch after dark when there were warring Yeti males about. But there was another door there at the end of the hallway, one she had never gone through...
Hermione opened it slowly and stepped out onto another cement stoop, this time to the west end of the building. The double fencing stopped to the right of her with a gate leading into the dog runs. And-could it be? To the left of her lay a narrow dirt road, passing within twenty meters of the handlers' quarters and running alongside the edge of the habitat's enormous fences, but with low brush growing along its edges. Even though the light was fading quickly, she could see that some two hundred meters down the road were several more small outbuildings. If she squinted her eyes, she could vaguely see one or two four-legged creatures wandering about in front of one of the long, narrow ones. That had to be them.
Crouching low behind the brush so as not to be seen from the handlers' building, Hermione stepped quickly and lightly, following the arc of the huge habitat fence. Lucky I'm not on the far side of the fence across the road-likely that one's got ward alarms that would go off like fireworks if I was over there.
Once she was out of visual range of the handler's quarters, she could walk more upright and much more swiftly. She was no more than halfway there when she realized she was on the right track-the outbuilding she'd spotted earlier held kennels for a number of dogs. Apparently the animals had already heard her coming, but she must have been downwind, for they weren't yet certain if she was familiar or not and due to their strict training, they stayed quiet until they found out for sure.
In the front, open areas of the individual kennels, where there had previously only been one or two dogs, there were now four, standing at their individual fences and watching her walk up the road. Another appeared from one of its doorway out of the building in the back, then two more, until there were seven dogs total watching Hermione. She was within ten meters of them when the first dog barked, setting off a chain reaction. Why didn't I think of that?
Quickly Hermione stepped aside into the bushes again in case the dogs' barking had alerted someone. She dropped the bag of biscuits on the ground, reached in to pull one out and threw it with all her might toward the kennels. The biscuit dropped to the ground about three meters shy, which only seemed to irritate the dogs. Crouching low and looking back toward the camp, she saw no indication that anyone was concerned and on their way, but something told her she needed to find a way to shut the dogs up or get herself out of there fast.
Glancing down at the bag of dog biscuits lying open and fully aware that she'd already come up short on her most powerful throw, she rolled her eyes at herself when she heard Ron's words from first year ringing in her mind: Are you a witch or not?
Grabbing her wand from her back pocket, she mumbled an incantation and swirled it until seven dog biscuits were circling in mid-air as if performing some obscure May Day dance. She lifted the circling biscuits higher with her spell, floating them a little above the level of the bushes toward the kennels until they danced above the dogs watching hungrily below. (At least they've stopped their barking, she thought.) Whining, some of the animals stood on hind legs to try and get closer while the others just watched the floating biscuits, mesmerized.
Hermione incanted, watching as the biscuits flew apart, dispersing themselves one to a kennel. While the dogs stood crunching happily, she moved closer. One or two dogs finished quickly and started to growl when they saw the unfamiliar girl approaching their kennels. She stopped and performed the entire feat once more-which seemed to convince the dogs that she was indeed friend, not foe. This time when she moved closer, they growled no more.
Life experience had taught her that it was foolish to go sticking your hands into the cages of unfamiliar dogs, especially those who had likely been trained to kill. But she held her hand low and a few centimeters from the cages as she spoke in a low, soothing voice and moved from one kennel to the next down the row. This way the dogs could learn her scent and learn that she was a friend with dog biscuits and good intentions in hand. She had so few friends here at Trapperton, she figured the more she could make (be they human or not), the better off she would be.
The dogs themselves were beautiful specimens of their species: Dobermans, German Shepherds, and Rottweilers. They were muscular, well-fed, and well-groomed from all appearances; Hermione could only guess that they were well-trained, too. All of them wandered to the front of the kennels silently to get a whiff of the kind stranger's scent and listen to her tell them what good dogs they were. One or two even wagged their tails in greeting, though others seemed to think that just a bit too undignified and friendly for a first meeting. But no matter what their greeting, each dog was paid for their acceptance of her with another dog biscuit or two, hand-fed through the fencing this time.
Though there were ten kennels, there weren't any dogs kept in the last three. The only other structure nearby was a low cement ring that looked as if it had been used to burn debris of some sort-in fact, it smelled quite strongly of burned meat -perhaps it had something to do with the dogs' food. It was getting quite dark now and in the dim light, it was becoming difficult to see.
Hermione had seen all except the last dog. But this last dog-definitely the largest- was eyeing her strangely, as if thinking, as if trying to recall a scent and a memory. He didn't wag his tail or even come too close to the fence, for it looked as if he almost needed to see her in her entirety-and that he was inherently distrustful.
Taken aback by his strange behavior, Hermione was beginning to worry that perhaps the dog was considering an attack because the look in his eyes was so intense, so focused. Of course, there was nothing he could do to her from inside the confines of the kennel fence, but he could certainly make enough noise to attract attention from the camp and get her in trouble again. She was almost prepared to grab her bag and back slowly onto the road, ready to run, when even in the dusky light, she saw the seventh dog look straight into her eyes.
Suddenly everything came pouring into her mind, so intensely that she gasped and took a step back to steady herself. She saw King's Cross Station and boxes and trolleys and feathers sifting through her field of vision. Cats howled, people scrambled around her, and great booming barks shook the air. A long staff with a bluntly pointed head appeared out of nowhere and stabbed at the dog in front of her again and again, while he yelped and whined.
But the dog before her wasn't yelping and whining now. That had been over a month ago, but she would never, ever forget the doleful look of pain in the dog's huge dark eyes...Could she remember what his name was? She'd only heard it once or twice...
she said in a voice hardly louder than a whisper. The dog cocked his head, if only a fraction of an inch, and his stub of a tail began to move his flanks from side to side. Quickly, she reached into her bag and pulled out a biscuit to hold out for the dog, who now walked forward confidently and gently took it from Hermione's hand. Bruno, that's it, isn't it?
Saying the name seemed to re-start the memories in her mind and her vision followed the length of the staff from its point pounding at Bruno's ribs to the hands that held the staff... She gasped again and her fingers went to her mouth. Oh my word... She looked down at the dog and tried to stabilize her breathing before thinking any further because it came now in quick, uneven gasps. If you're Bruno...
More recent memories instantly flooded her mind. A huge man with a deep, gravelly voice, angry with her and headed her way with a lumbering gait...little girl! growled in anger... a sneering grin and deep, sinister laughter at another man's pain...
The man with the dog, the thought fired into her mind. Carl, the man unofficially in charge of Voyde's men, is the man with the dog.
Her head began to spin and Hermione seriously thought she might pass out then and there. But how would she explain having fainted near the guard dogs' kennels to Dr. Null and the others? Heedless of where she'd be sitting, Hermione let her knees buckle and she plopped to the ground cross-legged. She knew quite well that if she didn't sit just then, she was going to fall face-first into the dirt.
The handlers...the handlers too... all of them. They're the men from King's Cross, the ones who met Carl by the stairs-they have to be. Their size, their evil laughter...their enjoyment of someone else's suffering...they had to be the same men from the station.
Five weeks ago, they were on their way here, from King's Cross to Trapperton, just as she had made her way in a more roundabout manner and with a few other stops in-between. That's how she had vaguely recognized Otto and Ulav, at first thinking that they reminded her of the new neighbors back home. But that wasn't where she'd seen them at all.
Now she knew why the men went out of their way to stay clear of her-and had probably advised Voyde to do the same. They had recognized her too, only much sooner than she'd managed to put everything together. Hermione wondered who had recognized her first. Probably Carl, she thought, then he had, of course, passed the word along to Dr. Voyde-no wonder the woman hated me from the moment she met me.
She thought she had nearly pulled herself together enough to stand without feeling faint again when she heard Bruno bark in front of her. Looking up, she thought he was barking at her, but realized differently when she saw him staring down the road in the same direction from where she had come. The other dogs began to bark and she whipped around to see what all of the noise was directed at.
Someone was coming. She could now vaguely hear whistling and the crunching of heavy footsteps coming down the road, though it was difficult to gauge how far away they were due to the barking. A light was flashing bright, then dull, then bright again, as if a lantern was swinging with the rhythm of someone's gait.
Suddenly Hermione heard rustling in the brush on the far side of the tall habitat fencing across the road too-from the movement of something very large. The rustling inside the fence seemed to be getting closer at the same speed the person on the road was. She wondered if there was some connection, but she didn't have time to find out-it was time to move if she didn't want to be discovered.
Crouching low so as not to be taller than the level of the low surrounding brush, Hermione gathered her burlap sack and hurried around to the far side of the kennel building. Luckily, the back had a solid structure so that the dogs could find shelter from bad weather. It also happened to protect someone who was hiding there from being seen from the road.
Throwing her body against the back wall, Hermione listened. That squeaking-it sounded like the wheels on the trolley she used for mail. She could no longer see the road from here, but she could still make out the habitat fencing to her side, since it was open between that fencing and her. The cement ring was also partially visible on the far side of the kennel building.
The dogs' behavior had changed as the person approached. The general warning barks had turned into snapping and saliva-filled snarling-Hermione could hear the dogs charging their chain-link fences.
Suddenly the whistling stopped. Shut yer faces, you bloody mongrels! Hermione could barely hear the man over the noise of the dogs, but she soon heard a short sizzling sound and several yelps. Then the dogs quieted.
And yeah, I know you're there, you ugly thing, she heard a deep voice mutter when the whistling stopped nearby; she briefly wondered who he meant and if she'd been seen somehow after all. You're riiiggghhht - there!
Something whizzed through air across the open space and she saw a flash of light explode close to the habitat fence. Its several-second illumination showed quick movement that shook the tall bushes; branches snapped and leaves scattered in the air. But Hermione saw nothing else.
Damn! Missed seeing yer pretty face, the deep voice said. It wasn't Carl, but judging from the accent and the surliness, the voice definitely belonged to one of the other handlers. She heard large, heavy boxes drop and the light finally settled in one place.
She heard human grunting and some scuffling around in the dirt, then the boxes were dropped again, but this time she could see one edge of several of them sticking out of the top of the cement fire ring.
How sad all this food fer yer kind went bad-musta been the heat, I reckon, the voice said. Say goodbye to yer supper - Inflamare!
Hermione flattened herself to the wall as bright light from the now-flaming boxes illuminated her hiding place-she silently scooted away toward the far corner of the building to fall deeper into the shadows. Still, she couldn't see anyone-which meant that, thankfully, they couldn't possibly see her.
But she wasn't prepared at all for what she did see. The light was also illuminating a very large and furry face as it peered through the habitat fencing. One of the Yeti that she didn't recognize was looking longingly toward the boxes that were aflame. The pungent smell of burning meat wafted through the air, but it didn't smell putrid in any way. Staring for several minutes, the Yeti froze and was silent. Then it charged.
Another light, brighter even than the flame, flashed blue and orange the moment the Yeti touched the fence. Some unseen force hummed and threw the creature back several meters to the ground, causing the Yeti to yelp out in pain, surprise, or both.
All seven dogs began to bark and snarl, jumping at their kennel fences again the instant the Yeti charged the barrier.
Scrambling to its feet, the creature stood back from the fence this time, but its sad and frustrated face gave away what it was thinking. Slowly opening its jaws, it released one of the sorrowful yells like Hermione had heard the night before; that set off the dogs even more.
Hermione's eyes flew wide and she clenched her teeth to keep from crying out-especially when she heard deep laughter.
Yeh stupid animal-yeh'll never learn those wards are there, will ya? the voice asked when the laughter had died. We shoulda let yeh just eat that rubbish. Woulda served yeh right.
Closing her eyes for a moment then to try and calm herself, flashes of the cut across Flaime's back and Starr emphatically insisting that Sloane had hurt Trey flew through her mind. Just the handler's attitude made her wonder if Flaime's attack on Sloane hadn't been unprovoked aggression, but revenge.
Solid proof, Null had said, hard evidence.
She didn't care how long it took or what she had to do to get it. Hermione knew she had to keep herself out of trouble long enough to find that hard evidence, but I will, she vowed...I will.