PANIC PANIC PANIC

Collision.

A hard, razor-edged thing gripped my torso, dragging me down forcefully. A stream of panicked curses flew through Numberita as I thrashed clumsily, my stomach searing with heat as the beast's scales sliced easily through my shirt. From the corner of my eye I spotted Al surging forward, his mouth open and his eyes wide. I was now upside down (or at least I thought I was - it was a bit difficult to make sense of anything at this point), my head spinning as I struggled to make out my attacker. The thing wrapped around my waist dwarfed my body and was covered in jagged scales that curved elegantly along its sinewy length.

Numberita struggled to flit through her mental bank of magical creatures, pushing away the numbing fog of pain. I blearily squinted through the darkened waters, my eyes traveling the long mass's length as it disappeared into the roiling waters. It almost looked like a basilisk...yet we were underwater. I hissed as another scale dug painfully into my side. The creature wrenched me to the side, my head snapping back from the sudden movement. I caught a glimpse of an angry red glow emanating from beneath a cage of gleaming teeth and eyes that glowed like embers about to burst. The beast snapped its jaw shut, releasing a plume of fire that burned even underwater. The burns on my palms stung in response to the sudden heat, and I almost sobbed aloud.

A leviathan. The one underwater creature that ruled the rest. No one knew exactly how long it was, but from the looks of it, it would easily dwarf even the largest basilisk. I appeared to be caught by the very edge of its tail - the thinnest part. Its entire body was lined with streamlined fins that jutted out from its heavily armored body, and scarlet fire glowed inside its gaping mouth. Predator. Threat. Death.

I fought the urge to allow panic to consume me. Think, Adela. Think. In the roiling mess of burning bubbles that now surrounded me, I had lost all sight of Al and Lysander. I could only hope that they had gotten away in time. My breaths raked against my chest as I began to panic, my webbed hands pulling uselessly at the beast's muscular tail. Right. Calm.

I took a long, shuddering breath. Then I closed my eyes, flinching occasionally when I felt another burst of heat. I blocked out the pain, the heavy water, the scales scraping against my skin -

Breathe.

When my eyes opened once more, I had calmed down considerable. My surroundings were no longer a whirling mess of fear and pain but an organised set of events capable of being manipulated.

Leviathan (n): a fearsome beast protected by impenetrable scales covering every area of its body. Predator. Carnivore. To be avoided at all costs. Evolved to be the fiercest predator of the sea, armed to the teeth (literally) and able to repel even the strongest of combative spells.

If combative spells would do nothing against the leviathan, I'd just have to try something different.

I split my surroundings into different categories, Numberita rapidly sorting the leviathan, the water, even my shirt into Threat or Tool.

One. My wand, digging into my side. Tool.

Two. A small space between my left rib and the scale. Tool.

Three. My hand, reaching quickly down to grasp polished wood. Tool.

Four. A push of my index finger, tilting the wand so its tip just grazed the beast's (Threat) side.

Five. A memory of a spell hidden deep within the chocolate-smeared pages of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5. Tool.

Six. Rictusempra. Tool.

Seven. The beast's tail (Threat), rearing back in surprise as the scales designed to protect its body against the fiercest of attack spells are rendered useless under an innocent tickling spell.

Eight. Sinking down, my ears popping as I dropped from the beast's loosened grasp.

Nine. A push of my arms, kicking my legs forcefully as I dodged the beast's lashing body.

Ten. Contact.

Grasping the leviathan's skull with white-knuckled fingers, I hooked my legs around its head, clinging to its warm body. The beast barely noticed the pressure, still overcome with convulsions as it struggled to dispel the spell. It happened to glance up, its glowing eyes meeting mine. My wand was raised in a second, and I uttered a quick obscuring spell that mimicked the effects of the infamous Peruvian instant darkness powder. I fitted the magic quickly around the leviathan's eyes, effectively blinding it as I allowed myself to slip away from its head. The water was significantly warmer now; Numberita estimated that it was around thirty-three degrees celsius. My fingers and feet were itching now, my skin crawling as the gills slowly began to recede back into my flesh. How long had it been since I'd consumed the gillyweed?

I barely managed to dodge the leviathan's thrashing tail as I swam furiously towards the white door, keeping my eyes fixated on the glowing wood determinedly. Hopefully Al and Lysander were waiting there. If they weren't...no. I couldn't afford to worry about that right now. They'd be there. They had to be.

My lungs were tightening, itching madly as the gillyweed rapidly lost effect. I gritted my teeth, scanning the dark waters for a flash of tousled black hair.

A sudden roar and burst of heat from behind alerted me to the leviathan's presence. Shoot. It must have broken through my spell. I cringed, increasing my speed slightly as I swam desperately forward, forcing myself to look ahead. Something that felt very much like a knife-lined bludger slammed into my leg, spinning me down through the water's depths as I gasped in surprise.

Great. Just bloody great.

I struggled to right myself as I spun slowly through the water, my legs folded over my head as I tumbled past the empty waters. All the fish had fled in the leviathan's presence - and with good reason. The predator - who had probably been placed near the door to guard the Ministry's possessions - sliced through the water, its glowing eyes narrowed as billowing bubbles streamed from its thin nostrils; it was literally boiling the water around it. I flinched, looking wildly around for something - anything - that could be used as a weapon. Nothing.

Already the heat was stifling, pressing against me greedily as the leviathan grew closer, and closer, and closer.

Seven meters.

Six and a half meters.

Five meters.

Four meters.

Three-

I raised my wand with trembling hands, gripping the wood between my rapidly-disappearing fins.

A burst of golden light flashed from my right as a trio of arrows burst into existence, tearing through the water to pierce the tender area between the leviathan's immense eyes. It roared, rearing back with another lash of its sinewy tail -

I quickly followed the spell back to its caster, a relieved grin splitting my face as I spotted narrowed green eyes and lips set in a familiar scowl.

Al.

I began to swim towards him, turning my back to the white door. Immediately his face sharpened, and he shook his head quickly, sending another array of bubbles spinning up to the unseeable surface.

He pointed emphatically behind me - to the door - before turning back towards the leviathan, slashing his wand determinedly and unleashing another spell. I frowned, my eyes darting from the door - only eight meters away - to Al.

I looked back at Al just in time to see the leviathan's tail snap forward, catching his arm in its iron grip. That did it. I tensed my shoulders, preparing to surge forward -

A hand yanked me back forcefully, tearing my singed shirt.

Stern yellow-grey eyes met mine. Lysander shook his head, pointing back towards the door. I frowned, moving to shrug his hand off -

He rolled his eyes (well then). Then he swam a few paces away, and, pointing his wand at the area just beside me, muttered, "Incendio."

What? Why was he -

The spell erupted in a ball of flames that disappeared as quickly as they appeared, swallowed by the heavy mass of water. The force of the explosion - and rapid warming of the water - released a massive ripple that propelled my unwilling body toward the door.

Oh. Oh. He'd known the added heat would create a momentary surge of kinetic energy that could force a human body forward. Smart.

My admiration, however, was quickly replaced with anger. My body had finally stopped moving, leaving me at the door's edge. I quickly turned, calculating the distance - sixteen meters - between my body and Al.

The leviathan snarled, pulling blue-black lips back to reveal gleaming teeth that thirsted for battle -

And suddenly Lysander was there, flinging his skinny arms wide, his billowing cloak sliding down his bony arms -

A bright flash, followed quickly by another wave of heat as Lysander shot another incendio in Al's direction. Al opened his mouth in protest, his hips snapping back as the water pushed him towards me.

The leviathan roared again, whipping its head back and forth as it eyed Lysander balefully. Lysander stared back unblinkingly before extracting his wand from the sleeve of his robe once more. The leviathan hissed, noxious bubbles billowing from its slit-like nostrils. Lysander, never breaking the beast's gaze, slowly lifted first one finger, then another, and another until finally he held on to the slim wood with only his thumb and pointer finger.

Was he going to -

Lysander dropped the wand. My mouth was still half-open in surprise, and I watched the glowing wand's slow descent down into the impenetrable depths of the room mournfully. Why had he thrown away his only chance of defending himself?

Numberita was broken from her thoughts as Al softly collided with my chest, and I instinctively grabbed onto his shoulders, gritting my teeth when his weight began to pull me down. He touched my wrist softly by way of thanks before pointing to Lysander and then the rapidly disappearing wand. His expression of utter horror would have been comical in different circumstances.

Of course, I was sure I bore the same expression. We were too far from Lysander to even hope of helping him, but that didn't stop Al for trying, for he gritted his teeth determinedly and pushed his arms forward with a powerful surge.

I was still watching Lysander. Why was the leviathan just...sitting there (or hovering - could one sit underwater?). Lysander kept his palms open, his eyes never leaving the leviathan's as he slowly, slowly bowed. Weird. He was using the same exact approach you'd use for a hippogriff...but this was a fire-breathing, armored beast.

The leviathan snorted, releasing another plume of bubbles. Lysander waited patiently, still in a bent position that must have been quite uncomfortable to maintain underwater. My breath caught as the leviathan blinked deliberately before inclining its head slightly.

Merlin. Merlin's beard! Lysander had managed to calm it down!

I turned to share my excitement with Al, but he was no where to be found.

Wha-

Oh. Oh fu-Cornelius Fudge on a stick.

He was still swimming determinedly forward, too fixated on his goal to notice that the leviathan had bent its head out of respect and not as a precursor to some terrifying attack.

I surged forward, away from the door, and groaned when I realised that he was too far ahead to stop.

Think, Numberita. Think. Lysander and the leviathan were too busy (luckily) to notice Al's rapid approach. I was too far away to reach him physically…

But I, unlike Lysander, still had my wand.

I forced myself to take another breath before raising my wand carefully, narrowing my eyes as I directed the glowing rope towards Al's body. The rope obeyed reluctantly, moving sluggishly through the thick water.

There. It wrapped around his ankle firmly, and I carefully pulled my wand back, my teeth gritting as I focused on the task. Al's mouth opened in surprise as the rope dragged him backwards, but I ignored his angry expression, instead jabbing pointedly in Lysander's direction. His brows furrowed in confusion, but he followed my gaze, his eyes widening when he saw Lysander lightly brushing his palm against the leviathan's brow. Lysander looked completely at peace, his yellow-grey eyes serenely calm.

The leviathan huffed again, ruffling Lysander's pale hair softly, before slipping away with another swish of its immense tail. The force of the movement propelled Al across the last few meters to the door.

"Merlin's beard," Al mouthed. I nodded, still staring at Lysander disbelievingly. After three seconds he swam over, his face emotionless once more.

"Wh-" I began to mouth. Al shook his head, pointing at the rapidly-receding webbing between my fingers. Right. In all of the excitement, I'd completely forgotten the whole "Gillyweed's effects are running out - PANIC PANIC PANIC" thing.

Lysander reached past us, touching the door with the same hand that had stroked the leviathan. I noticed with a start that his fingers were sprinkled with some blue substance that seeped into the white door, momentarily staining it a deep indigo. The door hummed before sliding open, revealing a dry room. A similar water barrier rippled in the doorway, and I cautiously stuck my hand through the divide. I immediately felt cool (though slightly damp) air slide soothingly across my wrinkled fingertips.

Dry land! My throat and lungs were now firmly in their PANIC NEED AIR mode, so I thrust myself unhesitatingly through the barrier, falling to the gritty stone ground in a disheveled heap. Al and Lysander soon followed, the last of the fins melting back into their skin.

After eight seconds, I turned to Lysander. "What did you do? How did you kno-"

He shrugged. "She was just doing her job. I just asked for permission," he said offhandedly. He'd asked it for permission. It - the huge, fire-breathing beast. If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed it...but here we were, miraculously alive - and we owed that to Lysander. Whatever he'd done, it had worked.

Then he started forward determinedly, his black rope leaving a trail of water behind him.

"Come," he called over his shoulder. "Stay close; there are blibbering humdingers everywhere down here."

Though Numberita automatically scoffed at the idea of blibbering humdingers (honestly, if no one's ever seen them, then how do you know they exist?), Lysander had known what to do with the leviathan. So I followed him without protest, keeping a firm grip on my wand and glancing warily at the eerie blue torches lining the walls.

The small hallway - only around five meters in length - quickly widened into a massive room, the gritty stones giving way to a prickly, green-black pasture. The grass was around a meter tall, and it scratched uncomfortably against my legs. The room was around nine meters tall and wide enough that I couldn't see the sides. The whole room was lit with something that looked like sunlight, and when I looked up I could see small clouds bumping against the ceiling. The grass continued for as far as I could see, rippling in an unseen wind (odd, considering this room was deep underground and supposedly closed off). It made me uneasy; the vegetation was just tall enough that I couldn't see the ground. Who knew what sort of creatures were lurking underneath? Still, I had to reach that phoenix before the Bulgarians' sponsors did.

"Merlin," Al muttered behind me. "Who on earth thought up these rooms?"

Lysander smiled. "This one's my favourite," he confessed. Then he tossed us massive, sparkly glasses that he'd retrieved from the sleeves of his robes (Merlin, how much stuff was he hiding in there?). The lenses were two different colours, and almost comically round.

Al stared down at his pair in disbelief, wrinkling his nose slightly. I ran my hands over the frame curiously, feeling a slight slippery texture over the glass - some sort of spell, then.

"They're Spectrespecs," Lysander said serenely, slipping his own pair over his luminous eyes.

"They won't keep away the wrackspurts, but at least you'll be able to see them," he continued. I looked dubiously down at the glasses again; the lenses were highly tinted, so my vision would be obscured if I wore them.

Then an image of the roaring leviathan slipped into Numberita again, and I shivered, donning the glasses quickly. Lysander was an Unspeakable and my friend. If I couldn't trust him, who could I trust? I surveyed my surroundings (which were, in fact, now tinted an odd red-blue), scowling when I saw Al's shoulders shaking as he stared at me, his lips curving into a wide grin.

"Oh, sod off," I snapped, though a smile threatened to pull my lips up. I plucked his glasses from his loosened grip (the git was practically shaking from the effort to keep his laugh silent) and shoved it onto his face. There. Now he looked just as ridiculous as I did.

He wrinkled his nose.

"Why are we wearing this?" he whispered.

"Because Lysander saved both our arses back there," I replied quietly. Then I hurried forward to catch up to Lysander, pushing past the surprisingly-thick grass as I ran. I heard Al sigh again behind me, but he soon caught up, pulling easily beside me.

Lysander halted, staring wordlessly at something to his right. What was he looking at? I narrowed my eyes, squinting through the thick coloured glass to make out a fuzzy, small cloud of something that looked like a crowd of gnats. These gnats, however, were larger, and they were almost translucent, shifting in and out of focus. They were also much larger than the average gnat, with pointed limbs and bulging eyes.

"Wrackspurts," Lysander breathed. I frowned. Wrackspurts didn't exist - those were probably some subspecies of fairy. I stepped closer to get a better look, and a small twig snapped under my feet.

The cloud hummed, zeroing in on me.

I swallowed nervously. The not-fairies' limbs were shifting almost imperceptibly, becoming more streamlined as the buzzing grew louder. I'd never heard of a fairy who could do that.

"Um, just wondering," I began, watching as the cloud drew closer. "What exactly do wrackspurts do?"

"Cloud the mind. In extreme cases they can make you go insane," he said.

I nodded. "Brilliant," I said. Well, there was only one way to check - I slowly reached up, pulling the glasses down carefully. The cloud disappeared immediately, though the buzzing remained.

…

Remind me never to doubt Lysander ever again. I slipped the glasses on hurriedly, grabbing at Al's dark sleeve.

"We should run," I said. He nodded, keeping his eyes on the rapidly approaching wrackspurts.

We took off, following Lysander through the scratchy grass. When I stumbled over a hidden log, Al gripped my arm, saving me from a potentially disastrous fall.

"Thanks," I gasped out, pushing my sweaty hair away from my forehead. He nodded, glancing back at the cloud again.

Merlin, Lysander was fast. My legs were much shorter than my companions (unfortunately), and I soon found myself falling behind. Al stayed with me, though his frequent looks back and the strained expression on his face indicated his worry.

"Go ahead," I rasped. Note to self: skip the fifth brownie next time. He shook his head stubbornly.

"Lysander!" he shouted. "Any way to get rid of them?" Lysander, who was now a good six and a half meters ahead of us, said, "Think happy thoughts!" before disappearing.

Yes, you read that correctly. He disappeared. In a completely level field. Leaving us alone with an angry crowd of wrackspurts that I hadn't known existed with only the sage advice of "think happy thoughts."

I exchanged a disbelieving look with Al before increasing my pace, my feet pounding against the marshy ground.

Six meters.

The buzzing surrounded us now, and I saw a shimmering wrackspurt slip through Al's right ear. He slapped at his neck, but already three more were climbing eagerly through his left ear. I felt a light tickling on my neck. I flinched, instinctively moving my wand to point at my ear.

Al slapped my hand away.

"Adela," he said. "It's too close to your head." His words were a bit garbled, and he kept shaking his head distractedly. I nodded, stumbling over another stick as the wrackspurts clung on to my head. I could feel them buzzing around in Numberita, flinging themselves against my scalp. I clung to my head, gripping my tangled hair with my fingers as my pace slowed.

All I could hear was the buzzing, pressing closer and closer. The wrackspurts were everywhere, clawing up my throat, thrashing in my head, and Numberita was drowning in them and the world was spinning and all I could see was bulging eyes and greedy, greedy mouths -

I hated wrackspurts.

Author Note; Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it. As always, all reviewers will get a teaser of the next chapter! C: