Hermione shuddered down the stairs clutching some cocoa. "LINK!" She bolted upstairs and came back down carrying a small vial of Essence of dittany.
"Impa... I need to tell you my nightmare..."
Impa placed Link on a dining chair carefully and straightened up, "Go on..."
She gasped, "There was a lot... Irrelevant... But ... There was THAT DOG ... Attacking me..." Tears started again, "Blood everywhere... And Naia was...Drowning..." Her head fell into her hands as she sobbed "Then I woke up... And IT'S REAL... It...w.. there..."
There was a long pause, then Impa nodded, "Could you have a look in that top cupboard for a jar of red liquid for me?" She said softly.
Naia fluttered back in, "YOU KEEP BLOOD IN A CUPBOARD!?"
Hermione screamed, "NAIA SHUT UP!"
Naia looked shell-shocked but then flew to the table and said, "I was gonna suggest that it is better to keep it in a fridge… Keeps it fresh"
Hermione interrupted again "NOT...THE...TIME!" She hissed.
"It's not blood, it's red potion, fairy!" Impa said angrily.
"Oh, that's good." Naia said,
"But how will a love potion help NOW?!" Hermione screamed. This was really a living nightmare.
"It's not Love potion! It's healing potion!" Impa said impatiently, "Just get it! Quickly, before he loses too much blood!"
Hermione felt useless and just sobbed. But suddenly the tears ran out. She had nothing more to cry. She only felt fear, deep and crippling. She sipped the hot chocolate and it filled her with warmth. Childhood memories flooded back and she remembered a passage of one of her books saying "One way to combat the significant fear left behind as a result of the encounter is chocolate". She knew it wasn't about giant dogs, but it reassured her.
Once Impa had been given the bottle of Red Potion, she pressed it to Link's lips and watched as it disappeared down his throat.
The wound on his wrist healed up, not fully, but healed enough to stimulate the loss of blood.
"Link." She said, shaking him lightly by the shoulders. His eye flickered open, but they were almost closed and he didn't make any other action.
Impa shook her head, "He's lost a lot of blood. Give me that blue potion and it will replenish his blood."
Link had no idea what was happening. All he could see were blurs moving about and he wasn't thinking straight. Where was he? What was happening?
He felt liquid slip down his throat and he coughed a bit. He heard someone say something, but it only registered as a meaningless noise.
Finally, the feeling started to come back in his limbs and he blinked, opening his eyes wider and watching as Impa swam into view, looking at him anxiously.
"I-Impa?" He said, choking a little on his dry throat.
"Thank Nayru you're OK." Impa sighed, getting up from her knees and walking over to Hermione, patting the witch on the shoulder as she walked past.
Link pushed himself up, wincing a little as his wrist stung, "You OK, Hermione?"
"Well...If-by-ok-you-mean-seeing-a-nightmare-and-almost-loosing-sanity,-life-and-limb,-seeing-your-friend-almost-die-and-no-one-hearing-you-scream-and-being-totally-helpless,-then..." She looked at him and the pain in her eyes increased "No!"
"OK, OK!" Link said, gesturing with his hands for her to calm down, "The dog's gone, it's injured, and I'm sure it won't be coming back in a hurry." He said softly, heaving himself up from the chair, "Thanks, Impa, again." He smiled.
"No problem, now get-back-to-bed." She said, ushering them up the stairs.
Hermione kept breathing quickly, but sipped her cocoa. Naia took flight and dived onto her cup and plucked out a marshmallow to eat.
The next morning, they set off up Death Mountain, after saying farewell to Impa.
Hermione had mustered her courage and strength and packed. She was still having a go at Ron for being messy and well, if she was honest, ANNOYING.
Harry was whistling a joyful tune, obviously to keep up the mood.
Link led them up the trail which wound up the side of the mountain, coming to a stop as he saw lava up ahead. He looked back at the others.
"Right," He said, readjusting his hat a bit, "Take it slow... I have a feeling that the Gorons are going to be pretty flighty, so watch out for any traps." He crept forward, drawing the ice rod from his adventure pouch and holding it aloft. Suddenly, ice burst forth from the sphere on the top of the rod, engulfing the lava and sizzling it away until the path was safe enough to cross. Link smiled.
"Brilliant!" Ron said with an excited edge to his voice.
"I just realized, guys." Harry said as they carried on up the slope, "We're wizards, right?"
Ron nodded.
"And we have wands?" Harry sighed, "We could've used aquamenti!"
"Oh." Ron said, looking sheepish, "Oops. Sorry, Link."
"Don't worry yourself." For some reason, Link was in a really good mood. Maybe it was the sense of adventure, "We've got it now, haven't we?"
"True." Harry nodded a little.
"Knowing YOU Ron, you would have forgotten to pack it!" Said Hermione, who wasn't letting it drop.
"Just leave him Hermione, hopefully they get less annoying as they get older..." Naia chided.
"Hopefully" Hermione said, wary of possible traps.
After a long trek up the mountain, they entered a cave. It was massive, a dirt track spiralling down to the bottom where a gigantic pot was stood.
"See that cave entrance at the bottom?" Link said, pointing at a cave at the bottom of this main room.
Harry and Ron nodded.
"That's where the leader of the Gorons lives, Darunia. Let's get down there."
They set off down the slope which spiralled down the sides of the circular cavern.
"Again..how dangerous are these gorgons?" Hermione asked nervously.
"GORONS" Naia corrected.
"Not too dangerous." Link said, tripping up a bit on a small rock but keeping his posture, "Like I said, they're a naturally friendly race."
"Well...um..." Naia started and looked at Hermione "They can be...Hugs... They are made of rocks and live in the volcanoes...So... Well… They are relatively safe." Hermione looked understanding.
Link nodded respectfully at a few Gorons as they passed. They had changed since he had been there last, looking a lot less jovial and a lot more on edge.
Finally, they reached the head Goron's room. It was a large, earthy, torch-lit room. A massive lump of rock was positioned between two torches against the far wall.
"Darunia?" Link said nervously, looking at the lump. It didn't stir. He raised his voice, "Darunia."
There was a loud snort and the lump twitched, a massive, powerful looking Goron emerged from it's ball and slumber. He got to his feet.
"Woa." Both Harry and Ron gasped as Darunia towered above them, gnashing his fists together, a look of thunder on his rough face.
Naia smiled stupidly at it. For her own comfort, "Uh...LINK WILL EXPLAIN. Won't you, Link? Yes you will." She fluttered behind him.
"Uh... Hey!" Link said awkwardly, shifting a bit, "We were wondering if you had a certain wand in your possession?" He bit his lip, waiting in hopeful silence.
"Link? Brother of the Gorons?" Darunia grunted, a smile creeping up his rocky face, "You came back!" He boomed happily, striding over.
"Yeah! Anyway, we-" Link stopped as Darunia patted him on the back. It felt more like getting hit in the back by a bulldozer. He coughed, wheezing a little, but managing to straighten back up again, "We think that you may have traded some of your bomb flowers with King Zora for a wand."
"A wand?" The Goron backed up a little, scratching his chin, "Hm..." He turned away from the group, pushing the wall behind him and opening up a secret room, "Ah." He said.
"Yes!" Ron whispered, balling his fist up in victory as Harry patted him on the shoulder in excitement.
"That is why we blocked the road up here off." Darunia turned to face them again, closing the door behind him with an apologetic expression, "The Gerudos came here a few days ago and raided us for something which they called "The Sacred Wand". Apparently it is extremely valuable."
"And they claimed it?" Link sighed, his face falling from the triumphant smile.
"Indeed."
"You have got to be-" The Hero of Time ran a hand through his hair, his eyes wide, "So I guess it'll be in Gerudo Valley?"
"Yes."
"Right..." Link groaned, "Thanks for the information, Darunia. Off to the west, then!"
"Wait." Darunia boomed, "You have not heard of the recent eruption of Death Mountain?"
"No." Link raised his eyebrows, "Was it major?"
"Well, if you call a dragon killing most of our soldiers major, the yes."
"A dragon?" Of course! Link thought to himself. In the future that almost was, Link had defeated an evil dragon by the name of Volvagia. However, in this timeline, Volvagia must still exist! "And I guess you want me to get rid of it?"
"Well..."
"Right." Link rolled his eyes, "Fine. But only for the heart container..." He mumbled.
"WAIT!" Hermione interjected, "If looking for this wand wasn't dangerous enough already!"
"If you don't want to come along, then you can stay here." Link said, walking to the entrance of a tunnel at the back of Darunias room, "Fine by me." He shrugged, making an exit.
Harry looked at Ron and Ron looked at Harry.
"Shall we?" Harry asked.
"I don't know..." Ron paused, "I mean, he's obviously done things like this before, but us? It's a DRAGON, Harry! We don't know how to fight a dragon!"
Harry looked after Link then shook his head, "Suit yourself... But I'm going." And he ran out before anyone could hold him back.
He followed Link, who hadn't noticed he was being followed, at a distance until they came to a large entrance to what seemed like an old temple.
Link sighed, drawing his sword and walking through the entrance. Harry followed, drawing his wand.
After a few rooms which Harry hid in the shadows and watched Link work out the puzzles, sometimes giving him some anonymous help, they came to what seemed like the crater of the volcano. It was excruciatingly hot.
Link was in a red tunic and wasn't even sweating. Harry, however, was leant up against a boiling hot wall, breathing heavily and sweating buckets.
He watched as the Hero of Time walked slowly onto the centre of the solid crater and drew a massive, silver coloured hammer out of his adventure pouch.
Everything shuddered.
Silence.
BOOM! A Chinese type dragon burst from the crater, showering lava everywhere. Link rose his shield above his head then rolled to the side as the dragon ripped down through the heavy air, swiping its massive claws at Link. He waited as Volvagia repositioned himself, turning around and shooting at the red boy.
He struck at its head with the hammer, knocking it to the floor. The dragon rolled, unconscious into the opposite wall and laid, limp on the ground.
Link walked up to it, puffing, stopping by a gargantuan foot and relaxing, laughing a little to release the tension in his body.
It all happened at once. The dragon's eyes flipped open, its foot shooting up and grabbing Link around the waist, slamming him into the wall beside it.
Link yelled in shock, his sword laying on the ground, out of reach. The beast had him around the throat, slowly chocking him.
It rose another claw, swiping it round and it met flesh. Blood soaked Link's face and arm from two deep wounds, one on his eye and one on his left arm.
"GLACIUS!" Came a bellow, and Volvagia literally froze, ice covering his body. He dropped Link, who collapsed on the ground, clutching his eye, and toppled over backwards, exploding into mere shards of ice as it made impact with the craters floor.
There was a long silence. Harry lowered his wand, looking at the remains of the monster which he had just defeated, shaking, the heat no longer his main priority. He jumped onto the crater, stumbling a bit, disregarding the hot pain on the soles of his feet and sprinting over to Link, who was still laid on the floor.
"Link!" Harry called, skidding to a halt before the pained mass.
Link steadied his breathing, removing his hands from his eye and looking up at Harry, "Harry..." He gasped, "Y-you saved me?"
"I guess you could say that, yes." The Gryffindor held out a hand and the Hylian took it, letting him be pulled to his feet.
"I- I am grateful. It only hit the place under and next to my eye." He tried to open his eye but the eyelids quivered and gave up on him.
"We need to get you to the Gorons." Harry said, grabbing Link's arm and pulling it around his own shoulder, noticing the other laying limp at the side of his already red tunic.
Harry started to walk towards the door, but he tripped on something. He stooped and picked up a heart shaped container. He offered it to Link, who went to take it but stopped himself, looking at Harry,
"You know what?" He smiled, "You keep it."
Harry did as he said, stowing it inside his own adventure pouch. He suddenly felt a lot healthier, a lot more durable. He returned the smile in thanks, continuing on his path.
After a while of trekking, they came to Darunia's room again. Darunia rushed forward, taking Link off Harry's shoulders and helping the injured over to a chair.
Harry sat down next to Ron, wiping sweat off his forehead and sighing heavily.
Darunia was talking to Link, "So? Did you defeat the dragon Volvagia?"
"No." Link sighed and the latter's face fell.
"You did not?" The goron said in a deeply disappointed tone.
Link shook his head, pointing at Harry, "He did."
There was a long silence. Ron broke it,
"You defeated a DRAGON?!" He yelped, "Wow!" He patted Harry on the shoulder, "Well done, mate!"
Harry laughed, embarrassed, "It was adrenaline. I've never been able to perform the glacius charm before."
"No way! You managed to cast it? The only third year to ever do that is Hermione!" He pointed over his shoulder at her with his thumb, his face alight with an awed grin, "And she can pretty much cast anything!"
Darunia walked up to Harry, silencing Ron. He rumbled, "The Gorons are forever in your debt. You have saved us from complete annihilation. Thank you." He held out a massive hand, much like Hagrid's.
Harry took it, smiling. Suddenly, he was pulled into a suffocating hug, also much like Hagrid's.
"No problem." He said in a muffled voice.
Darunia let him go, beaming at him.
Harry looked over at Link, who was downing a bottle of red liquid. He observed as his wounds started to close up, leaving faint scars behind.
Link rummaged in his adventure pouch and withdrew a simple, brown cloth. He started to wipe away the blood on his arm and face. He was strong again, and stood up, packing up his things and walking over to the others.
"We should get going." He nodded, clearing his throat a bit when no one paid attention to him, "We should get going." He repeated, "To Gerudo Valley."