Oops.
Far, far too slowly, the street was emptying. Abruptly, a lamp post shot downward, she heard the light fitting shattering against the kerb. As vehicles emptied out from the side road, she could see something shimmering beginning to rise behind them.
Tonks arrived just as the thing, floating gently upwards, finished emerging, leaving a wide, circular pit cutting into the pavement on either side of the roadway. At the bottom of the hole, Snape appeared to have trapped something in an upside down cauldron. 'Responds to "Accio" but splits apart very easily,' he called up.
Right. Because what they needed were lots and lots of little, floating, universal solvents. Multiple cracks like the sound of gunshot or a car engine misfiring announced the arrival of Aurors at both end of the street.
On the far side of the pit, a taxi was stopped, turned sideways on, the driver out and watching narrow eyed. A short distance along the road on her side, the rear door of a crew bus was gone. The line of vehicles having stopped, its passengers were climbing silently out onto the road. The driver of a car that had been approaching from her side had been less fortunate and sat at an angle, staring down, clinging to a steering wheel that was attached to nothing at all. The front of the vehicle was entirely absent, what remained of the floor resting just short of the rim with the front doors collapsed on either side of it. Tonks leviosa'd what remained round through a quarter turn away from the hole. The driver looked up at her. 'Seatbelts,' she said. 'Marvellous invention.'
Methodically, he released himself and climbed out of the wreckage. 'What is that?' he asked, quite politely as a breeze caught the alkahest, or whatever it was and took out the top of a bus stop and drifted against a wall. 'It followed the structure of the vehicle, like a raindrop on glass, clinging as it rose,' he marvelled.
As gently as she could, Tonks summoned the balloon which stretched towards her threatening to split in two before snapping free of the wall and rebounding. Wibbling, it continued to rise, but now away from anything it could damage. More Aurors were arriving. Still calmly, her companion regarded the sudden appearances. 'You know,' he continued, 'it resembles a gas or a plasma in some sort of membrane. But the volume compared with mass of consumed material . . . It appears to be vanishing rather than dissolving. How very odd. . . .' He turned his attention to the wand she was holding. 'Would you happen to know if it's following the usual laws of physics?'
'Probably not,' she told him.
'Magic then, rather than technology?'
''Fraid so.'
'Airport flight paths,' said the Muggle thoughtfully, watching the gently rising menace. 'Were it cooled, would it sink do you think? If so, it might help to keep it at a safe altitude until it can be contained.'
A cooling charm shot up from behind Tonks, penetrating the balloon causing it to ripple into a riot of colours before accelerating straight back down the hole from which it had emerged. The unspeakable strode from behind her to look down into the pit. 'Pity it's not an alkahest. It would have been useful.'
'So where does the vanished material go?' asked the muggle.
That's an interesting question, with a rather complicated answer,' replied Madame Quatermass. 'Perhaps for another time?'
'Which would suggest that I'm going to be allowed to remember this?'
'I am sorry.' From the robed figure's posture, this was the truth. 'You must understand . . .'
'Oh I do. The question is: what happens when it comes back up?
'Why would it come back up?' enquired Quatermass before answering herself. 'The planet's core is molten. Ye Gods, I'd forgotten about that. I suppose we'd better think up some way to catch it.'
'I think Professor Snape has managed to contain some of it,' Tonks interjected.
'I suppose it will come up the same way it went down,' the man said, dubiously. 'Otherwise we could have tunnels all over. Might be interesting to calculate . . .'
'Tunnels?' The Unspeakable's left hand shot out, grabbing hold of the muggle. 'Right,' she said. 'You're coming with me.'
They vanished.
Down below, the thing that wasn't an alkahest had polished off the floor of the laboratory and continued down. Snape had another sample of it floating. She watched as he manoeuvred it towards his inverted cauldron before apparating down to help.
'Stay back.'
Apparently, he didn't want her assistance. The floating sphere stopped and then bobbed downwards before reversing its course and drifting up into the cauldron suspended above it. The Potions Master snapped the lid into place, turned the cauldron the right way up and sat it on a cupboard before casting a chilling and then a locking charm. Ignoring her, he returned to the remains of the doorway and peered down into the darkness.
'Professor Snape.'
'I'm busy.'
'This won't take long. While you were at school something happened as a result of which Remus Lupin was the last werewolf ever enrolled. Some of them, apparently, think you are to blame for that.'
There followed a long pause while Snape sent a light floating into the hole. 'I can't help you.'
'Severus . . .'
'Miss Tonks, I cannot help you.'
It took a second to realise what he was telling her. 'You're oath bound.' He was back to staring down. 'Who can help?'
Longbottom, now dressed in plain robes as supplied by Saint Mungo's to persons who, as the result of accidental damage, needed a change of clothes, drifted in and, careless of Snape's mood, joined them beside the abyss. 'You could ask Harry,' he suggested mildly.
'Potter?' queried Tonks. 'How would he know?'
'Because he's Harry Potter. Honestly, he doesn't go looking for trouble. Most of the time, he really is just that oblivious. It's more as if any trouble there might be around alters course and goes looking for him. So, Professor Lupin is Harry's friend. It doesn't matter how deep or dark a secret it is, if it's important, somehow Harry'll find out. Luna Lovegood says something or other's following him. That's just the way she talks but she might have a point.' He turned to face her. 'People talk to him because he's . . . well, Harry?' The wizard was now standing within arm's length of Snape and a hole in the ground straight out of something by Coleridge and looking as though he hadn't a care in the world
'How are you feeing, mister Longbottom?' Tonks asked.
'Are you going to arrest me?'
I'd only do that if I wanted to tangle with the Department of Mysteries and I don't. They have no idea how you did that and they'll want your cooperation.'
'Quite right,' said a voice from behind her. We've already sent a team over to Longbottom Manor to erect suitable wards.' Madam Quatermass was holding the cauldron containing the sample of Longbottom's creation and lifting the lid off it. 'Runes on the inside. Clever.'
'That is my cauldron,' objected Snape. 'Unhand it at once.' But both the Unspeakable and the cauldron were gone.
Snape's eyes glinted. 'Not a good idea to follow her,' suggested Tonks. 'And anyway, it's likely the rest of it will be back up just as soon as it's warm enough' There was a clattering from above as a temporary surface was put in place and that was when Tonks noticed the updraft from the pit. Peering down into darkness, she forced her eyes to adjust. 'There's something coming up.'
Blue lightening arced from below hitting her shoulder and pushing her backwards. As she staggered upright, Snape caught and prevented her from tipping forward into the pit. With her hand on his shoulder, she could stand, just about, but fighting wasn't going to be an option for a while. She felt as though she'd been electrocuted and distinctly woozy.
'Tunnels,' Quatermass had said before disappearing. Unfortunately, very often tunnels meant goblins: in this case what looked like a war party, standing on a circular metal plate hovering over the entrance to the pit. Goblins armed, not just with swords, halberds and other assorted stabby things, but objects composed of bulbous, faintly radiant crystal and flowing, art nouveau lines in what looked like a mixture of silver, gold and electrum.
'Shiny,' thought Tonks.
'Explain.' The goblin's request was entirely reasonable.
'Oh no,' Longbottom murmured. 'Please tell me no one's been hurt.'
'Not yet.'
Longbottom took a deep breath. 'I'm a herbologist. I was performing a practicum in order to obtain accreditation to supply herbs to Saint Mungo's . . .'
The goblin held up a hand to silence him and turned to address Snape. 'Is that one entirely sane?'
'Mr. Longbottom possesses an unusual, if not unique, ability with regard to potions.'
'Would he be the person responsible for the recent incursion?'
'He did not send it down. That must be put down to stupidity. He did, however, create it. Theoretically, given the constituents, such an anomaly should have been possible and we would like it back for investigation.' There was a long silence while the goblins considered Snape. 'I have here my own notes?'
Grudgingly, the goblin accepted and perused a small, black notebook. One eyebrow rose.
'I am ready to swear to their veracity,' Snape offered.
'Indeed?' The goblin turned to consider the younger wizard, 'Would this be the individual referred to as "The Cauldron Killer"?'
'It would.'
'You! Longbottom. Was it your intention to cause devastation?
'The absolute truth,' hissed Snape.
'I . . .' Longbottom began and halted before trying again. 'I have no argument with goblins. If I have caused harm then I would welcome the opportunity to rectify it or make what reparation I can. I love plants! I'm good with plants.'
A low discussion in gobbledegook from near the back of troop followed, finally resulting in weapons being pointed downward. The spokesgoblin turned to Tonks. 'To perform magic before the tingling has stopped would be unwise. And uncomfortable. Especially do not attempt to turn into a dragon. Smiling, he turned to Longbottom. 'Tell me, young plantsman, have you heard of the Climbing Gardens of the Many Small Worlds?
'The D' Oh Nile of Ickle E-Bog? Of course. Who hasn't?'
'You can pronounce it? Well, wizard, how would you like to see them?
'They were destroyed with Atlantis.'
'And rebuilt. Not a single variety of plant was lost. Seven times in seven continents to ensure that no plant would ever be lost. In each case, the rebuilding formed the heart of new and greater plantations, arguably the most superb of which lies directly beneath us. Would you like to come and see?'
Longbottom's mouth hung open; a hunger filled his eyes.' I should tell my grandmother,' he cavilled.' I'm already later than expected.'
'If you do not come right now then I fear that you never will. The Unspeakables would never authorise such wanderings by one of theirs. But, where a relationship already exists, even with such as the Horde, they can choose to accept and work around it. Let us show you the sacred gardens and you shall come and go as you desire. No harm shall ever befall you at our hands, rather we can protect you.'
'Some would give a hand and an eye for the opportunity,' Snape hissed. 'You'd be a fool not to accept.'
'You want to be rid of me. You would say that. You hate me.'
'I will if you're mad enough to turn them down.'
Swaying slightly, Longbottom considered. 'Would it be possible for Professor Snape to accompany us?'
'Of course.' On the plate, the goblins shifted across to make room.
'Then we humbly accept your offer. Miss Tonks, do you think you could see that my grandmother is informed? '
Tonks found herself falling into a hastily conjured chair. 'What?
