CHAPTER 6

22 December 1998 – The Enchanted Forest

They had been following the blasted purple dust all the way to an old and very cleverly concealed path. Once they had stepped forward on the path, the dust disappeared and so they did the only thing that made sense. They followed the path and have been following the path for days now.

It weaved and meandered its way through the Enchanted Forest. They had been walking hoping for it to come to an end, with Hermione walking ahead. Suddenly without warning she stopped causing Draco to walk into her.

"Woman!" he scolded. "What are you stopping for…." He trailed off finally noticing what Hermione saw.

It was a fairly small clearing and on the other side, the path forked into two different directions. She looked up at Draco, biting her lip nervously.

"How do we know which way to go?" she asked.

"I haven't a clue…" he said though he appeared thoughtful.

However they didn't have much time to consider their option as a rustling from behind them drew their attention away from the path.

Draco and Hermione froze as the rustling grew louder and the footsteps came closer. Instinctively Draco tried to reach for his wand but realised it wasn't there. No magic! The Wizard had said. Dammit!

"Is someone there?" Hermione called trying to keep a steady voice. Draco took a few steps closer to her as he looked around the edge of the clearing. "Who is that?" she called out.

"Who am I ?" a voice called back. "Why the question should be who are you?"

Draco and Hermione looked at each other in surprise. "What do you want?" Draco asked.

"It's not about me dears, it's about you!" the voice replied in an unmistakable Irish accent.

"Who are you?" Hermione asked again.

"Someone who knows the path you need to take," the voice teased, only this time it sounded much closer. There was an odd rustling of leaves again. "I am surprised to see you survived me bubble." The voice said.

"Y-your bubble?" Hermione stammered out. "What do you mean your bubble?"

"Oh let's not worry about that now," The voice answered. "We haves other business to attend too."

"We have no business with you!" Draco replied firmly, though he felt slightly foolish that he was arguing with someone he couldn't see.

"My my how rude!" the voice scolded. "That won't do you any favours." Draco growled and this only seemed to excite the mystery voice even more. "And such a temper too!"

"Is there something you need?" Hermione asked annoyed. She very much wanted to see the person who created that damned bubble.

"It's more like what yeh need dear," the voice answered.

There was more rustling of leaves and as Hermione nervously gripped Draco's arm, the leaves parted revealing the owner of the voice. He bowed low as he greeted them, "Hello dears."

Draco looked sceptically at the figure before them. He was smaller than Draco imagined… much smaller. In fact he barely reached Draco's knees. His beard framed most of his small chubby face and he wore a battered looking green hat. It was only when Draco saw the shillelagh did he realise exactly what the voice was. Leprechaun Draco thought chuckling to himself. Of course, it had to be a bloody leprechaun.

The leprechaun took advantage of their shocked silence to introduce himself, "Me name's Hornswaggle. Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle." He told them smiling leaning on his shillelagh.

"You're … you're a leprechaun." Hermione managed to get out.

Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle frowned at this, "Yes indeed I am. What's it to yeh then?"

"N-nothing!" she said quickly.

He narrowed his eyes at her but didn't say anything further on the matter. "Now who might you be? Wandering around me forest." He questioned looking at the young apprentices.

"Your forest?" Draco questioned before Hermione could answer. "To my knowledge, the forest belongs to all those who inhabit it. You're not the only …creature living here are you?" Draco asked unsure of his wording.

Undeterred, Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle answered, "No certainly not. But I am the most intelligent and we leprechaun's have a talent for leadership." He told them smiling. It sent a slight shiver down Hermione's back and she held onto Draco's arm a little tighter. She did not for one moment dare forget they were in his territory now.

"Self-proclaimed genius with a penchant for bossing people around... wonder where I've seen that before?" Draco teased looking at Hermione.

"Oh do shut it Malfoy. I never claimed that I was a genius," she justified rolling her eyes at him.

"Malfoy?" the leprechaun questioned suddenly.

"Yes," Draco answered hesitantly. "Are you familiar with the name?"

"Hmm no can't say I am." He told them.

"Right well Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle," Hermione said gaining the leprechaun's attention once more, "We really should be going."

"But how?" he asked. "Yeh don't know the way."

"You don't know where we're going." Hermione argued.

"Of course I do. There is only one reason people come here dear." He told them smugly.

"And what reason might that be?" Draco questioned.

"Why the Cave of Tears of course!" Hornswaggle answered gleefully.

"We're not looking for a cave." Hermione said.

"Oh me dear, whatever it is, yeh shall find what yeh seek in the Cave." Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle answered wisely. "It is why he sent yeh here."

"How do you know we were sent here?" Draco asked suspicious of just how much the leprechaun knew.

"It's not the first time young apprentices have been sent into me woods." The leprechaun answered. "And not all have come out again." He warned.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Hermione said hastily.

"Yeh don't know the path dear!" Hornswaggle argued. "Go down the wrong path and yeh might not make it back."

"And you're willing to help us?" Draco questioned.

"I might," he answered.

"At what price?" Hermione asked raising an eyebrow at the leprechaun.

"There is no price," he assured them.

"That's a lie," Draco objected. "Nothing is ever free… especially when it comes to magic."

Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle sighed dramatically, "Fine lets says it's not a price you will have to pay."

Hermione looked at Draco and she could see his doubts was as clear as hers. "This doesn't feel right." She said softly.

"Probably because it's not." He replied careful not to let the leprechaun hear. "We can't trust him Granger," Draco said a little firmer.

"I know!" she said though she sounded a little hesitant.

"Yeh dears would be foolish to say no," Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle said interrupting them. "If yeh want to make it out alive that is."

"You wouldn't be threatening us would you?" Draco asked stepping forward.

"Oh I see no need for such trivial things!" Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle said. "If I wanted yeh dead I'd leave yeh to wander me forest alone. Best make a decision quickly dear, otherwise he'll think start to think yeh failed him."

Hermione scowled at the leprechauns taunt. It was true, they had been in the forest for a while now. A lot longer than Hermione anticipated. She didn't want the Wizard to think they had failed on their very first task!

Draco seemed to realise what Hermione had been thinking only he wasn't so quick to accept. "Granger no!"

"We don't know where we're going Malfoy!" she argued. "We've been walking for days now!"

"And you think our chances will improve if we let the leprechaun help us?" Draco shot back. "He's trying to trick us!"

"For what reason? We have nothing he can take! No wands, no money!" Hermione reminded him.

"There are other ways to make someone pay for something," Draco told her ominously.

"We don't have a choice! Not if we want to complete this task." Hermione told him. She walked beside him and placed her hand on his arm gently. "Do you have another idea on how to get what we need?"

"No…but I still don't think this is a good idea!" he said quickly.

"I know, it's probably a terrible idea…but it's all we've got! What do you say Draco?" She said choosing to call him by his first name rather than Malfoy. Well played Granger, he thought looking down at her hand on his.

"Ugh… fine!" he grumbled knowing that she was a little right. They didn't have a better plan and worst still it seemed the leprechaun knew exactly how to get where they needed to go.

Hermione beamed up at him before turning around to look at the leprechaun. "Excellent!" he said rubbing his hands together.

"I still don't trust him," Draco whispered in her ear sending slight shiver through her.

"Neither do I." Hermione said smiling at Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle.

"Fantastic," Draco muttered his breath. He looked toward the leprechaun who stood with both hands over his shillelagh. "Lead the way leprechaun." Draco said.

Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle gave a smile that was all too cheerful. "Right this way dears," he told them before leading them down the path that forked right.

Draco looked at Hermione and smirked ever so slightly, "After you Granger."

"Still afraid are we Malfoy?" she teased.

"No, but it was your idea, so you first." He answered.

Hermione rolled her eyes but followed the leprechaun's footsteps all the same, with Draco closely behind her. As they left the clearing behind, Hermione only hoped that she had made the right choice in accepting help from the leprechaun. Merlin knows their task couldn't allow anymore setbacks.