Chapter Thirty-Six:

Raptum

Hiccup spent the best part of the night working on their radio, not daring to touch the buttons nor change the channels, but instead tapping as many enhancement spells he could muster. It had to be Aster's voice he heard. He was convinced of it. While Astrid slept tightly on the small couch, Toothless guarded the window attentively, his large green eyes locked on the street - and often Hiccup would nudge the dragon so it would give itself some sleep, but the stubborn creature refused to move.

The last thing he heard on the radio, however, was a strange combination of random words, terribly shattered through the poor signal. But that time it didn't feel like Aster's voice, however. It was a childish sound, a kid's voice. Those seemed urgent, and as wrote them down, he realised they were directions. Angry splashes of ink marked the parchment:

~ Hackfall Woods

~ Castle of Rocks

And then came the parts he took only words of broken sentences:

~ Ruins

~ Dead man - walking?

From his small backpack, Hiccup drew a small knife, concealing the sharp blade into his vests.

Hiccup stared at the radio uselessly for another three hours, before deciding it was a fruitless effort. Eventually he gave up waiting for another message from the dead, regretfully switching the channels until he found the last Muggle Broadcast.

"...the last seven hours have been stormed with the sight of a dragon flying out of the Centre of London tonight. The existence of a wizarding community is no longer news, but it seems like there is more to this wicked society than obscure men and women; now we see mythological creatures that escape God's plan of existence…"

At some point, he tried laying down on the carpet, adjusting himself as comfortably as he could with the dusty cushions. However, he never found sleep. Instead, his mind wandered to places he often tried to ignore in his waking hours. For some reason, it insisted on drifting towards Jack Overland. Hiccup tossed on his pillows, but as much as he avoided going there, the face of the other man was so sharply embedded in his mind, so tightly tied to his heart; it was impossible to ignore. He imagined his white hair, his mischievous smile that so often had brought one from Hiccup. His scent of mint and snow...

And then the painful memories resurfaced. How they had duelled - how Jack had duelled for him, to keep Hiccup from joining the fight, and how he was unable to turn around the last time they had seen. How unforgivable their actions were.

How he had walked away in the end of the world.

Seamus escorted Jack all the way back through the caves of Gringotts, the ride on the cart turbulent and shaky until they stopped in front of another vault. This time, Jack made no intentions to assume what was expecting him beyond the door. Seamus gave him an encouraging nod.

This vault was by far the neatest, not too bright like Gothel's, nor too dorm-looking like Merida and Azel's. He found himself at what he could describe as an office, piles of parchments, quills, ink, owls and charts shuffled and filled the space. There was a single large desk in the end of the room, and behind which a woman sat, her nose sunk into a heavy-looking document. When she looked up, Jack noticed the brown bushy hair of Hermione Granger.

"You must be Ether," She said. "I think we have met before, please sit."

Jack liked the tone of her voice, although it sounded deeper, heavier than he remembered. He pulled the chair across the witch.

"I remember you," He said, sitting down. "You were with the Order of the Phoenix, weren't you?"

"That would be correct," Hermione placed the file on the desk, adjusting herself. "It was exciting news, finding you in London. You've caused quite the noise here after that Dementor revealed you as an Obscurial. And when you confirmed seeing the Dragon Rider…"

"Now I'm the circus freak; the Obscurial on the loose, sleeping in a cage." He cut her mid-sentence. Hermione flinched. "Let's cut the crap. I know none of you want me here-"

"-that's not true-"

"-and I can't track down your Dragon Rider. Unless you are simply hunting Obscurials, which is my next guess. So tell me, before I break my way out of this place, what am I here for?"

Hermione adjusted herself again. She was not used to someone quite like him. "As I understand it, we believe we've found a way to bring them back."

Jack stared at her in confusion. "Bring them back?"

She nodded. "Bring them all back."

The sky was bleeding into light again. The blue hour warned him that he should be preparing to leave. He woke up Astrid as gingerly as he could, but none felt keen on being sweet nor talkative to each other. Hiccup would stay quiet, there was enough noise in his thoughts for both of them. When he left the dark but cosy house, the cold wind battered his face, that auspicious smell of the breaking dawn filling his nostrils.

Toothless remained still on the porch. Although the morning started to peek through, the dragon still almost disappeared in the remaining darkness. Even the bluish shades of the dawn seemed to absorb into his hard skin. They had at most half an hour to remain invisible on air.

"Are you ready to fly, bud?" Hiccup asked the dragon, patting the black scales on Toothless' neck. He replied with a heartfelt nod, his huge head diving into Hiccup's chest. Hiccup took his wand from his black cloak, placing it flatly on his palm. "Guide me." He ordered, and the wand spun until it pointed straight ahead. "You took us South," He muttered to the dragon, which gave a low growl in response. "It'll be a long trip… but we can make it before sunrise if we're fast." Astrid walked out of the house, already dressed in her long black travel cloak. Hiccup gave her a nod. "Let's go."

He grabbed his own robes, pulling the pointy hood over his head before the three marched towards the small yard in front of the house. Hiccup helped Astrid climb onto Toothless' navel, and although she flinched a little with the effort, she made no complaints, nor allowed any vocal sign of pain. The boy knew better than to comment on it.

As the dragon jolted into the air, and the wind started to roar in their ears, the city began to shrink beneath them. From the height, and aided with the faint ghostly light, Hiccup could see how far from London they had flown, nearly at the edge of the surrounding woods. Around them, indigo clouds still hovered the city, and Toothless shot himself into them, concealed from any observer from beneath. As they soared the skies, more used to the deafening wind, Hiccup started to appreciate their silence. Astrid had grabbed the sides of his cloak for the simple necessity of holding on to anything.

After what felt like an hour, the sun finally peaking above the horizon in a grey sunrise, Toothless finally began descending towards the ground. Soon, Hiccup saw themselves surrounded by a large forest which seemed to stretch to the ends of the earth.

Climbing off the dragon, the young wizards grabbed their wands, eyeing their surroundings. The trees rose darkly above them, the green so faint, blent in greyness; a thin fog crossed every path of the forest. "I've been here before," Hiccup mentioned, and Astrid sent him a questioning look. "Dad brought me here as a kid, he wanted to show me ruins… but it was much brighter back in the day."

"Well, ruins might be a good starting point. We're looking for wizards, after all." She said her first words in hours, and although they held no emotion, Hiccup found he liked it better than the silence.

"Keep your wand ready." He muttered. They pulled their hoods over their heads again.

As they ventured deeper into the woods, a faint but persistent sound was noticeable, a liquid texture. A couple hundred yards from their location, they found themselves on the riverbank, small waterfalls crashing coldly against the concrete. It would have been a beautiful sight, the river descending in a succession of cataracts, but the landscape was so sinister, misty and gloomy, like all colour had been drained from the forest.

Toothless peered towards the water, lowering his head to the edge of the river to drink. Hiccup mentally scolded himself for not remembering the last time Toothless had drank any water. "I think the ruins are over that section. We need to get higher." He said.

"Hiccup," Astrid's voice sounded eerily calm, and Hiccup gave a strange look before nearing the girl. Once he got close enough, he saw it, hidden between the stones of the lake, what looked like a rock at first, with two eye sockets carved into the surface. A crack divided the head of the skull.

"This was here long before the broadcast was made..." Hiccup muttered. "Is that the work of an animal or a human?"

"Or a wizard." Astrid suggested. "Let's just keep going."

They struggled their way up the forest, following the river bank contrary to the stream. Toothless at least seemed to enjoy the freedom the woods gave, taking every now and then to dive into the freezing water. Eventually, they found small ruins of what could have been castles in past centuries. A stone dome big enough to fit a car, but with chunks of its ceiling missing.

Suddenly, Toothless gave a low but menacing growl. Hiccup and Astrid had their wands ready at the surrounding sections of the ruin, and that was when they saw them: three stunningly beautiful children, a black girl and two blonde twin brothers, all hooded and dressed in black wizard robes. Hiccup realised how young they were, maybe first years if there were any students left at Hogwarts. But none of them seemed scared. Not even with the dragon in front of them. In fact, their faces were completely devoid of emotion.

The girl spoke first; "Are you the Guardian of Shadows?"

Even through the hood shadowing most of his face, Astrid noticed the shock in Hiccup's semblant. With an audible gulp, he lowered his wand.

"No." He answered. Toothless growled again, louder. "It's okay, Toothless. They're not a threat."

The girl gazed at the wizards coldly. "We cannot harm. But you cannot leave."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Jack asked the witch.

"I've heard your conversation with the Obscurial. And I think she might be right." Hermione replied simply. "But I can't tell you more without your promise that you'll help me."

"How do I know I can trust you?" He retorted. "So far, you have brought a dementor, an old enemy, and oh, that's right, locked me up in that prison-vault of yours…"

"We hardly know much about you either. As far as I'm concerned, I can't even trust Ether is your real name, which only makes me guess you might be running from something, or someone. And from what I heard, I don't think you have much time left." Her words were carefully measured to jab him just the right amount, and he stared at her coldly. "I know you are dying. And I don't know what role you had when the Hidden Arc was opened, but I don't think you are to blame. Even when the only person blaming you here is yourself. And I don't think you'd miss the chance to help."

There was a long silence, the weight of her speech sinking on Jack. "I'll have to hear the rest of the plan."

"I need your word." She insisted. Jack gave an annoyed grunt, shaking his head as he weighed his options thoroughly.

"Do it, Jack." Another sweet and feminine voice said, but not from Hermione. At the entrance of their room, a new, however familiar figure appeared by the doorframe. A girl with short pixie brown hair. But what Jack recognised most immediately were her eyes; the unmistakable shade of olive green that emanated warmth into any room, and then he could tell who that was.

"Azel?" Jack found himself shocked to see his friend, still alive after all those years…

"You can trust her," She said, slightly breathless. "She means it."

Seamus appeared behind her, panting heavily. "I'm sorry, Granger, she insisted."

But neither seemed to mind his input. Jack sighed again.

"If…" He started. "you find a way to bring everyone back - and that's one very big if… I need some guarantee."

"Of course," Said Hermione. "I promise we'll keep you safe-"

"That's not what I'm asking."

"Then what?"

Jack took a deep breath. "The Dragon Rider. We find him first."

Hermione seemed taken aback by his bargain. "Him?" She said. "You saw his face?"

"I know who he is." Jack replied. "And I know you need him as much as you say you need me. We are not the only ones searching for him, therefore we need to find him before they do. No more questions on that."

"Wait, who's they…?"

"That's my bargain, Granger."

The witch considered it carefully.

"Alright, we can arrange that." She concluded.

"Okay…" He took a deep breath. "So, how do you plan on waking the dead?"

"That's Azel's theory." Azel gave a meaningful bow as she entered the room, standing next to Jack. "Apparently Miss Crowne has more information on D-Day than we have ever had."

Jack grimaced. "Crowne?" He asked, and the girl nodded in confirmation. "How come I didn't know your last name?"

"It's my mother's name… either way, I think I found a way to understand how the curse took place… and the 'how' allowed me to form a pretty solid theory to reverse it."

"Why you, though?"

Azel took a deep breath. "Because I think part of what happened was my fault."

Jack's expression froze, and Hermione leaned forward. "We've discussed this, Azel, no one blames you…"

"He still should know how it happened." The girl explained. "You remember the book, the Rituals of Sotanaht Grim?" Jack nodded, confused. "It was stolen during the riot against White… I noticed after the curse was cast…"

"Azel…" Jack started, but the girl resumed her speech.

"I know you've all told me to get rid of the book… but I couldn't find a place good enough to do it… and I tried destroying it, Jack, I really, really tried…"

Azel's voice cracked, yet she didn't allow a single tear to escape. Jack only stared at her, all the hurt over her earlier avoidance now forgotten.

"Either way… I still had time to study it, to understand the rituals. Grim called it a Raptum, or the life-stealing curse. I suppose a dark wizard like You-Know-Who must have tried finding it on his own time… But it's more than just a killing curse. In fact, as I understood it, it might not even be a killing curse at all."

"So you're saying everyone is still alive?" As much as he wanted, Jack didn't allow himself to hope.

"Also, not quite. It's a theory. It's far more complicated than you think… I believe they're in some sort of Limbo, like a bridge between two worlds?"

Jack stared at her, dumbfounded.

"So they're not dead, but for all effects, still dead." He said, his hand running through his hair as he stood up from his seat. "It makes no sense, Erebos said when he cast the curse himself, I was there, I saw it…"

"What did he say, exactly?" Hermione asked. "All the people who went into the Chamber when the Raptum occurred are now dead, including my husband. It would be nice to have a report from someone who's... not dead." She gave Jack a piercing look. "I hope you understand what it means to be the only person who has walked out of that cave alive."

Jack sighed again, sitting back on his chair before he recounted for the first time everything he had done and witnessed in that chamber, three years ago. From the Sphinx, to Aster, to the Order of the Seven, to Erebos sacrifice in the ritual… When he was done, Azel and Hermione were in tears, but Jack remained impassive.

"No one could have predicted what would have happened after the ritual…" Said Azel.

"He knew what he was doing." Jack stated. "He knew the spells he would use, he knew what the Aether, or Arc, I don't know how to call it anymore… but he knew what he wanted it to do."

"Sotanaht Grim describes the Arc as a gateway," Azel spoke again. "It's like a powerful network, encircling all the world. Grim found a way to use it to enhance the effect of a spell, but it's been found in other forms throughout history."

"So you're saying…"

"I'm saying that the dais you've found at Hogwarts could be part of a much more complex system. There could be many more of them."

"More Arcs?" Jack asked.

"Possibly." Hermione spoke. "Old rituals in magic describe stone dais as a place of sacrifice, offering… some Norse myths define them as bridges between worlds."

The boy swallowed hard at the mention of the Norse.

"None of that explains how we can bring anybody back."

"I believe there is another source of the Æther hidden somewhere in the Ministry of Magic." Hermione explained. "I've only seen it once before, when I was younger than you are, but like you described, others heard voices from the device… We'd need closer inspection, but it might be a way to reach between the two worlds."

"That's where you come in." Azel resumed. "These rituals require dark magic to be completed. Only a wizard with extraordinary dark magic could reach past the Æther."

"Gothel mentioned the Æther in other cultures… I already forgot the names."

"So we've heard," Said Hermione. "You were the only one to escape that room and live afterwards. Only you can help us see what's beyond to where the Æther can take us."

Before Jack could answer, however, the doors of the vault opened again. Seamus walked in backwards, his hands clutching to the chest of Dean, who pushed his way in ruthlessly.

"Step back, Seamus, or I'll force you to." He growled.

"What is going on?" Hermione rose from her desk, but Dean had his wand aimed at Jack's head.

"You heard what the Obscurus woman said. He's one of them."

Outside, a strange commotion had formed. Jack lifted his hands slowly, Azel shouted at Dean in defiant anger, Hermione pleaded for Dean's explanation, but all fell silent when a sudden horrible cold broke into the room, ice crystals spreading from the door like misty fingers. A Dementor hovered into the room, its long cloak floating motionlessly - and Jack's body pulsed horribly against itself.

The silver Patronus charmed against the Dementor, repelling it just enough to keep its icy fingers off Jack before Dean spoke. "You better come with us, or I'll unleash this thing and I couldn't care less if you'll survive this or not."