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Harry could but summarise the little adventure he'd gone on with Corene and Elaine. It'd gone by so quickly, and he'd had such a small amount of interest therein once they'd ascertained Grindelwald's absence. In Harry's mind, regardless of what they got, the place was a bust. There wasn't a Horcruxe, much less any sign of his presence, and so that meant to him their leads had begun to grow cold.
Sure, the occasional day would be wasted by way of the Ministry or their time together, but a few days didn't matter all that much when compared to what the man could gain by going unnoticed. Corene's other locations, the ones that were, by and large, in Germany, had to have the real location they needed. He wasn't sure which it'd be, but he was willing to go through each, one after the other, if need be.
"Harry!" it was Elaine's voice, and it echoed through the halls thanks to an amplification charm up to their bedroom from the basement. "Corene and I have finished categorising the items we've recovered from the crypt. We'll be discussing the next course of action in a moment's time."
While those two had been doing that, he'd been working with Laddey — as an intermediary — so as to get maps or even the blueprints of the locations in question. Harry knew they'd likely face many a problem on account of the war that'd ravaged Europe, but something to go off of was better than nothing, in any event. And thus far, his efforts had borne a small amount of fruit. He didn't have a map of every location, and he had fewer blueprints, but it still gave him something and helped alleviate his mind of the concern that'd sprung up once again.
Elaine, he mused to himself. Maybe the spike in anxiety isn't just me. Maybe she's just as concerned as to his whereabouts as I am, only she's just not showing it.
At that, he snorted. Elaine, hiding emotions or putting on a mask?
Never, that wasn't at all like his lovely Elaine.
Harry snorted once more to himself, and then, he pushed aside the many items he'd brought out so as to clear a bit of space on the desk before he left. Once he was satisfied that the mess he'd made was reasonably contained, he apparated to the basement, the place so familiar to him that he reckoned he could do so even if he were ten glasses of wine deep and barely able to see.
Corene and Elaine seemed to have utilised no less than three whole portions of shelf built into the basement wall, and the categorisation they used — complete with notes and all — made him snicker for a few seconds before he turned his attention to the two aforementioned witches. They were sat at one of the many tables with a few candles lit, and a few platters thereon with the remnants of food; a bottle of wine was between the two as well, but it wasn't quite finished.
Each seemed to have a bit of a rosy quality, with Elaine seemingly more relaxed and happy-looking whilst Corene went so far as to smile, light as it was, at him. It was a real smile, small as it was, and not one in which she'd simply uplift her lips a smidge.
Evidently, the pair were a step or two beyond buzzed.
"Corene, Elaine," he said with a dip of his head as he walked over to the latter's side and slid into the seat beside her. "Anything interesting while I was gone?"
"Interesting to us, or to you, lover?" Elaine asked, amused as she leaned forward and rested her head on one of her hands.
Harry had to admit, she looked quite adorable in doing so.
"Both."
Corene held out a small, bronze-made dagger with runes the like of which he couldn't begin to comprehend carved thereon. "For rituals," she said, passing the knife to him, her fingers pinching the blade. "It's made to prevent scarring or pain when blood is required."
Harry looked at the handle for a second before grabbing it. When he did, he could immediately feel a slight jolt of energy, and it remained as a current so long as he held the knife. It sort of felt like getting zapped by a Muggle powersource, or an especially mean static shock from dragging one's feet on a carpet.
"There's a few old spells we found as well, though we've not tested them yet," Elaine added, knowing that would tickle his fancy as much as it did theirs.
He always liked learning a new spell, the rarer, the better.
Harry handed the dagger back over to Corene in the same manner she'd done so initially. "It's quite cool," he said with a nod at the knife before he switched his attention between the two as he spoke again. "Now, about him? Yeah?"
Corene cocked her head in response to his question. "You have the locations that I was able to confirm. What more would either of you have or me?"
"Stay," Elaine said before he could answer her. "You should know your presence is welcome, Corene —" she turned to Harry "—Whilst you were gone, I was discussing with Corene which location might be most apt to bear fruit."
Corene nodded as if confirming Elaine's words.
"Where would that be, then?" Harry asked. He hoped it'd be one place which he had the maps to.
"Corene, if you'd please," Elaine said as she began to reach for her satchel.
Harry watched, waiting, as she withdrew a map not more than a few seconds later. It wasn't small and detailed as his might be, instead, it was of Germany in its entirety. Thereon, there were little marks, from red to orange to yellow, and in locations that seemed so very random to Harry.
"Spots of interest?" he guessed.
Elaine smiled and patted his thigh. "Correct," she said as she took her head from her hand and leaned into his side. "Red are those we'll seek — Corene?"
Corene then started off on an explanation of each and every red spot on the map. Harry learned which of them were mountains, which were caves or castles, underground labyrinths or dark forests, enchanted or 'mundane' only. Each and every aspect that mattered save for detailed layouts, was given to him by Corene. When he'd procured the few maps he'd been able to gather, that aided their cause further, and gave unto them a better list of places to start.
As for the others, those that didn't have a map would be saved for later. Corene's many ways to gather information would prove far more fruitful than Harry's considering that was the area of the girl's expertise. Still, his work had been of some assistance and now, after a night of rest, they had their plans set out.
On the morrow, they'd go and find the most likely target which might possess a portion of Grindelwald's soul. That location would be selected from those which they had a partial idea of the layout thereof, and they'd narrow it down based on where his activity was centred. They would check the reports of his crimes and early gatherings, and from there, narrow it down until they had what might be their best chance.
Harry had to admit, he was quite eager, much like Elaine, to get to the end of this part of their life.
He hoped it'd come soon enough.
When Harry rose the following morning, he found that he was the second to do so. Elaine was asleep, but not beside him — she'd fallen asleep at the desk in their bedroom instead. It seemed she'd been awake late into the night, studying the map of the place she seemed intent on going. It was one of the old Germanic-style castles, and built upon a large hill. Supposedly, under the place was a massive, sprawling tunnel system the likes of which were seldom seen.
It could be close to the catacombs under Paris in size. Though, he quite hoped they wouldn't be full-up with bodies and bones of the dead. One piece of Grindelwald would do the trick, artefacts, however, wouldn't. He didn't care one bit about that nonsense.
Harry threw aside the covers, the cool air greeting him like a smack in the face. The place was a touch colder than he'd liked, and as he rose, he sent a blanket in Elaine's direction. Carefully, it wrapped around her, nice and snug, and in the midst of her sleep she let out a small noise of appreciation. One that made him start the day with a smile despite the morning's chill.
Slowly, Harry rose from the bed after the chill had gotten him nice and cold, and from there, and now much more awake, he sought out the loo. After half an hour or thereabout, he was washed and dressed, and ready for the day. When he walked back into the room and spotted Elaine as asleep as ever, her mind peaceful and relaxed as her visage seemed to be, he smiled.
She deserved her rest, and he'd let her have as much of it as she could.
That was the reason which he withdrew from the room and sought out the hallway, leaving the room — with a warming charm cast on the blanket he'd given Elaine before he left — and seeking out the parlour. He'd have breakfast there, take a gander at the Prophet, and see if he had any good letters waiting for him that seemed to be of any type of importance.
Upon reaching the parlour room, Harry saw a few letters alongside the copy of the Prophet. There was a mug of tea there as well, which seemed to be warm to the touch as it always was; Laddey spoiled him something fierce.
Harry blinked when he saw a second mug there as well, but it wasn't of tea, it was of hot chocolate, and so th—
"Good morning, Harry."
As he'd suspected upon seeing the liquid, it was Corene, and she was seated in such a way that one couldn't see her upon descending the immediate staircase. Harry couldn't help but grin at seeing her so early in the morning. It reminded him of Hogwarts, back when everything had been easier and everybody had been closer; most importantly, when everyone was alive.
"Morning, Corene," he said in return. "You're up early."
"Early," she looked around, the faint light of the morning shining through the large, painted windows. "Elaine oft woke earlier than this, on the nights she'd slept well. You've gotten her to rest better than all of the time she spent at Hogwarts."
"I'm glad," Harry said as he moved closer, plopping down in the seat beside her. In an instant, his hand grabbed up the warm mug of tea and with a contented smile, he took a draw of it.
Harry felt his shoulders sag into the chair.
"Did you rest well?" Corene was staring at him, unblinking and attentive, the mug of hot chocolate in her hand.
He blinked at her. She normally wasn't usually one for small talk. Maybe she missed Hogwarts as well, not that most would be able to tell as much. Even now, he couldn't read her without issue. It was a power he reckoned he'd never have, or rather, one he'd only ever have with Elaine… if that counted. He supposed it was cheating, in a way, what with the mental link they seemed to have with one another. The one they still didn't fully understand, but conveyed just about whatever they felt, so long as it was extreme enough or, were it not, if it were concentrated upon.
"I did," he finally answered. "... did you?"
Corene nodded with a minor uptick of her lips. "I slept well. You and Elaine have my thanks for allowing me to rest her rather than return home. It's strange, seeing you and her for so long."
"Like Hogwarts."
At that, she nodded once, that uptick of her lips growing larger. "Like Hogwarts," she echoed wistfully. "It was far more enjoyable, back when we attended Hogwarts, time, I mean to say. With your and Elaine offering employment to myself and others, we've been without time to gather as we used to."
"When Grindelwald's truly gone, we'll get together every week, I swear it. We just need to find his last little piece, destroy it, and then, we can do whatever we'd like, yeah?" Harry hoped she agreed; who wouldn't? They'd be able to accomplish every desire they had when Corene and Elaine could focus on the political side of things as they oft enjoyed.
That'd leave Harry and Aster to go and get into trouble. It was something he and the other blokes were really good at. Harry imagined he knew just where to start as well so long as he had the chance — Quidditch. He could create his own team since there were so many spots still open in the league, especially after years upon years of conflict. He just about reckoned he could get himself a team and have some fun with it.
"That'd be enjoyable," Corene agreed, her eyes falling to the Prophet he'd yet to pick up. "Strange."
"Hmm?"
"I send you any news worth being notified of, and days before the Prophet releases," Corene said, her eyes strangely accusatory as she looked at him.
Harry nearly snickered. She'd never seemed angry with him, but here, at this point in time and so long after Hogwarts, she was annoyed that he was reading the Prophet of all things. It was amusing, how couldn't it be?
"It's not usually the news I'm looking for that you usually have," Harry said, nodding at the back portion of the Prophet. It was in there where all of the tabloid nonsense was; rumours and the like, most often unsubstantiated, but usable either way. That was what Harry sought out, since Elaine typically made use of that.
If she did so, he reckoned he may as well do the same.
Corene cocked her head at him from behind the mug of hot chocolate, an eyebrow arched up. "You want rumours?"
"If they're anything with force behind it," Harry said with a nod. "Something that I could use isn't bad, but if it's nonsensical or outlandish, I skip over it — oh, there's also quite the nice set of ads from time to time in the back of the Prophet as well."
She cocked her head to the other side then. "Ads and rumours," she said. "Such is the reason you read the Prophet."
"Pretty much," he pointed to a picture three pages in. "A scandal. Though, I suppose Elaine already made mention of this one."
He paused when a thought struck him as he read skimmed through the various paragraphs in the article. He was doing what Petunia always used to do, though, rather than reading she'd watch some trashy Muggle show on the tele. He snorted and set the thing down, and turned to Corene a second after, facing her with a leg brought up on the chair.
"Do you reckon we'll find it soon?"
Corene blinked at him. "I don't guess," she said as she folded her hands in her lap after setting aside her hot chocolate. "There's no point in raising one's hopes only for what they desire to have happen, not occur."
I guess, Harry thought as he nodded in response to her words. It was a very… Corene-like set of words she'd strung together, he supposed.
"Well, I just hope we'll find it sooner rather than later. We don't need him making another return, do we?"
"No." Corene said that with all the meaning in the world; Harry hadn't forgotten just how much her family hated the man. "Read."
"What?"
Corene tapped the Prophet once, in the section which they'd been speaking. "Read it, if you seem to enjoy it, and aloud. Please."
Harry did just that, content just as she seemed to be for the nostalgia such a moment brought about. Hogwarts had been a simpler time, but really, after everything they'd done and despite the losses, he wouldn't go back — he didn't want to, he didn't imagine he'd be able to, even if there were dozens of things he wished he could do differently.
Nearly two hours past the time he joined Corene in the parlour room, Elaine rose for the day. She was well-rested, and by the time she came down, washed and dressed for the day as well. With their location already settled, and much of their equipment already packed, the time had come for the trio to take their leave once more.
Their plan was quite simple, especially with much of Europe still working especially close together after the war — they'd get two portkeys of the international variety, use the first from Elaine's office, the second at the French Ministry, and from there, they'd Floo over to the inn they'd booked in the area. That place would only be used for a night, if that, but all the same they'd spared no expense.
Why bother, when the Galleons they'd spend would help those who remained?
Harry looked at the two witches once more, and after the pair were in agreement that they'd missed not a thing, they stepped off.
Whilst gone, Harry made sure to tell Laddey that he was in charge… and because of Momsey, no new rooms were to be decorated or added, least of all those with cribs in them. By now, it wasn't strange to make such an addendum; Elaine and Momsey certainly didn't make it easy on him.
"Got everything?" Harry asked as his hand lingered on the door to their temporary abode.
Elaine and Corene glanced at one another, and then at Harry, who had two satchels and a backpack on his person; needless to say he was carrying the lion's share of their belongings. As for the two Witches in question, they had but their own satchel, and in Elaine's case, a belt she'd fashioned around her waist with a fair few pouches thereon. Inside of at least one of them, Harry knew, was potions. She wanted them readily available should they be needed, and in another, there was an emergency portkey which wasn't exactly legal even if they were Minister and Deputy-Minister.
He did have to agree with her reasoning for the item's creation; it was better to have a problem and handle it, than to be dead. As for the other pouches she wore around her waist, Harry didn't have much of an idea as to what they had within them.
"I believe we're ready, lover," Elaine said after she brushed her hand across the various pouches, feeling them and ensuring they were full-up as she'd packed them earlier that day.
"Right," he said, clapping his hands together before he reached out and took hold of one of Elaine's — Corene did the same. "Lead—"
Elaine didn't let him finish. With a grin of the most devious sort, she whisked them away. He felt the familiar tug that accompanied apparating, and when next he opened his eyes, he found himself standing at the edge of a cliff. It wasn't particularly large, though the terrain was certainly rougher than he'd have thought for Germany, but it made for an awe-inspiring view of the castle before them.
He edged closer to the end of the cliff, his feet but a few feet away from it. From that new position, and with the undergrowth no longer blocking a portion of his vision, he could see the entirety of the castle. Unlike most places he'd been with such historic architecture, it was larger than Hogwarts, with no small amount of towers and peaks, each of which was sharp and all, ornate. Nothing like the place before them was built in modern times, nor did he imagine it'd ever be built again.
"It's damaged," he noted aloud as he felt Corene and Elaine approach his sides.
"That was expected," responded Corene. "From what little of the Muggle side is known to me, the place was used to accommodate men of importance in addition to the Magicals that resided here under Grindelwald's orders."
"It looks like it got bombed a dozen times over. The wood's are burnt out around the place — look, that tower's partially caved in too," Harry, now that he could see more and more of the place the closer he edged forward, through the thick undergrowth, could see just how badly the place had been damaged .
It made for a sad sight. Hogwarts had nearly shared the same fate, and even still, the damage it had sustained under Grindelwald's siege hadn't been easily repaired. He was sorely tempted to repair it, the tower, that was.
"Our task of infiltration will only be made all the easier for it," Elaine pointed to the walls of the place, stone-made as they were; there were dozens of little spaces where one could fit through that seemed to have taken direct blasts. The ground around those spots looked freshly packed and wet too, so they'd need to be careful there. "Tell me, is your disillusionment work as good as ever, lover?"
Harry snorted, sorely missing the cloak, but nodded a second later. He wasn't a slouch in any branch of magic, not anymore. Merlin, even Arithmetics, Runes and Potions were topics he could discuss at-length. Hate them as he might, Elaine had seen fit to bug him into studying such topics, and he was better off for it.
Corene blinked at the couple. "In the event of necessity, I brought along an invisibility cloak. The caster was strong and the magic remains potent."
"Keep it readily available should we need it. Do the same with the potions in your pack — Harry, you should put those I packed for you at the top as well," Elaine pointed at the place they'd soon be inside of. "Places such as this oft have very brutal defences. It's the reason you and Corene will remain a few paces behind me."
"I need to lo—"
"You still can, you'll just need to look more closely. When we return home, we'll seek out or create a spell of our own to detect Muggle items, and if that proves too complex, we'll start with something that enhances your vision to make said task easier," Elaine looked between him and Corene, and when neither spoke again, she nodded. "Good. Let's see what wondrous gifts have been left for us."
And like that, the trio of disillusioned Magicals levitated — slowly — down the cliff, skipping past the hard, complex task of scaling the monstrous ledge. It also allowed Harry to look at the natural beauty of the place as he floated down, and as he did so, he even went so far as to knick a flower… and then two, and on and on until he had nearly a whole bouquet in his off-hand.
There were little blue ones that he'd quite forgotten the name of — edelwhite or something along those lines, he'd only seen the name in passing a time or two. Aside from those, there were something akin to roses, only more lush, as well as a yellowish flower that was larger than its two companions.
When they reached the bottom, he promptly turned and held out his hand in the direction of Elaine.
Elaine's reaction was immediate; a wide, happy smile full-up with affection. Her eyes only went past him for a second's time, if that, and then they were back on his own as her smile grew and the scent of the flowers filled the air around them.
"How sweet," Elaine cooed, her free hand taking hold of one of his as she danced closer to him. "I have something for you as well."
And before he could so much as ask what that might be or glance around, Elaine closed what remained of the distance between them. The scent of the flowers he'd just picked was especially prominent on account of her clutching them betwixt them as she kissed him; as a personal note as well, he found he quite liked the scent of flowers mixed with the fruity taste Elaine had that morning.
It was like they were back in their garden and she'd pulled him into one of the many impromptu beds of flowers therein.
When their little snog was finished and Elaine was thoroughly pleased, enough so that contented little sighs escaped her, Harry passed along something to Corene as well. It wasn't a whole bouquet, but it felt wrong not giving at least one flower to Corene — she'd been a staunch ally, and more than that, a good friend.
… Maybe he also reckoned the one flower that was black and a deep, royal purple also fit her.
Whatever the reason, the small smile she gave in return told him he'd done good. Thus, with two happy Witches of their calibre by his side, he reckoned there wasn't anything ahead of them that could prove too detrimental, only time-consuming.
When they scooted past one of the three guards they'd spotted around the place and made it inside the grounds proper of the place, it was only then that one could truly take in the amount of damage the place had suffered. There were dozens upon dozens of holes, big and small and all sizes in-between in the courtyard and even in a couple of the outer buildings. If that wasn't enough, one could make out scorch marks and chips in the stone or wood of the place; such were spots where, undoubtedly, much metal from the Muggle weapons had gone flying.
Whilst it was unfortunate for the building as well as any people that might once have resided in it, it made the job of taking a gander and sneaking about the place all the easier, and so the trio snuck in. Where they entered was a room destroyed, though by the look of it, the place had been a study of some kind; not the master, but that of a servant or an aide, maybe. Whatever remained of it had been cleaned up, with nary a piece of paper or book remaining, just artwork and the occasional small piece of rubble that hadn't been swept up.
Harry huffed. "Well. Something tells me this isn't the room we're looking for."
Corene blinked at him. "Agreed."
Before he could respond that he'd been speaking sarcastically, Elaine rolled her eyes at them and went ahead, into the hall. "Come on," she urged them as she passed the pair by. "If this place proves fruitless, we might still be able to reach a second this same night."
Harry reckoned she was right, and that got a bit more energy out of him. If they were truly well and quick with everything, they could go and get every place searched and cleared within the next couple of weeks. Undoubtedly it'd be quite labour intensive, but it'd be worth it.
"Curious," Elaine said as she turned the corner ahead of them, whatever she saw causing her to take a half-step before she resumed her typical walk.
When Harry and Corene followed after her, he saw the many busts, statues and suits of armour that littered the corridor in little alcoves that seemed designed for the very purpose of housing the aforementioned items. It did look quite cool, and he imagined, had he been the first person to go ahead, quite startling.
"Reckon these might do anything?" he asked as they passed the busts and such.
"No," Elaine said with a shake of her head. "Any secrets would be further in the castle, and not for those that go wandering when they visit, to find with ease."
"I wonder if any of th— don't take a step," he remained calm, but the change in tone during the latter half of his speaking conveyed the seriousness he felt when he spotted something right at the end of the little corridor, and near where Elaine was standing.
Another few steps and she'd have been right on top of it.
There, in the corridor and only barely hidden behind a statue, was a large, circular metallic object connected to a little wire that reflected torchlight. Harry wasn't sure if it was active, but he didn't fancy finding out.
"We should go another way," he suggested. "Maybe someplace else, where there's not something like that before us — there was a corridor back a few steps. We could see if it circles around."
Corene blinked, and for once, he saw an expression of unease on her face. "I don't know enough about Muggle weapons to offer an opinion. I will agree with whatever you say, Harry," she deferred, and then, she took a few steps back.
That worked well enough for Harry, and so he looked at Elaine next. Her eyes were still peering down what remained of the corridor, and no doubt, there was that ever-present eagerness in her vision. Were it not for his and Corene's presence, he imagined she'd be far more reckless, but he'd not let her go alone and she didn't want a plethora of company bottling the place up and slowing them down.
Corene was a good middle-ground, though Harry thought a group of four was better than three.
"We can go over it."
Harry paused and turned to look at Elaine. "What?"
"If there's enough cause for this to be present, then beyond this point might be that which we're looking for," Elaine took a step forward. "You two should return to the room in which we arrived. It should be safe enough, and comfortable. I'll go ahead myself as I did in the cave."
He huffed and folded his arms. "You need to teach us how to do that, you know. That way, we can join you and make sure everything's alright."
"When we're home," Elaine pointed around the general area. "Stay here, ensure nothing makes it past you should anything else be present. I'll venture forth and see what lies past this infernal Muggle machinery — perhaps I'll be able to see what it's connected to and describe it for you, lover."
Harry nodded slowly. "That could work," he said in thought; it could too, so long as she knew what it was that she was describing. "Just be careful, yeah? We don't need to take any risks. Not this far along."
Elaine smiled back at him, wide and dimpled. "I'll be perfectly fine. You and Corene discuss where we might go for a meal this evening — I like sweets."
And with those final words, Elaine turned to smoke and passed through the remainder of the corridor, and from there, he lost sight of her as the mist that she'd become turned around a corner.
Harry looked at Corene once he'd lost sight of her. "I suppose you still do as well, huh?"
There was that hint of a smile, her lips only just upward raised. "Sweets will remain a constant infatuation until the end of my days," she paused. "Proposal — A branch of La Fudgerie in the Ministry, with a portion of the revenue going to the upkeep of the atrium."
With Elaine gone, he supposed that meant the decision was his to make, and he didn't suppose he needed to hear anything more.
"Deal."
And so it'd be.
Harry blinked himself back to attention when he saw a shift in the air down the corridor whence Elaine had gone. It was the wispy, smokish quality that her magic took form of when she did as she was; she was back, or rather just about.
Corene noticed as well, and set down the tome she'd been reading in Elaine's absence, and after their decision where to eat and the earlier deal had been made. Unsurprisingly, they'd stop by a cafe of sorts, but he couldn't be bothered to put so much as a thought towards that now that he could see her
A few seconds more, and she was standing before him once more.
"What'd you see?" the words were out of his mouth in an instant.
"As you thought, it was connected to a device the likes of which you've pointed out before. It seemed to be like that of which the Muggles drop from their planes, just not as large — I stayed well away from it, as you said to," Elaine drew a step or two closer and cocked her head at him, "That's what you bid me to do, isn't it?"
He nodded and let a hand rest on her hip. "It is," he said softly, enjoying the way her eyes bore into his. He coughed and pulled away if ever so slightly when he realised they weren't the only two in the space; Corene's presence made it a bit awkward, even if Elaine didn't seem to mind. "I don't suppose you could take me along with you when you do that, can you?"
Elaine, who'd pouted when he'd pulled away, arched a brow. "There's nothing I can't do, if given enough time to do it, and let me tell you, this requires little and less effort. Hold onto me, tightly — you can't let go once we start, or you'll fall, possibly worse."
Harry cast a look at Corene, and noticing his doing so, she turned. The movement was fluid and graceful, and now that she wasn't watching everything they did, Harry felt far more comfortable to grab hold of Elaine. The lecherous smile she sent him, partially teasing as it was, made him shake his head with a smile on his face.
"I think I've got a good enough hold of you now," he said, his arms firmly wrapped around her. Their foreheads were touching and angled so that the two could see into one another's eyes. "Don't drop me."
Elaine laughed as her grasp turned almost covetous. "You think I'd let you fall? I didn't even let you flee no matter how many times you tried. You'll always be mine and always be close — if you need to as well, you could grab my rear. It might offer you a firmer grasp."
And those were the last words spoken before she turned to smoke, and Harry seemingly did too; it was strange. Very strange. Harry could see the smoke as he always had whenever she used this magic, but he could see Elaine this time around too. It was like the pair had become a cloud of smoke, the cloud whisking up around them.
"What do you think?" Elaine seemed almost eager to hear his response, a smugness coming from her as she gestured around.
It was brilliant, though he supposed she already knew as much. Apparating was faster to be certain, but when you apparated, you were unaware of your surroundings. Like this, with Elaine's spell, you could make out everything, but not anything that you made out could do so much as touch you; everything was unaffected, and so far as Harry could tell, spells might not work on one when they were in this form.
He'd have to test that out later.
"It's brilliant," he said after a few seconds of peering around, and a few more of peering at her. "How do w—"
Harry reaffirmed his grasp of Elaine, holding her tight. She'd just started them off, whisking them down the hall when she'd gone down moments earlier at a speed not too dissimilar from the Hogwarts Express. Such was the reason it took but a few seconds for the couple to reach the area which Elaine desired.
She was right too. It looked like a Muggle bomb; it was large, and circular, and had a weird sort of propeller or the like at one end of it. Harry didn't know all that much about Muggle explosives or the like, but based on the size of it, he reckoned it could level the place. There wasn't any chance he could disarm the thing either… assuming it was ready to go off and the little wire wasn't for show.
Something told him it wasn't. Grindelwald hadn't been one for idle threats, nor had his followers. Anything they claimed they'd do, from atrocities to simple threats made for the world to hear, they'd do.
"I don't suppose you could take two people at once?"
"I could try," Elaine answered, an eyebrow arched at him. "That's a bad sign, I take it?"
Harry snorted. A bad sign didn't begin to describe the bomb before them. "It's certainly not a very good one. Do you know if we're totally safe from harm in this form, or can we still be burnt or hit by something?"
"I've not tested it to such a degree. I'd not risk your safety to do so either," Elaine's gaze fell to the area beyond the bomb, which they wanted to go to in the first place. "I could transfigure a barrier around the blast to funnel it and further secure the area we'll be to ensure our safety."
I don't know if that'll work, he thought inwardly. There's a chance… but Merlin, I don't think those are odds worth taking.
Harry glanced around the little area that remained. Dark as it was, he tried to make out if there were any other traps present in the vicinity. He couldn't see any sign of a wire, nor any other explosions 'hidden' behind statues or the like. Maybe it was just the one, and it assumed people wouldn't make it past. Harry reckoned if it was anything like the rest of the Magical world, there'd be some sort of hidden underground area; that seemed a favourite of theirs, for whatever reason.
Maybe it made it easier to hide from the muggles, or other Magicals. Perhaps there'd been a religious cause at the time. Harry didn't know, but it certainly bugged him to no end. People didn't belong down in the deep dark damp earth.
"How do you set me down?"
Elaine's response was immediate, like she'd been waiting for him to speak. "I simply let you go, or stop the casting of the spell — your answer? Should I begin the transfiguration once I bring Corene over? Would it work?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know if it'd work," he answered truthfully. "I don't know how big an explosion that would cause, or if funnelling the thing would even work."
"It works," Elaine said, certain of the fact, or seemingly so.
He gazed at her in question, but Elaine didn't elaborate, nor did she seem particularly inclined to do so. "If you're certain it'll work, then… but I think we'd best be in the ground somewhere if it goes off. I'd rather not be crushed to death."
"Crushed to death?" Elaine pouted at her bottom lip. "You don't have faith that I could keep you safe?"
"I think you could, but I'd rather the three of us make it out perfectly in-tact. We might not even activate the thing either, but I reckon a few safe spots for us as we move throughout the castle would be good, just in case — I wonder if we might purchase the thing later," he looked around, dark as it was and damaged to boot, any old castle such as this had a certain charm to it.
"We could purchase whatsoever we desire," Elaine said almost reflexively. "Be ready to stand."
Elaine gave him the warning a second before she cancelled the spell, and with his arms still around her, the two came back into being. He managed to avoid falling, but one hand slipped down, and as a result, he received an exaggerated gasp.
"Harry," she gasped. "Where do you think you're holding?"
With one hand on her rear and the other on her side, he made to move the former… only for Elaine to reach back and keep it where it was. It was the latter that she then shifted. "A better handle, isn't it?" she withdrew before he could respond, her eyes flashing with mischief — Merlin, she was maddening when circumstances were most dangerous. "I'll go and get Corene. Don't venture far."
"I'll just take a peek around the few nearest rooms to make sure they're nice and safe. I haven't detected any magic here, but it's not really that which I'm worried about," Harry's eyes drifted to the bomb, and then to the nearest door.
He'd be very careful.
Elaine gave him a kiss, her tongue darting into his mouth despite how quick a kiss it was meant to be. As she always did, she pressed herself flush against him, and when she pulled away a few seconds later, she bit and pulled at his bottom lip. When she let go, the faintest bit of red present from her bite, she leaned forward again so as to swipe the little drop of blood away.
"Sorry, lover," she apologised. "You make me lose myself sometimes. I won't bite you again. Not until the evening."
He snorted. Had she just said 'I won't bite you again' he wouldn't have believed her.
"I suppose I'll be waiting then. Go on, before Corene begins to wonder if we've gotten lost or wandered off," Harry looked around the place and gestured around. "I'll get a bit familiar here."
And with a last lingering smile, Elaine turned to smoke and went back whence she came with him.
Harry turned and looked at the nearest room, and then he looked beyond it. The door seemed more ornate than the others, that which he focused on — he'd start there.
Thus, with a Lumos, he started forward.
Only to stop when he saw a figure standing in the doorway.
He raised his wand, and it shot towards him.
