Chapter 12

Episode - The Doctor

Flashback -

The Battle for Hogwarts

Over 500 Voldemort loyalists had gathered at the border of the Hogwarts grounds. The Loyalists consisted of a large number of Death Eaters, Snatchers, Dementors, Giants, werewolves, and a number of other supporters of the dark lord. Lord Voldemort had just arrived from the cave where he had found that the Locket of Slytherin was gone from the Basin in the middle of the lake. He needed to find the Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw in the Room of Requirement and hide it in a more secure location. He kept his snake, Nagini close by. Only that he feared that she might be a Target for a number of his enemies. She was the only creature that he came the closest to loving. But now he would need to send another horcrux to safety. His wand. Not the Elder Wand that he had grown suspicious of its power. No. The Elder Wand was not performing the Wonders that he had hoped that it would. It was a fine wand, but it proved no better than his wand of yew and Phoenix Feather. Years earlier when he made his first horcrux, his wand was his most treasured possession, a symbol that he belonged to the Wizard World. It seemed fitting for him to put a portion of his soul with into it. And then he Enchanted his own wand to make it indestructible so as to protect the magical container of his soul.

He tapped the Elder Wand to his throat, and magically magnified his voice.

"I know that you are preparing to fight!" Voldemort's voice boomed throughout the Hogwarts grounds. "Your efforts are futile! You cannot fight me! I do not want to kill you! I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts! I do not want to spill magical blood! Give me Harry Potter! And None Shall be harmed! Give me Harry Potter and I will leave the school untouched! Give me Harry Potter and you shall be rewarded! You have until midnight!"

That was it. That was all that he needed to say. But he would have his prize. To prove that he could defeat Harry Potter. And he was prepared to kill everyone who defied him as well.

"McAllister." he summoned. "A word."

One of his faithful Death Eaters came over to him as he then stepped away from the group who began to coordinate with each other for the upcoming fight.

"I have a mission for you."

"Whatever you command, master."

"You cannot fail."

"You have my word my lord."

Voldemort then handed McAllister his old wand of Phoenix Feather.

"You are not to participate in this battle tonight. You are to leave here and go to safety. No one knows that you are a death eater. No one knows that you are loyal to me. To keep this wand safe. And in the event…the unlikely event…that my body is killed, you will perform the 'renewal ceremony' that I taught you, after the Wizarding Community has gone into a false sense of security."

"I understand my lord."

The Death Eater McAllister then disapperated with the wand.

The Enchanted Forest

Robin Hood and his merry men wished them well and went on their way.

The rest of the group returned to the island. They would figure out another way to cross realms. They approached the island Sanctuary where then Mulan raised a hand to halt everyone. Mulan had noticed that there were no people up on the towers.

"Something's not right here." said Mulan. "We always have sentries that watch from a distance."

They all Drew their weapons and entered the village. They looked around and as far as they could tell it was deserted aside from the fact that everyone was dead.

"Look for survivors." Prince Phillip ordered.

They all started to look. They noticed almost immediately that everyone of the Corpses shared the same feature. Every one of them had had their heart ripped out.

Hermione waved her wand in a wide horizontal swath.

"Homonym Revelio."

And then Hermione sensed it. A single humanoid life form.

"Over there." she pointed to a pile of bodies.

Underneath the bodies they found a man dressed in tattered rags of poor cloth. He had short black hair and a mustache and his chin and cheeks were unshaven. And another feature, he only had one hand.

"Help me please!" said the man in a tone of panic.

"You ever seen him before?" Emma asked Mulan.

"Yes, I've seen him around." said Mulan. "He came to us a couple of months ago shortly after the curse broke, claiming to be a blacksmith. Said he lost his hand in an ogre attack."

"Why would Cora leave a survivor? It's messy, it makes no sense."

"You think he's lying?"

"I think Cora's tricked us before. I don't want that to happen again."

They walked over to the Survivor as they handed him water.

"I cannot thank you for your kindness." said the man in a scared voice of despair.

"Can you tell us what happened?" asked Prince Phillip.

"It was the sorceress, Cora. She attacked in the middle of the night under cover of darkness. She began ripping out everyone's Hearts one by one. I grew scared and feared that I would suffer the same fate. So I hid under a pile of dead bodies. I pretended to be dead myself. Fortunately the ruse worked."

"You are awfully lucky."

They had searched through the wreckages of all the dwellings and collected a few salvageable supplies.

"We shouldn't stay here." said Mary Margaret. "We should leave here and search for another way of trying to Cross realms. I had all of 5 minutes of being reunited with my husband and my grandson."

"You have a grandson?" said the man with a smile.

"Long story."

That was when Emma got in close putting her face right up to the man's face.

"You know," she said with a devious maniacal smile, "I'll let you in on a little secret. I have a superpower. I have the ability to tell when a person is lying to me. And right now my magical lie detector is telling me that I don't believe a word you say."

That's when Emma pulled her knife and held it to his throat.

"You're going to tell us exactly who you are or else I'm going to kill you." Emma threatened.

"Emma, what are you doing?" asked Hermione.

"Conducting an interrogation." said Emma. "Now, I want you to tell me who you are and why you're working for Cora."

"I have told you the truth." he insisted.

"Hermione, your assistance." Emma instructed.

With a wave of her wand the man was lifted into the air.

At Emma's instructions, they took him off the island and to the tree near where the ogres would be able to hear them.

"Incarcerous!"

Ropes then bound his arms and legs to the tree tight enough that he could not escape.

"Now," said Emma, "I'm going to ask you again, who are you and why are you working for Cora?"

"I already told you, I'm just a blacksmith." he said in a tone of pleading despair.

"Sure you are."

Emma then whistles real loud.

They then hear a roar in the distance.

"You can tell us who you are, or you can tell it to our friends who are going to eat you for breakfast."

The argument went back and forth. He kept saying that he didn't know anything. Then the group began to walk away and then as the Roars in the distance got louder.

"All right!" he said, this time he had a smile on his face with confidence. "Good for you! You bested me. I can count the number of people who've done that to me on one hand."

"That supposed to be funny?"

"Not at all."

"All right then start talking, who are you?"

"I'm a pirate. My name is Captain Killian Jones. But most people have taken to calling me by my more colorful moniker...Hook."

"Hook." said Mary Margaret with wide eyes and astonishment.

"Check my satchel."

"Hook, as in Captain Hook?" asked Hermione.

"I see you've heard of me." he said with pride.

Mary Margaret searched around in his bag and then pulled out what seemed to be a large stainless steel hook, the hilt was Helix shaped to screw into a port.

When they then examined his stump under his left sleeve they noticed a contraption that had been surgically installed securely into the skin and bone. And there on the end of the contraption was a port that would fit a compatible screw in the form of various prosthetic hands.

There was another Roar from the distance.

"Ogre is getting closer. Now, are you working for Cora and why?"

"Cora wanted me to gain your trust so that she could learn everything that there was to know about your…'Storybrooke'. She didn't want any surprises once she got there. She was seeking the way to cross realms, and now she's found it. The Enchanted wardrobe."

"The Wardrobe has been destroyed." said Hermione.

"You gave up on it too quickly, lass. The enchantment remained within the ashes. And she knows how to reactivate them. I'm working for her because she offered me Passage through to cross Realms to your Storybrooke."

"So if we collect the ashes from Cora, then we could open the portal ourselves."

"Great, let's leave him."

"No wait, you need me. The portal opened by the ashes alone isn't enough. The portal won't know where to send you. There's an additional item that we need for the portal. An enchanted compass. Take the enchanted Compass through the portal and the compass will direct you to the realm that you want to go to. I can help you find this compass."

"And why should we trust you?"

"Because you and I both want the same thing. Passage to your Storybrooke."

"This whole thing," said Mary Margaret, "to open a portal back to Storybrooke, it sounds almost too good to be true."

The roar was louder and closer while Emma paused to think it over for a second.

"All right," said Emma as she continued to threaten Captain Hook with a knife. "You're going to tell me something pirate, and I had better believe it. Why does Captain Hook want to go to Storybrooke?"

"In order to exact revenge on the one who took my hand. Rumpelstiltskin."

Emma continued to hesitate. She had no love for Mr. Gold. And most certainly wouldn't shed any tears if Captain Hook just happened to kill him. But for the time being she decided to take a chance on it.

"Anytime now Emma." said Hermione.

"All right." said Emma.

Hermione waved her wand and Killian Jones was released.

They all quickly started running.

They had evaded the ogre, and had been walking for over an hour with Captain Hook in the lead. Following a path that he was familiar with.

"Up ahead." said Captain Hook. "The compass is just over that ridge."

Hermione was wary. They all were. Putting their trust in a pirate who for all intents and purposes was guilty of the murder of the entire village by association. And whose motivation for the mission he claims is revenge against the one who took his hand. Yet he seems to switch sides by anyone who can deliver. Not exactly one's reassurance who their allegiance is to.

"I can't help but feel that we are walking into a trap." said Mulan.

"Of course we are walking into a trap." said Emma. "But that just allows us to stay one step ahead of him."

Hermione was a step behind the pirate while she kept her wand at the ready.

While he was walking he reached into the breast pocket of his black leather jacket and pulled out a small bottle with a cork in it. He pulled the cork out and then took a swig.

"What is that?" asked Hermione.

"Rum. Do you want some, lass."

"No thanks." said Hermione.

She had never been much of a drinker. Ron occasionally indulged in a butterbeer or fire whiskey with Harry, and she herself occasionally had a glass of wine, but she didn't really crave the buzz of alcohol.

They came over the hill and then Hermione saw something that she had never seen before. A beanstalk. It was taller than any tree she had ever seen. The tallest trees on Earth can be about 420 feet. This sturdy rigid plant-like growth must have been over 4,000.

"Let me guess? The compass is up there?" asked Emma.

"That's right lass." said Captain Hook.

"How do we get up there?" asked Prince Phillip.

"I don't suppose you witches can fly?" asked Mulan.

"Not without a broomstick." said Hermione. "And they can't fly that high."

"It's not the climb that you need to worry about." said Captain Hook. "It's the giant at the top."

"I know a giant." said Hermione. "He's not so bad."

"Well this Giant is the nastiest of them all."

"I might be able to apparate up there." said Hermione as she looked up to the top of the Beanstalk.

"I wouldn't try it love." said Captain Hook. "The Beanstalk is Enchanted to prevent anyone from climbing or getting through the portal at the top."

Episode - Tallahassee

"One of the few ways within all the Realms to cross realms is by use of what you refer to as a magic bean." explained Captain Hook. "Basically what you do is you throw the bean, and think of exactly where within all the Realms you want to go and the bean will transport you there. These beans were grown by the Giants."

"Interesting." said Emma as she looked at the Beanstalk. "So if these magic beans are grown, couldn't we just pick one and zap home right now?"

"Well that's just it, love. There are no more." explained Captain Hook. "Whatever fairy tale story in your realm that you think you know, I can assure you it is 100% wrong."

"In a nutshell, a guy named Jack climbs a beanstalk after he grows it from some magic beans and there's a cow, and a golden goose, and a harp." said Emma.

The Way Emma explained it was as though she had never actually heard the story but rather she just heard about the story and gave only vague details.

"Sounds like an entertaining tale my dear," said Captain Hook, "but I'm afraid the truth is a little more gruesome. The real story is that the Giants grew the beans up above the clouds in their 'giant land', they cultivated them but rather than use them for good they used them to plunder all of the land. Here in the Enchanted Forest the neighboring kingdoms invaded their land and tried to stop them and then take the beans for themselves, however the Giants, rather than lose the beans to those who fought back against them, decided to just destroy them. Bad form if you ask me."

"Evil giants?" said Emma trying to get the story straight. "Magic portal beans? So why doesn't someone just climb up the Beanstalk to Giant land and grow some more?"

"Because one of the Giants survived. And then Enchanted the beanstalks that no one could climb up."

"Okay. So we can't climb."

"Correction. Two of us can climb. Myself and one of you."

"How so?"

He then produced a cuff meant to fit on someone's wrist.

"This Enchanted cuff will allow anyone who wears it to climb the beanstalk."

He then showed his wrist that he was already wearing one.

"So, I myself will go and someone else will go with me."

"I'll do it." said Emma. "I'm not letting this pirate out of my sight."

"Very good lass." he said in a tone of that he was flattered.

Captain Hook was given his hook back so that he could climb, while they all made preparations. The group set up camp there at the base of the Beanstalk while Emma was ready to climb.

"So," said Captain Hook, "we get the compass. Steal the ashes from Cora. You grant me passage to your Storybrooke. And then," he paused mid sentence as he attached his hook to his stump and looked at the hook with a mean face, "I'll finally skin myself a crocodile!"

"Here." said Mulan as she handed Emma a bag. "Ground up seeds from the magic poppy plant. It will put anyone who inhales it into a deep sleep, temporarily."

"How many bullets do you have left?" asked Hermione.

"Four." said Emma as she checked the clip in her 9mm. "I already used up my first clip, now I'm on my second and it's almost empty."

"Can I see one of those bullets?" asked Hermione.

Emma removed one of the bullets from the chamber and gave it to Hermione. Hermione then set it down on the ground and then tapped it with her wand.

"Geminio!"

The one bullet then multiplied into 20 bullets.

"That's useful." said Emma.

Hermione then reached into her beaded handbag and pulled out a small bag of her own that had been tied tightly shut. She handed it to Emma.

"Peruvian instant Darkness powder." said Hermione. "For an emergency Quick Escape from an enemy. Simply throw the powder and it will create a shroud of Blackness that will blind your enemy temporarily."

"Thanks." said Emma as she took the bag. "Hey, just out of curiosity how do you carry so much inside that small bag?"

"Undetectable extension charm." said Hermione. "In layman's terms it basically makes the inside bigger than the outside."

Captain Hook and Emma started to climb.

The group waited in companionable silence while they watched Captain Hook and Emma climb until they were too far up the Beanstalk to be seen. Hermione knew that it would take hours for them to climb and who knows how long it will take to find The magic compass. And then climbing down the beanstalk. And of course they'll have to be extremely careful while climbing as so much as one mistake and you fall, and it's not exactly a fall you can survive. Though if Hermione sees them coming she could probably cast a spell to soften their landing.

It was more than 10 hours later when Emma finally finished climbing down the Beanstalk.

"Did you get the compass?" asked Aurora.

Emma held up the compass with a necklace chain at one end of it.

"Got it."

"Where's the pirate?" asked Prince Phillip.

"He was delayed and detained. I had to leave without him. He'll be along shortly, but I don't think that we should wait for him."

The rest of the group agreed. And they went on their way.

Now just to find a way to steal the Wardrobe ashes from Cora.

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