Chapter 9, Souls in Harmony
Hermione leaned against the bark of the tree behind her as the night started to take hold of the world around her. Her thoughts lost in the past as she contemplated her future. She wasn't there when Harry fought Quill for the stone. Hermione wasn't there when he fought the Basilisk. Yes, she had the time tuner that allowed them to save Sirius but, it was Harry figured out they needed to save Buckbeak. It was Harry who drove away over a hundred Dementor's with his Patronus.
Hermione sighed to herself. It seemed like it was always Harry saving others. Hermione's eyes slightly glazed as she fell into an old memory from fourth year. The one time Harry needed saving. The one time she could have stepped forward like he'd done for her all these years. She ignored the shameful tears that fell from her eyes as she remembered her greatest failure to her beloved.
She stared from her seat into the great hedges before her; biting her nails. The entire tournament had just been one disaster after another. At the moment Harry was somewhere in that maze of lethal shrubbery fighting only God knew what, alone.
She thought darkly that whoever decided that it this would be a great task seriously needed to be checked into St. Mungo's Mental Ward for an examination. Granted, if she could actually see what was going on inside it would most likely make her feel worse but this whole not knowing anything was driving her spare.
The crowd had broken up into many small groups conversing about the champions. The cornucopia of voices grated raw on her nerves as they discussed who would emerge with the cup, and worse, who would return injured. Hermione was thankful to see Madam Pomfrey below with a team of Medi-Witches from St. Mungo's, if only because she knew that if nobody else got hurt, Harry would.
Suddenly a shooting red spark that caused several gasps from the crowd and the buzz of their voices to rise. Each wondering who needed rescue and had been disqualified. A big part of her hoped it was Harry, or better that he had just simply opted out of this stupid thing.
She knew better though, Harry may not have entered himself into this ignorant spectacle but he wasn't a quitter. That stubborn boy would see this farce through to the bitter end. Which was something Hermione was very worried about.
They spent the last few months preparing for this task together and Harry's spell repertoire was second only to hers of their fellow students. Added to this was the fact she knew that something could have blown Harry in half and he would have still crawled forward trying to complete this fool competition.
She loved him for his intensity and drive, but hated it also. So many things would be easier for him if he just learned to keep his head down and bail out once in a while.
Several moments later Professor Flitwick brought an unconscious Fleur Delecour out of the maze. The Beauxbatons contingent groaned at seeing their champion down and out of the competition but several rushed to see what was wrong. She was very much unconscious but her body was shaking in spasms. That did not bode well to Hermione, she didn't know of any spells that would do that, except for a few really dark spells she had only heard vague references too.
Following the diminutive professor was Hagrid carrying the still form of Victor Krum. He too was brought forward to the healers but he did not show any obvious injuries. Hermione was sitting close to them and could hear bits of their conversations while they worked. This was one of the reasons she was sitting in this particular seat. She knew, she just knew in her bones that Harry would need medical attention when he got out of this damn thing and wanted to be close when it happened.
The St. Mungo's healers didn't know what was wrong with Delacour but the evidence showed she was put under a great amount of pain, unfortunately for the French champion none of the spells or potions worked to alleviate any of them. The only conclusion they could come to was so ridiculous that none of them put any stock in it, so kept trying to find a potion or spell that would work.
Victor was easier to rouse, a simple Enervate did the trick, which to her mind suggested he was Stupefied. Who would do that though? Surely neither Harry nor Diggory would go to such lengths to win this stupid tournament? She knew Harry wouldn't. Victor though was almost no help at all. The last thing he remembered was walking along one of the tunnels when he blacked out.
Hermione frowned at hearing that. It sounded believable but Harry and her had gotten to know the Bulgarian Seeker quite well over the last few months and he seemed…dodgy at the moment. She turned her eyes to the maze wondering if Harry was okay. It was definitely a Hogwarts victory now, much to the pleasure of the majority of the crowd, but which one would take the cup? Hermione didn't care so long as Harry came out of that thing whole, healthy, and alive.
Time passed slowly for her as the crowd grew restless. Cedric and Harry had been in the maze for a very long time and the crowd was getting antsy. The entire time Hermione looked fearfully and with each passing moment that Harry had yet to return tore at her insides. The teachers had grown a bit concerned themselves from what she could see.
Currently they were huddled up talking amongst themselves when out of nowhere a great swirling vortex of various shades of blues burst before them dropping two bodies onto the floor startling everyone while creating a dead silence. Hermione could just make out the forms of Cedric and Harry when the band started playing but the happy victory music was ill suited to what registered before her eyes.
Harry was crying. The only other time she ever seen him cry was at night when it was just the two of them. Harry, never cried where anyone would be able to see him, yet there he was doing just that.
As the scene before her began to fully register she screamed. Harry's clothes were in horrible condition but the worst part was the great gash that flowed blood from his right arm. His body was shaking similarly to Fleur's and he seemed incoherent. Dumbledore rushed forward while she tried to get down to him only to be held back by a tearful McGonagall. No matter how much she tried fighting the older witch she could not get away to be close to Harry.
"Come, let us go to the Hospital Wing child, that is where Alastor will take him now." McGonagall told her while they both watched Moody lead Harry into the castle.
Hermione looked up into the face of her mentor and nodded before she hurried for the castle herself. Hermione looked around at the main entrance but didn't see either of them and continued to make her way to the Hospital wing. When they arrived however, they didn't find Harry there either. Panic roared through her when it became obvious that no one knew where Harry was. McGonagall stood puzzled until Dumbledore burst into the door, whispered something to her and they both ran from the room.
She felt so helpless sitting on 'Harry's Bed' in the Hospital Wing. She didn't know what to do, how to help, and simply sat waiting for someone to bring Harry to her. She was useless, she thought to herself.
Whatever he had faced in the Maze obviously was something more than she managed to help him prepare for. Images of Harry shaking, bleeding, sobbing, and broken holding an obviously dead Diggory stuck in her mind. She sat there on his bed, crying and waiting for someone to bring him to her, terrified and inconsolable.
Hermione snapped out of that horrible memory. Evening had set firmly around her and the full moon shone very bright before her dominating the night's sky. All about her everything was highlighted in its soft pale blue glow giving the world around her an ethereal appearance. It was almost as if she was in some place in between worlds where reality touched the afterlife.
Her little trip down memory lane only cemented her resolve. Harry was hurt worse than he was then and she had no intention of being useless this time. She loved him, he was everything to her and this time she was going to fight for him. Harry had never done less for her and she vowed to herself after that tournament that she would never do less for him again. No price was too great for Harry, not to her. She slowly rose from the bench she was sitting watching the night sky and made her way toward the cabin where the Shaman and Harry waited. It was time.
She walked into the cabin, a determined set to her features. For most of the day the Shaman locked himself within preparing for the healing while she waited. As soon as she walked in Jim passed her wishing her luck before he posted himself outside to prevent anyone from interrupting them. Hermione thanked him before she began to disrobe.
According to the Shaman nudity was required. There mustn't be anything within the Rituals influence that can taint the magic's he was going to invoke and attempt to control. She did not understand a lot of what was going to happen but she trusted the older man who spent his life learning such things. Once she completed her task she took a deep steadying breath and strode into Harry's room.
The first thing she noticed was Harry's nude form lying on a pallet of skins and furs. His body was painted in strange symbols and runic designs she didn't recognize. The dark patterns glowed an eerie pale gold and seemed to pulse with the beating of his heart. Hermione took a moment to allow her eyes to roam the room. Bowls of slowly burning herbs rested about and the only light came from the fireplace. They smelled refreshing yet her made her mind slightly hazy and her eyes water a bit. She became startled a moment later by the ghostly voice of the Shaman sounding next to her.
"All is ready. Are you prepared Daughter of Owl?"
Hermione spun surprised to find an equally naked older man standing next to her. Her arm moved to cover her self from his eyes before she stopped. She took a deep breath to relax before she nodded.
Hovering above the Shaman's left shoulder a human skull floated, a purple light burned within its eyes and as the Shaman spoke, its jaw worked mimicking speech. Words she could understand flowed from the chilling sight.
The Shaman never allowed his eyes to roam from her own when he began speaking. "Peace child. In this moment we are not a man and woman. We are simply the vessels in which our souls are carried."
He must have noticed her eyes locked on the skull as he answered her silent question. "A useful relic created by my wife many years ago during our travels. She was gifted with language yet we traveled to many places her great gifts could not assist us. She crafted this for such times when her own skills failed. It is little used due to other people's belief that such constructs are inherently evil."
Forgetting their shared nudity for the moment she reflectively asked, "I thought you traveled alone?"
The ancient man before her chuckled and her stomach turned just a bit when the skull mimicked his amusement. "No child, I left our people when I became a man. I had to pass through the rituals of our people. One of them was marriage."
"My wife, gifted as she was with many languages of many peoples, was often my voice to those I wished to learn from. She called this construct 'The Voice of all People'. I am not wise in her arts and do not know how she made it but it was very useful when her skills failed."
Hermione soaked up the information noting only that it was a better translator than Jim was. His words were a lot clearer using the skull thing, even if it was a bit unnerving to look at. Her eyes move back to Harry's prone form and simply nodded letting her questions die, Harry needed her. Hermione faced the older man and stood completely still knowing he needed to paint her in similar runes if she was to help Harry, the sooner the better.
The Shaman took notice of her commitment and raised the bowl he was holding in his left hand up a bit and stepped in front of her. He dipped two fingers into the thick paste and raised them to prepare to draw the symbols but hesitated just shy of actually touching her. Despite his words earlier Hermione could tell he was hesitant himself. By what little she knew of these things from her talks with him and Jim she knew that their current situation was not one that had come up within his time tending to his people.
"Do it." She stated as she reached forward and pulled his hand the last inch into the skin of her soft stomach.
The paste was cold, almost unnaturally cold which caused her to take a sharp breath. His hesitation was banished by her commitment allowing him to focus on his work. Hermione kept her eyes on Harry's form standing as still as she could trying to ignore the foreign touch of the Shaman as he set about his task.
It did not take long for him to dress her in symbols almost identical to those painted on Harry. She followed his instructions when he finished lay herself next to Harry and clasping hands with him.
"Remember," The Shaman spoke as she crawled into position next to Harry. "I cannot help you once the two of you are bound. The Darkness will fight the connection. You will not be able to succeed unless you can pull Raven from his inner prison."
"Once you have succeeded in joining your inner self with Raven you will need to break the connection the Darkness has over him. I will aid you, if I can, from here. However, I will not be of much assistance until you have begun. Once you unseat the Darkness I will begin pulling it out of Son of Raven."
"I am ready." Hermione stated with conviction. I can do this. Hold on Harry…
She closed her eyes when he began to chant in his native language. At first she could feel only the light breeze trailing along the cold paste on her body before she started to feel a bit uncomfortable. Suddenly her eyes snap open as pain beyond anything she ever felt in her life tore through her causing her hand to clench tight in Harry's, her back to arch, and a scream to rip itself from her throat.
XxXDaRXxX
A battle scarred middle-aged man appeared out of thin air with a barely audible pop into the forested area. His scared face moved side to side taking in his surroundings before he relaxed and started limping forward satisfied that no threats waited to ambush him. This was the reported area of the incident Riley told him about a few hours ago.
Directly in front of him was a fallen tree that appeared to have been blown apart at the trunk. He waved his wand over the splintered remains a few times and frowned at the results. The curse was definitely dark but not one he recognized. What it did was obvious judging by the fallen tree across the path. Mad-Eye Moody shuttered thinking what that could have done if it had actually hit a body instead of a tree. Spells like this made the Unforgivables seem almost humane.
After a quick read on the scene his doubts were laid to rest; Potter was here. He stood on the site and began to visualize what had happened using the many years under his belt working such scenes. He looked around with his good eye slightly glassy as he watched the specters of Potter and Granger fight off their enemies.
The attackers were definitely not Death Eaters. He could not find one Unforgivable signature anywhere, though one of the pair wasn't exactly concerned for the kid's safety, and Death Eaters loved their Unforgivables.
He shook his head at the low level spells Granger and Potter used to attempt to escape. From a tactical standpoint the only positive thing he could say about their performance was they were very inventive, though not as effective as they should have been. He wondered idly if they had panicked or if they tactically responded to the threat. The answer would tell him a lot about the kids.
Potter and Granger's Magical Signature told him they used the fallen tree as cover early in the fight. Conjurations, low to mild transfigurations and banishers mostly. Annoying to a well-prepared assailant and moderately effective as a stalling tactic but not efficient use of magical energies. Had they been anyone else, say the Weasley boy, or most of their classmates bar Longbottom, they would have exhausted themselves using such tactics. Granger was gifted however, and Potter was powerful in his own right as well.
He had an idea for where Potter stood judging by the raw magic he funneled into whatever he had summoned to aid them. Mad-Eye would have laid good gold that it had to be massively heavy and a goodly distance away. Whatever was summoned was pretty decent sized judging by the way the forest was disturbed creating a visible path to them from the muggle roadway.
While Potter and his girly fought using Hogwarts standard spells their assailants held no such restraint. Mad-Eye found one of the pair used various explosive curses, cutters, and area effect magics. The other spent most of his time trying to shield from Granger, some healing where Granger must have scored some hits, and various mild to heavy stunners.
The trail grew interesting from here as Potter and Granger found a way to escape at great speed and the Hit Wizards moved to intercept. He could tell which one cut them off whereby the spells he detected, until he got to the cliff. Moody apparated below to where Potter must have landed. He growled when he found nothing except for the disturbance of the landing. It was clear to see that something must have gone wrong with the landing due to how disturbed the area was but the trail did not so much go cold as completely die.
The grizzled old ex-Auror frowned. Someone well versed in concealing movements was here and cleaned the site. There was little doubt in his mind that whoever it was took Potter with them. The only question was if they were friend or foe. Knowing Potter's luck, that axe could have swung either way. Mad-Eye only hoped he wasn't too late to help the lad if unfriendly forces captured him.
XxXDaRXxX
The old Shaman slumped against the wall breathing heavily. Through the hide curtain over the window he could see the light of day pushing back the night. Appropriate he thought considering the night's events. Light pushing back the Darkness.
He looked through exhausted eyes toward the bedding where Son of Raven and Daughter of Owl laid in each other's embrace. Facing each other, bodies cuddled as close as each could get without sharing the same skin. The lines of power pulsed in time with each other telling him both slept deeply with hearts beating as one.
The battle to heal Raven had taken all he had to give but seeing both young ones sleeping so peacefully warmed his heart. Daughter of Owl succeeded and the binding had allowed him to succeed in freeing Son of Raven from the Darkness within. However he was unable to unbind their souls. When he had tried they fought him, seemingly unwilling to part from each other. He knew that was a possibility, and one of two outcomes if the binding was successful. In time the experience will change them.
How much was uncertain but from his knowledge of the bond he knew a blending of their personalities, minds, knowledge, skills, and such would occur. The degree of change would greatly depend on them. It would take some time for the bond to mature and the changes would take some time to manifest but manifest it will. Seeing them so content banished any worries about them he might have had from before. Their souls had not just taken to the bond but embraced it as only two deeply in love could do.
The sudden racking cough that overtook him dropped him to his knees for a few moments. Raven was free of the Darkness but he had not been entirely honest with young Owl. Once he discovered what was affecting young Raven he knew which medicine he would need to use. He had told Daughter of Owl he could cut the Darkness from Son of Raven and kill it, but the truth was that was never a possibility. Not without cost.
The only thing he could do was take the Darkness and place it into another vessel. During his travels he had heard rumors of a great Sand People from across the Great Waters who knew more but he had never learned of those medicines. He did learn how to transfer the Darkness from one host to another, which is what he had done. In order to save young Raven he took the Darkness into himself.
Already he could feel it inside him trying to bind itself to him like it did with the young man in front of him, seeking to control him, bind his will to its own. Unlike young Raven, he knew it was there and what it was trying to do and could fight it, for long enough anyways.
How young Raven survived so long with this evil in him was a wonder all to its own and a testament to Raven's will. The Shaman could feel it attempting to enter his mind with its sinister influence. Foreign emotions masked subtly to appear as his own flowed through him attempting to weaken his will. It called upon all his worst memories, twisting his life into a parody of what it was like trying to turn him to its thinking.
Pure Evil, this piece of the enemy he freed from Raven. With careful ease the aged man rose to his feet and stumbled into the main room. Here he carefully knelt in the center and pulled the great bear hide that rested there away revealing the circle of power he had hidden there.
The circle was very complex and had come from peoples far to the west. Once activated it would cage him inside never to leave until it was destroyed, which could only happen from outside its influence. The only way for any inside to leave otherwise was through death. Like all right minded peoples he did not fear death by any means. He had led a very full life and with Raven healed, his purpose was complete. Carefully he moved his shaking arm downward to draw the last line activating the circle and sealing himself inside.
Within him he could sense the Darkness screaming in rage knowing its end was coming. Carefully he picked up the bone dagger that rested in the center of the runescape. It was a special weapon made from the arm bone of his Great Grandfather, carved with spiritual runes. The hilt was adorned with feathers from Owls and Ravens. It was sharp enough to pierce his breast and heart with ease.
The aged Shaman raised his proud head and held the dagger aloft. He stepped from the healer's path and for the first time set himself on the path of the warrior. His ancestors reward for the years he sacrificed to their will. Finally, he would face battle as a Warrior of the People, and kill a great enemy.
'Hear my thoughts, Great Darkness across the Waters, and listen well. I am TwoMauls, of the People of the Flint, and I know your secret. Raven knows your secret and is free. Take this knowledge upon yourself and tremble for though this is the last battle of TwoMauls, Raven flies free and he comes for you…
A quick sure thrust felled the ancient man, a knowing smile on his peaceful face. The sphere of power that had trapped him faded away leaving the room in near darkness. Two forms dropped from the ceiling landing near his body as they watched the light slowly leave his eyes. After a moment the great raven and owl took wing through the window with their bravest child carried between them. Bearing him with honor to the lands of his forefathers.
Chapter 10, Deep Thoughts and Ruined Plans
Headmaster Dumbledore leaned against the great cabinet, which housed a most curious item. The pale luminescence highlighted his aged visage while he idly circled the tip of his wand a hair's breadth above the swirling quicksilver liquid that rested within. The contents themselves poured its pale light from within this curious item which was a great and quite intricately carved stone bowl.
Even Dumbledore did not understand the meaning of the markings but he did understand what the device did. He was one of few people who did, and one of even fewer who owned such an item. Every now and then the thoughtful man would place the tip of his wand to the side of his head and lower a ghostly silver strand into the bowl. These strands would blow about minutely in the invisible air currents of the room before being placed within the liquid. Only the sounds of his breathing and the soft whispers coming from these strands broke the silence of his quarters.
This would continue for a while before Dumbledore would pace within the Headmasters Suite. Something he did quite a bit, though usually with less agitation. For the last month or so the topic of his restless night was the ever elusive and almost impossible to track, Harry Potter.
Granted, he was well aware of young Harry's abilities to avoid detection having played a small part in their development. However the boy's ability to avoid detection for the length of time he had so far was nothing short of impressive, and very inconsiderate. It proved very well that Harry was ready for the role he was needed to soon play, but now was too soon. No, Harry was not quite where Dumbledore needed him to be yet.
This particular night was not much different than the previous nights in the Headmaster's concerns and actions. On the contrary, since Potter's disappearance this was becoming his new routine. It was distracting to say the least and delayed other plans he had in motion. Dumbledore was having an easier time tracking Riddle's Horcruxes than he was tracking Harry.
Tracking Mr. Potter was compounded several degrees due to his special circumstance. Take for example Mr. Longbottom. Had it been he who had decided to run away in this manner, his illustrious Grandmother could have contacted the Ministry and made use of the special men and women who specialized in finding errant children. Yet he could do no such thing with Harry. Dumbledore had already risked as much as he could by conscripting a few back channel agents through his ICW contacts.
It was highly possible that even those measures will not be adequate. It was imperative that no one know of his absences. If word got to Voldemort that he lost control of Potter events would spin out of his control and that would be disastrous for everyone.
After the Ministry debacle Tom had decided to lay low. The loss of twelve of his best and most influential had crippled him for the moment. Not to mention the damage done to him when he tried to possess Harry. With Riddle licking his wounds the Ministry had much needed time to organize a defense against him. Not that Albus expected much, but anything was better than nothing.
Should Tom find Harry missing he would search for him and kill him. There was no doubt in the Headmaster's mind that Tom would and could do it. That would ruin everything. It was too soon, besides he still did not know for sure how many Horcruxes Riddle made, what they were, or where. He was hopeful that Tom still did not know of Potter's disappearance, Severus was due to return to the castle soon and he would know if the enemy knew of the current developments.
Already the boy had cost him much needed support within his Order. Alastor, Nymphadora, and Arthur all had Ministry contacts, contacts he needed. Since Harry begun his little rebellion the information they usually passed to him had slimmed. Granted they still passed on critical information but that was all.
Harry's ability to inspire loyalty, trust, and the need to follow him was another trait Dumbledore had successfully fostered. Again, now was not the time for them to show themselves. It was ruining everything. Three years of planning were being destroyed because the boy would rather enjoy the comforts of the Granger Girls charms than do what was necessary to end the nightmare that was Tom Riddle.
He knew of at least one Horcrux, or at least, he was sure of where one was. It had taken him nearly six months of effort but he managed to finally track it down. He was sure it was the Gaunt Family Ring and there was only one place Voldemort would have stowed it. The Gaunt Family Home. Dumbledore was even fairly sure of when it was made and whom Riddle had killed. He had meant to already have gone and retrieved it but with Potter missing he had declined in order to focus his attentions on finding his way ward charge. It didn't matter. It wasn't going anywhere for the moment and he could retrieve it later, after he found and regained control of Harry.
The headmaster stopped his pacing and looked out into the black night. He was proud of the boy. Truth be told he had grown very fond of him. So full of life and so willful. Nothing in his life had yet to break his spirit. Yes, in the quiet of his mind he was very proud of all that Harry had done, even his running away.
As it always did the guilt of his secrets began to eat at him. Dumbledore squashed it as soon as it manifested. Hundreds of Wizards and Witches or one boy? It was a gruesome choice but it was the only way to save their world.
"Well done Harry. But you cannot run from Fate. I am sorry things must be this way, but for the Greater Good, you must be brought to heel."
XxXDaRXxX
The Grizzled ex Auror stepped from the heavy woodland into the clearing. Moody had been traversing these woods for most the night and all of the day trying to get a whiff of who took the boy. This settlement, while a completely unexpected find, was not unwelcome. It had an old feel to it. If he had to put it into words he would have said he felt like he had somehow fallen into the deep past when the world was young. A strange feeling but not unpleasant. Hogwarts had a similar feel but nowhere near as powerful as this place.
Whoever took Potter would have most likely would have taken him here. It wasn't as if there were a lot of other places in the area. Moody's slow progress was due mostly to the fact he was constantly looking for any signs, no matter how small, of magical transportation. So far nothing had come up so he was pretty confidant those that took the boy would have done it the muggle way. The fact he couldn't find any traces of it did not detour the determined hunter. He trusted his gut, and his gut said Potter was here.
His magical eye didn't see him in any of the buildings. Nor did he see the Granger girl. However, that didn't mean much, his eye wasn't infallible. He personally knew of at least four spells that could have concealed him from it. What he did see however kept him from advancing any more than he already had.
He was warned when he told Garrison where he was going that the local people had a community somewhere in this forest. More importantly he was told if by some miracle he managed to get as far as their town's boundaries to not enter until bidden to do so. They were very protective and had a tendency to kill trespassers. Garrison mentioned there was little the Government could do about it since it was apart of their peace treaties that dated back to colonial times. Mad-Eye had no quarrel with these people. Yet. Hopefully he wouldn't.
He didn't have to wait long before a lone man started to make his way to him from one of the log cabins. Moody kept his real eye on him while his magical eye looked for threats behind. The man walked with powerful strides and a gait that spoke volumes about him before he even began speaking. If he wasn't a leader here, he was someone important. More important to Mad-Eye, he looked like the man who would have answers. He didn't make any noise when he walked. Nor did his feet leave even the slightest dents in the soft grass he traversed. Though the ex Auror did not see anyone about him the man walked as if he held the upper hand. He was confident and sure of himself yet his face held nobility rarely seen by a retired Auror who spent his life chasing the scum of the earth. He assessed all these things quickly as the long legged stranger didn't take long to reach him.
"Stranger, you were not invited to come here, but you were not unexpected. What do you want?"
Mad-Eye nodded. There was no arrogance in his voice, nor any threat. Just the statement and question. "I'm looking for a couple of kids. I have reason to believe one of your people may have found them in the forest."
The tall stranger before him kept a stony expression giving away nothing. Moody couldn't tell if he knew anything by his eyes or body language at all. He handed over the two pictures that he had brought with him. "The lad there is Harry Potter. The lass is Hermione Granger."
"Why do you hunt these children?"
His assessment of the man had him answer honestly. Something in the back of his mind warned him not to lie to him. "The lad has enemies. Dangerous enemies. I've been trying to find him for over a month and tracked him here. I found evidence of a fight in the ridge line and the boy could have been hurt. Maybe both of them. I am trying to find him so I can protect him. He's too young and inexperienced to do so himself. His trail went cold, too cold. Someone found them and then hid the fact they did. He's in danger whether he wants to admit it or not. He needs more than just the lass to keep him safe."
The entire time the man did not so much as bat an eyelid. When he looked at the pictures he gave no expression at all. The fact he was almost impossible to read told Moody he knew something. What he knew was the mystery. A few moments passed while the man before him looked into his eye seemingly judging what he saw.
"They are not here."
"But they were?"
He nodded. "Yes, I found them by the outer boundaries of our lands. Two of your kind hunted them. They managed to get away from their pressures but there was an accident and I brought them here for healing. They left this morning."
Alastor sighed. They had at least a twelve-hour head start on him. Maybe more. He already knew these people took credit for the dead Hit Wizard. Since the man before him was their rescuer he was the one to do the deed. You've got to give Potter his due; the boy had an uncanny knack for finding the right kind of friends when he needed it. "Do you know to where they went to?"
The dark haired man before him shook his head. "No."
He had a feeling there was more to this. Granted Potter hated anything to do with Hospitals, or so he was told, but Granger wouldn't have let him run until he was fully healed. "How did they leave? Magical methods or Muggle?"
The man tilted his head slightly to the side at the term Muggle but didn't say anything. After a few moments of silence Mad-Eye spoke again. "You're not going to tell me."
"No." was his informative response.
"Why?" he grunted.
"They are being hunted. By you and by others. I can feel your desire to help them, but you can't. They are destined to fly free and you wish to cage them. Others wish to harm them. They won't for the same reason. I don't know where they went. I know how they left but once beyond the valley, they could have done anything. I have told you what I can. I will tell you no more. Now, you must leave. Outsiders are not welcome in the valley on this night."
Moody frowned at his comments. "Why is that?"
The other man had already turned away but stopped to answer his question. "One of our own has passed and we do not share such times with anyone not of our own."
"Before I go can I at least talk to the healer that patched them up? They might need me more than ever trying to run with their injuries."
The dark haired man was quite a moment. "No, our Shaman is who passed." He seemed to be considering something but it was hard to tell with his back turned to him. Eventually he spoke. "You can see the room where they were healed. That is all I can do but I cannot give you much time. By sunset you will need to be gone."
Moody looked to the horizon. Sunset was only a handful of minutes away.
XxXDaRXxX
Lord Voldemort, the greatest wizard to ever walk the world since Merlin himself sat in his great throne like chair staring straight ahead of him. The soft hissing of his snake the only sounds aside from the wood burning in the grate. The last few months had been full of surprises. Most of them unpleasant.
Yes, the Ministry debacle was the start of his ill fortune. He had reasoned that since he used Potter's blood to reconstitute his body the old magic that protected him had been nullified. He had proven it when he touched the boy and suffered no ill effects. However when their wands had connected later he became concerned again. He knew of no magic that would cause such a thing to happen.
This outcome led him to seeking out the Prophecy. It was foolhardy of him back in 81' to seek the boy out without knowing the full context of it. A problem he planned to remedy. It was proving to be rather difficult until he discovered the link between himself and Potter. With the information gained from Bode after he released him from Azkaban he learned only Potter or himself could retrieve it. Everything came together perfectly when the House Elf showed and gave Bellatrix the last piece to the puzzle. Then Lucius allowed six underage children to outsmart him.
Luck and Chance ruined his plan that day for that was all that saved Potter from being destroyed after the prophecy was lost. Even Dumbledore was not in his league magically anymore. He had grown old while he, Lord Voldemort was still young, strong, and Immortal.
While recovering from the mental wounds he received from his possession of Potter, a thing he had yet to understand, he sent out his people to find where he lived. He planned to place one of his relatives under the Imperius Curse and send them as an assassin to deal with the boy once and for all. It also allowed his people to gather information on muggle soft targets. With the Ministry fully accepting his return it was time to begin openly destabilizing the muggle Ministry. With the Ministry of Magic busy Obliviating muggles and working to keep their existence a secret they would be stretched too thin to raise any kind of organized resistance when he struck against them. Confusion and terror were old well-bloodied weapons in his arsenal.
This plan had proceeded well until those fools Goyle and Crabb managed to almost get themselves killed by Muggles. His fury from the Daily Prophet's Headlines was great and three of his new recruits were regrettably sacrificed to order to quell it. They daredto mock him! It mattered not they mocked two of the most moronic of his people the fact was someone had Dared to do so. The attack on Bones Manner was only one of several assaults he had ordered in retaliation. However, that assault was one of few that did not succeed.
He was surrounded by the sounds of spell fire and their explosive results. The magical backlash of his minions spells sent eddies of magic swirling around them lending the illusion of a multi directional wind. If any of the muggles could have seen it they would have thought Bones was celebrating Bonfire night several months early. Amidst the carnage taking place Lord Voldemort stood tall with his black cloak billowing about him and felt his inhuman heart beat faster while he watched. It was glorious.
The wards his people fought were well done but not good enough to keep them out. This assault was the product of two weeks of planning, a small fortune for the blueprints of her Ward Schemes, and infiltration into several sections of the Ministry. Fudge was easily going to be kicked out of office and the last person he wanted at the helm of magical Britain was Bones. The others he could deal with, but this woman was far too knowledgeable, forceful, and driven to be allowed to live. It was unfortunate she would not support him; she would have made a formidable ally. Better than most of those he currently commanded. So far the attack had gone according to plan. However, it was the only thing so far in the last few months to go as well. Nothing had gone to plan since Potter at the Ministry foiled his plans.
The wards had almost fallen when the stabbing pain struck him. It started deep within his bones and seemed to explode throughout his entire being within moments. The pain was so swift and great it dropped him to his knees ripping an inhuman scream from his lungs. Then he heard the voice.
…Hear my thoughts, Great Darkness across the Waters, and listen well. I am TwoMauls of the People of the Flint and I know your secret. Raven knows your secret and is free. Take this knowledge upon yourself and tremble for though this is the last battle of TwoMauls, Raven flies free and comes for you…
The voice was unnerving in that it sounded within his own mind. Then one great piercing pain as if his very soul was pierced rendered him unconscious. He had awoken later being tended to by some healer his people kidnapped for this purpose. He quickly dispatched the idiot woman when her blubbering stutters announced she was unable to discover what had happened to him. He called for Severus to continue for though he was no healer he was a Master Potionier and was the only one of his people he trusted to tend to him. Severus was only able to find a slight alteration in his magic, most likely due to some weakness that existed in this body. Though the ritual was a success Wormtail must have caused this issue with his blundering inability to do anything correctly. Whatever it was Severus assured him that it shouldn't happen again and began brewing various potions to strengthen this body. He would build a new one after he dealt with Potter. Until then this body was more than up to the task.
His people retreated from Bones Manor after he fell and he lost his chance to kill her. However he now had a more pressing problem. The voice he heard mentioned it knew his secret. Lord Voldemort had a lot of secrets, but he had one more important than any others. His Horcruxes. His red eyes looked to the sleeping Nagini before he nodded to himself in the dark confines of his bedchambers. He would leave in the morning to check on his remaining anchors. The Diary was lost and until he took over the Ministry he would be unable to check on the one at Hogwarts but he could check on the Locket and Ring. He was completely confidant no one would be able to find the one hidden in the Lestrange Vault. He was just as confident no one would be able to find the others. Still, he wanted to be absolutely sure neither the Locket nor the Ring had been discovered. He would lay a few extra wards over each just to be sure it stayed that way.
XxXDaRXxX
The old brown Dodge truck barreled down the highway close to seventy miles per hour. To most people that wasn't very fast but considering the old truck shook and sounded as if the driver was navigating a hurricane, it gave such an impression. The Driver himself was a large man. Had he been standing he would have measured a little over six foot. Mixed with his broad shoulders and large frame he easily took up a third of the cab. A football cap concealed his brown messy hair. A black tee shirt and worn faded blue jeans stretched across the acreage of his body while rectangular glasses and a half smoked cigarette completed his attire. The frown on his face barely visible under the dark goatee detailed he was not having the best of days.
Shifting his bulk slightly he reached into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out a cell phone quickly dialing a number while slowing down to the posted speed limit. The last thing he needed at this moment was to get pulled over by some middle town cop looking to make his quota in speeding tickets. He had enough troubles to be going on with. The cell rang a few times before it was picked up.
"Hey Bro, you back home already?" came a male voice.
"Not really." The driver grunted.
"How long?"
"Extended. Passing through Arkansas right now. I hate this state."
The man on the other end of the line laughed. "You're just pissed they gave you a speeding ticket last month."
"Fifty five on a four lane road in the middle of nowhere is fucking stupid."
"You never said if the Judge bought that."
"No he didn't. And a hundred and fifty dollars for a first time offense is ridiculous."
Laughter greeted his comment. The man frowned. "Hey, Mr. Giggles, when you're done laughing at my misfortune I need to talk to you. I've got a situation."
The laughter died quickly. "Hey, what's going on?"
"My old place down in the holler still empty?"
"So far as I know. No one lives down that way anymore. All the kin left not long after you did. No one was willing to do the work to keep it up except Dad. You know how it is with him; he can only get down there once a month, if at all. They keep him pretty busy at the Manor."
He grunted. That Nursing home was gunna kill him one of these days. As it was he was the only thing keeping them in business. If not for the old-timers there he was pretty sure he would have quit that place years ago. "Good. Think you can head down that way and unlock it for me? Wouldn't say no to a couple of beers either. I'll bring the Jack."
"Bro, what's going on? Something happen with you and Missy?"
"No, nothing like that. We're fine. Just had a deal buck sideways if you know what I mean. I'll tell you all about it when I get there. Can you get away from Cis for a few days? I know you're on vacation but I'm kinda in a bind."
"Yeah, it'll piss her off but she'll like spending more time with her Mom. It's been awhile since we were back in town ourselves."
"I'll owe ya Bro. I left the keys at Big en's house. I'm still about five hours away so you got time. Tell Cis I'll take you guys to Cowboys or Rodeo's before you head back to Texas."
"All right. Hey, are you okay man? You in some kind of trouble?"
He paused for a moment looking up at the ceiling of the truck's cab as if he could see through it and into the sleeper of his camper shell and the two teens sleeping there. "You know me Bro. Its all about the Spirit of Adventure."
XxXDaRXxX
Moody sighed as he took in the scene before him. Potter and Granger were definitely here. Their magical signatures were all over the room. However the only thing there of them was a pile of bloodied sheets, bandages, and such from when they had been healed. One or both must have been hurt badly judging by the stains. He pulled out a small mirror from his robes that Lupin gave him back when they first started hunting for Potter.
"Tonks." His gruff voice spoke to his reflection. After a moment it was replaced with the blurry-eyed visage of the pink haired Auror. He frowned, she looked smashed.
"You have any idea what time it is Mad-Eye?"
"I lost him. We'll need to go to Plan B."
Just as quickly as his gruff voice finished speaking Tonks seemed to wake up completely. Her head turned to the side while blowing out a great gust of air. "Damn it. I told you why it won't work Mad-Eye."
"You promised him Tonks. Remember, you brought this up to me in the first place. I tried but I don't think I can find him before the will is read. This day is about done and he's got a good head start on me. Not to mention I have no idea where he went from here. It'll most likely take me a couple of days to get another lead on him. If not longer."
"I may be a Metamorphmagus but you know I can't change my gender. Even if I could it wont be enough. I can make myself look like him but even Polyjuice won't fool the goblins. They sign everything with Blood quills. Especially anything involving House stuff."
Moody looked to the pile of bloody sheets. "What if we had some of his blood? The boy got in a bad way and needed a healer. Can we trick the quill to take it instead of yours?"
Tonks shocked face looked back at him from the little mirror. "Are you seriously suggesting we move forward with trying to highjack the reading? You do realize if we are caught the both of us will most likely end up in Azkaban for a couple of month stay. You know as well as I do what the penalties are for trying to wholesale rob an ancient house."
"Its not theft and this was your idea Tonks. Sirius asked to you make sure Dumbledore and Malfoy did not get their hands on his estate and to do whatever it took to make sure Harry got his inheritance. You know how paranoid he was about that. Especially considering what his theory was on James and Lilies will."
She sighed. "Yeah I know. Sirius was adamant that Dumbledore somehow manipulated that one so Harry would go to the Dursleys."
"It's your call Tonks but I won't cry over hoodwinking Malfoy or Dumbledore. So, can it be done?"
She thought a few moments. "Maybe. I'll need to convince Remus to help though."
Mad-Eye snorted. "Like that would be difficult to do."
"What about Dumbledore? You know he's going to try to grab 'Harry' after the will is read regardless of what happens. Crap, not to mention he'll be very suspicious when Hermione doesn't show."
"Who says she won't? Send Arthur over to the Granger place to get a few hairs from her brush and someone can pose as her. She's not the heiress so they won't be checking her over for potions and such. Harry's the problem."
Tonks bit her lip but nodded. It was a weak plan but it was all they had since they couldn't get Harry himself. "Still how do we get 'Harry and Hermione' away from Dumbledore before he captures them."
Moody smiled which made Tonks grimace as it through his scars into stunning clarity. "I got a plan for that, just get everything else ready. Expect my package tomorrow and keep me updated. Hopefully I'll find the lad soon before Hogwarts starts. You know as well as I do that if we don't find him before then, there's no point looking anymore. We'll be too busy with Voldemort and his ilk."
Tonks gave Moody a smirk. "I wonder if they will give us adjoining cells when we're caught?"
Chapter 11, New Friends
Harry's eyes snapped open before he jerked upright only to rise a few inches before slamming his head into the low ceiling he didn't see and did not know was there. The pain in his head refocused his attention for a few moments before he rose up once more. This time cautiously so he could take stock of his surroundings and save his skull from acquiring any more dents.
His eyes first rested on Hermione who was sleeping nude next to him under a massive hide blanket. He also noticed he was nude as well. Weak Daylight streamed through a long window in front of their heads proudly telling him it was either very early morning or late evening. With the curtains closed it was difficult to tell which it was. The ceiling was very low, a fact he already knew very well, and there was barely enough room for them to lay full out. Harry leaned forward allowing the blanket to fall from him a bit to see past their feet. The ground dropped low to reveal what looked like a small table on one side and a kitchenette on the other. On the far wall in front of him was a thin door.
Harry leaned back, blinked and rubbed his eyes before moving back up to once again taking in his surroundings. Nothing had changed. His confusion made itself known in the frown on his face. Two stacks of clothes were sitting on the small table for two and thankfully, their wands rested on top. Something wasn't right here. Never before had he seen this blanket but it seemed familiar to him though it seemed out of place in this setting. After a few moments of looking around Harry decided it was the only thing around him that looked in anyway familiar aside from their clothes.
Suddenly his eyes grew massively wide as the events before he lost consciousness rushed back to him. Exploding trees, spell fire, and a harrowing race that led to a long drop. Harry spun to look at Hermione once again lifting the blanket to assess her injuries. Surprisingly there were none. Not even a scratch marred her body. His confusion became more pronounced when he checked himself and found nothing but the old scars his body always showed. That wasn't right. That fall must have been thirty feet easy. And that was thirty feet to the tops of the trees below them. No telling how much further it was to the forest floor below that. There was no way they got away from that without a scratch.
Voices of two men grabbed his attention. Harry slightly opened the curtain over the window and decided it must be closer to sunset than sunrise by the quality of light filtering through the forest surrounding them. He was distracted from the voices when he noticed that this strange room rested on top of a truck. The large brown hood stretched out before him was a dead giveaway. He returned his attention to the men he heard and watched as both were laughing about something. Chainsaws held loosely in their hands while the big one pointed to a fallen tree they were walking toward. A moment later the machines buzz saw cadence began to sing their harvesting duet while wood chips danced in the air about them. Those were not the same two men that tried to capture them. Had they been rescued? More questions piled on top of the few answers he had when the noticed the forest didn't look right either. The trees were not as tall and seemed different than the ones they had run through. What the hell was going on here?
One thing he knew for sure, whether they were rescued or not naked and sleeping was not a way to get answers. He moved his hand and lightly shook Hermione's shoulder to wake her.
"Love wake up." He whispered.
She groaned in the way she always did when she woke after nowhere near enough sleep but he jerked his hand back in surprise when her body bolted straight up. He winced in sympathy as before he could warn her she smashed her head into the low ceiling similarly to how he imagined he had only a few moments ago. Harry had to fight the chuckles that tried to escape when she laid back down mumbling curses at the inconsiderate obstruction to her movements.
After a few moments she opened her eye slightly to squint at the low ceiling before her eyes moved to his. He watched as they grew wide when they connected.
…At first she could feel only the light breeze trailing along the cold paste on her body before she started to feel a bit uncomfortable. Suddenly her eyes snap open as pain beyond anything she ever felt in her life tore through her causing her hand to clench tight in Harry's, her back to arch and a scream to rip itself from her throat…
…My people call this place Heartland. We are the People of the Flint, or at least that is how it translates in your language. Our community here resides in the very center of the valley and is a holy place to us. Not many of our people come here anymore…
…The Shaman nodded and cautioned, "This Darkness has bound itself to Raven's soul. We must cut it free before we can kill it. To do so will make Raven even weaker, possibly Raven may die. They have been apart of each other for a very long time, I do not know if either can survive without the other…
…Bowls of slowly burning herbs rested about and the only light came from the fireplace. They smelled refreshing yet her made her mind slightly hazy and her eyes water a bit. She became startled a moment later by the ghostly voice of the Shaman sounding next to her. "All is ready. Are you prepared Daughter of Owl?…
…Someone walked over to her and sat on the bed but she wasn't able to see much of them. A young feminine voice broke the silence. "Your awake, good. How do you feel…
…"Do it." She stated as she reached forward and pulled his hand the last inch into the skin of her soft stomach. The paste was cold, almost unnaturally cold which caused her to take a sharp breath. Hermione kept her eyes on Harry's form standing as still as she could…
…Young Raven is not well." Someone's hand moved quickly to her arm as she made to get up effectively stopping her. "However, Grandfather has spoken of a healing that could help him. First however you must speak with him. Grandfather has been waiting for you for sometime Daughter of Owl…
Images, emotions, memories and more rushed through his mind like a bolt of lightning. It lasted less than a moment before it passed. In a shaky breath and eyes as wide as hers he asked, "Bloody Hell, what the fuck was that?"
"L…language Harry…" Hermione quietly admonished him from habit.
"Hermione, if ever there was a time I should be allowed to curse, this would be it." He countered.
She was quiet and didn't refute his statement. Nor did she say anything for a moment. Tears gathered in her eyes for a few moments while her eyes drank in his awake and, more importantly to her, healthy form. She ran her hands over his body seemingly unwilling to believe what her eyes were telling her. "Your okay…"
Harry nodded. "Very confused but yeah I feel better than ever."
Still ignoring his query she began firing off questions of her own. "No headaches? What about aches and pains? None of your bones hurt or…"
Harry cut her off before she got a full head of steam going. "Love, I feel fantastic. Not even a twinge from my scar. Now please tell me what is going on."
Once again Hermione ignored him instead engulfing him in a fierce bone cracking hug. Harry was about to refocus her on his questions when she started crying into his bare chest. Waves of sadness and relief washed over him further confusing him because they were not his emotions. Harry did the only thing he could do; he leaned back and held her whispering reassurances that he was okay into her hair. After a while she calmed down and began explaining everything to him. Harry would get a flash of images sometimes while she was talking which strangely did more for his understanding than her words did. She told him about waking up in Heartland, about Marlene, Jim, and the Shaman. She explained everything she understood about the mysterious 'Darkness' that almost killed him and about the soul bond.
"It's a pretty safe bet he was unable to undo the bond. He mentioned it was a possibility. You're not upset with me are you?"
Harry shook his head and hugged her tighter. "Of course not. You know I would have done the same had it been you needing healing. Do you know much about the bond?"
"No, no one really does. I've read a bit about them but their very rare, and even rarer are people willing to share what theirs was like. Most of what I know is speculation and guesswork but we know we can kind a feel what the other one is feeling and sort of share memories. The Shaman mentioned the bond would grow in time but didn't say more than that. He only said the bond was different with everyone."
"Huh."
Both of them sat quieting in each others arms for a bit until Harry noticed the sound of the chainsaws had stopped. It reminded them they were not alone. Gently he moved the curtain a bit to see what those guys were up to. They seemed to know what they were doing as the tree they were harvesting was pretty much completely cut up in to blocks with the big guy sorting the timber. The thin one had set down his saw and currently held a rifle of some kind. After a moment of inspecting it he loaded a cartridge, said something to the big guy and headed out into the woods. The large man waved, replied with something and continued working to sort the wood.
"Hermione, do you know these guys?" he asked.
Rising her head from his bare chest she parted the curtain for her to see. Her brow crinkled a touch and frowned. "No I don't. Granted the only Native Americans I talked to were, Marlene, Jim, and the Shaman but even I can tell these blokes are not Native Americans. I have no idea where we are or who they are. I know this isn't Heartland though Harry. Heartland was a huge valley with a small town. This looks like the middle of nowhere."
"Okay, so lets sort of recap. We currently have no idea where we are, what day it is, and we are in the care of unknown people with unknown intent. That about right love?"
Hermione worried her lip while mulling over his statement. "Um, yeah. That about sums it up."
Harry nodded his head. "Good thing we're use to this kind of garbage happening to us. Otherwise I would be kind of freaked out." Harry quipped. The big guy was sorting wood with the tall thin guy in the woods somewhere. He didn't like the fact they had weapons but he wasn't going to assume the worst. If they wanted to hurt them he doubted they would have put them up in a bed. They would have been tied to a tree or something. "Lets get dressed hon and then figure out what is going on."
Hermione nodded while Harry slipped out from under the blanket climbing down. There was barely enough room for one person to move around down here so he handed Hermione her pile while he dressed below. Both of them felt a lot better about their situation once they were dressed but neither felt ready to meet the strangers outside quite yet. While Hermione watched the one that stayed behind Harry snooped through cabinets.
There were four above the little two-man table but instead of the expected foodstuffs, dishes or something he found an array of video game consoles. An Xbox, Super Nintendo, Playstation (which he recognized as a similar one to what Dudley had) and something called a Sega Genesis CD were all wired into the paneling. At least a hundred titles for the various systems sat shelved in one of the cubbies. He also found a VCR and a few movies. He looked to the wall of the cubby, which served as the back for one side of the table and noticed the large TV screen there.
In a tall Cabinet close to the door he found a rack of clothes and as strange as it seemed, a switch. Curious Harry reached up and flipped it. The closet quickly spun to the right revealing completely different closet. This one was set up like a Library full of Science fiction, Fantasy Fiction, and various other novel books. Bemused he flipped the switch again to reveal another room; this one was a massive safe. He flipped it one more time to reveal something that surprised him even more.
This room would have fit in any apothecary anywhere. He recognized various herbs, plants, and other such ingredients used for potion making. There was even a cauldron sitting at the bottom of the closet, though it was huge compared to the standard ones they used at school.
"Hermione look at this."
Harry turned to look at his lover to see the disapproving look on her face from his snooping fade to puzzlement at what was in the closet. After a minute he flipped the switch again to reveal small library. This one though held old leather bound tomes of various thickness and sizes. He raised an eyebrow and flipped the switch again, which reverted the closet back to the clothes section.
"Its like our trunk…" Hermione reasoned.
Harry nodded his head thinking the same thing. "Whoever they are they're not Muggles. They're not very wizard like either though. This guy's got more video games than Dudley could ever dream about."
Hermione turned away to look back out the window. "He's chopping wood right now. A minute ago he was setting up a bonfire pit and a cook grill."
Harry was half listening to her as he had noticed a note taped to the opaque glass window in the door. After he finished reading it he replied. "Speaking of our trunk, this note says our saddlebag is in the other closet." Harry took a deep breath before he continued. "Sirius's bike didn't make it did it?"
When he brought his eyes up to hers he could see the sadness that was all the answer he needed. He also felt a ghostly twinge of sorrow coming through their bond. He sighed. "Yeah, I didn't think so." He put a small smile of resignation on his face to let her know he was okay. "I kind of figured as much. From what I remember it was a hell of a fall and it was already pretty torn up from when I summoned it."
"I'm sorry Harry…"
He waved her off. "Its okay Hermione. We knew when we took off something like this could have happened. Did you ever find out what happened to the Hit Wizards that were chasing us?"
She shook her head. "When I talked to Jim about it he only said that he doubted they would continue to hunt us. When I asked him why he told me he was very persuasive when he spoke with them."
Harry raised his eyebrow at the hidden meaning in those words. "Well, hopefully then we wont have to worry about them anymore. I am worried that they won't be the last. We'll need to figure out how we are going to get around once we find out what's going on here."
Hermione nodded and returned to watch the stranger outside while Harry pulled the saddlebags from where the note said it would be. He could see the gouges in the leather, streak's and other signs of damage and whistled. They were lucky to be alive if they got banged up as much as the bag did. He opened one side reaching in confirming the trunk was still inside. Harry commented as much to Hermione while opening the other side seeing if everything was there.
"I hope Crookshanks and Hedwig are okay in there." Hermione worried.
Harry replied. "They should be. We knew when we went shopping in Diagon Alley before we started all this there would be days when we wouldn't be able to take them out. That's why we got those whatsit bowls from Magical Menagerie…"
Hermione absentmindedly corrected him. "Transwitch Companion Crockery."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Yes those and the self cleaning thingys…"
"The Familiar Carrier Caretakers."
With an amused look on his face Harry continued. "They have had the entire flat to fly and roam around in, food and water aplenty since we stocked up before we left Virginia, and the Caretaker things to keep their carrier and cage clean. Even if we lost a month they would have plenty to keep them going for a while more. We'll check on them in a bit once we figure out what the deal is with these blokes outside."
XxXDaRXxX
It was still a while more before the finally ventured out into the woodland before them. There was just enough room to pull the trunk out and climb inside so it was decided they would change into a fresh set of clothes, shower, and retrieve their familiars. Harry exited with Hedwig resting possessively on his shoulder and helped Hermione down who was holding a pissed off Crookshanks who absolutely refused to allow either of them out of his sight. Then again, Harry thought, the half-Keazle always looked pissed unless he was eating or being loved on by Hermione. That was how he looked to him anyhow. Hermione seemed too not believe so.
To keep the existence of their trunk a secret they decided to put it back into the saddlebags Harry was holding. If they needed a quick getaway he wanted to have it on hand. He still didn't think these people meant them any harm but Constant Vigilance and all that he supposed. It really was a neat trick they came up with when they talked to the sales person at The Wanders Haversack. Harry had seen the Loony Toons cartoon earlier that morning and when he found the sister trunk to Mad-Eyes the idea just clicked. They had decided early on when they first arrived at Diagon Alley they would avoid the main stores in favor of the lower end areas where they would not be expected to go. More importantly, where it would be harder to track their purchases. He really didn't think they would actually find anything there. It was more along the lines of looking to see what was available since the junk stores, unlike the rest of the ally, didn't really have regular merchandise. Their stock was based on what people got rid of.
The Wanders Haversack was just one of a several Junk stores. Granted they had paid an enormous, and in Hermione's mind unreasonable amount, for it but none of the charms or enchantments on the truck would react negatively with the ones on the saddlebags. The trunk even had a side compartment that would allow them to store Sirius's Motorcycle when they were traveling via the trunk. It was perfect, travel by trunk to other countries and by bike with the trunk in the saddlebag while in said country. Was perfect anyways. Harry didn't know what they were going to do now that they had lost Sirius's bike. At least they still had the saddlebags for easily hauling though.
Once outside of the camper shell Harry looked over at the stranger who was watching them. The splitting maul rested easily in his hands and a great pile of split wood rested haphazardly about him. He had an easy grin on his face at seeing them and a welcoming demeanor that was at odd to his large frame. He seemed built more to intimidate than to welcome but after five years of friendship with Hagrid Harry was easily able to put aside such notions.
The man called out to them in a deep yet friendly voice. "Welcome back to the world of the living! Coffee's in the house behind you there as well as a bathroom if you need it. Coffee cups in the cupboard next to the pot, milk and sugar if you take it with that, is in there too. I take mine with French Vanilla creamer so if you have a liking for that, feel free to use it as well."
Now that he was closer Harry could see there was a slight streak of gray in his goatee along the right side. His unruly brown hair was specked with a bit of gray as well. Despite his coloring he didn't look that old. Bits of wood chips still dusted his t-shirt and jeans, which joined with his slightly tanned skin, gave him kind of a farmer's look. Harry took few steps forward until they didn't have to shout to hear each other. "Thanks, not to be rude or anything but who are you?"
"Roland Basil. My friends call me Boxin or Ro. Whichever works for you Homeskillet."
"Huh?" was Harry's eloquent reply.
Roland's jovial laughter boomed into the clearing. "Not locals eh? British if I had to guess."
Hermione entered the conversation at this point. "How did we end up in your caravan sir?"
The man before them looked insulted by her words. "Hey, I'm only twenty-eight and a far cry from a knight of any kind. Roland, Ro, or Boxin works. First one of you that calls me Mr. Basil gets whacked though." He finished with a joking tone to his voice.
Harry shook his head at his antics but felt a bit better about him already. "I'm…"
Roland cut him off. "Raven, Justin, David, and a half dozen others." He laughed. He looked to Hermione. "Only name I have for you though is Owl." At their stunned looks Roland laughed again. "Jim gave me your wallet. It's in the glove box of the truck whenever you want it. I'd wipe the blood off your passports though first if you actually plan on using them."
For Harry and Hermione an awkward silence settled in for a moment. It didn't seem to bother Roland though who kept chuckling to himself the longer it went on. Finally after a few moments he spoke again looking at Hermione.
"To answer your question I've known Jim for a couple of years. Every once in a while when I come across something I think might interest him I stop by to see. This time though he gives me you guys. Seemed you guys are in a bit of trouble or somthin. Tell you what, how about we choke down some chow and drink a bit of coffee first and then worry about the big stuff later eh? So, which names can I call you guys by?"
A quick look to Hermione and Harry knew she felt the same as he did. "I'm Harry, this is my Girlfriend Hermione."
Roland nodded his head. "Good to meet ya. My brother should be back soon with our sup'. Fresh deer is better than the other stuff I got frozen in the camper. Go ahead and get that coffee and I'll finish up here alright?"
XxXDaRXxX
Harry and Hermione helped themselves to the coffee and sat on a log watching Roland split wood, stack the bonfire and prep the grill. Roland's brother turned out the be a thinner and slightly younger copy of Roland. The only real difference was were Roland had wide shoulders and a large frame his brother was built the opposite He was thin and narrow. Both stood over six foot tall easy and had jovial personalities. After a short introduction to his brother, who's name turned out to be Benjamin Watson, they talked amongst themselves while Ben skinned the deer and dressed it to be cooked. The brothers joked amongst themselves poking fun at the mistakes each of them made while they watched and drank coffee. Hedwig had taken wing a while back and even Crookshanks had finally decided to look about the camp.
Hermione looked to Harry. "What do you think Harry?"
"Of the brothers?" She nodded. Harry smile slightly. "I like them. They remind me of Fred and George."
Hermione giggled. "I know what you mean. I have expected one of them to offer me a Canary Cream."
Her comment got Harry to chuckle. "I know. I miss those two prats. I said it earlier but they are the strangest wizards I have seen. They don't act like wizards at all. I haven't seen either of them use a bit of magic period. The thin bloke there, Ben I think he said his name was, noticed right away our wands strapped to our thighs but didn't say anything."
"I noticed that too. I would have expected them to use some magic to make their work easier. I know of at least four spells that would have made Roland's job a lot easier with the wood."
"Same here. Think we can trust them?" Harry asked.
Hermione worried her lip for a moment thinking. "I think so. If they meant to harm us they would have done so long ago. I mean, we were out for at least two days. That would have been the time to do something and get away with it. Instead they've brought us here and gone out of the way to make us feel welcome."
Satisfied that his thoughts mirrored hers he opened his mouth to say something when Ben suddenly looked out into the woods. As if he could sense something too Roland let go of the splitting maul to watch the trees. Darkness had set a while a go with the setting sun leaving the only light in the area coming from the bonfire and the small cabin. The hairs stood up on the back of Harry's neck sending chills down his spine. Almost in unison both Hermione and Harry rose and pulled their wands.
"You feel that Bro?" Ben asked.
"Yeah. I'm thinking its one of the Wargs. Krillian mentioned his heard was having trouble with them a few months ago when I talked with him after harvesting the Moon Rose."
Harry raised an eyebrow at Hermione keeping one eye on her and the other on the forest. These were the first words even hinting at anything magical the either brother had yet to say.
"You can't trust anything Krillian says Ro. The Centaurs don't exactly like us."
Keeping both eyes on the dark forest ahead of him Roland answered. "You're still pissed he fired a couple of arrows at you? That was what, two years ago?"
"It was last year and all I did was bag that doe. Krillian doesn't like sharing the woods with anyone. Bet you he is hoping we die with the Wargs."
Roland snorted. "Not likely. I can't see him can you tell about where it is?"
Harry looked around and didn't see anything either. They stood back to back waiting while the brothers talked. "He's watching us from close to the line. Get ready and I'll point him out."
"Huch low Bro, Its gunna arc. There won't be enough time…"
Ben pointed his finger and shouted, "THERE!"
What happened next was so quick, violent, and so unexpected Harry would later swear he still wasn't sure of what had happened.
Harry had just noticed the glowing eyes in the darkness of the tree in front of them when Roland thrust his palm in front of him as if to ward the animal away with the universal stop sign. He heard Hermione yelp in surprise when there was an incredible explosion of sound. The impact they felt knocked both teens off their feet and onto the ground. Harry's ears were deafened and eyes blinded from the burst of blue-white light that suddenly seemed to explode into the unknown creature before them. His bones ached, the smell of ozone filled the air soon joined with Burnt meant and singed hair leaving him slightly nauseous. Every hair on his body seemed to stand on end. It seemed to take forever for his vision to clear and the ringing in his ears to decrease to an annoying chime instead of a jungle drums it was a moment before.
Ben was almost prone to the ground looking around while Roland was still standing as Harry helped Hermione to stand back up. Hermione had only just gotten to her feet when she accused, "That's impossible, no one can do silent wandless spell casting that powerful!"
Harry shook his head to help the ringing leave him alone while he listened in. "For your information, that wasn't a spell."
"If that wasn't a spell what was it?"
Roland replied. "That, Hermione, was Wyarding."