CHAPTER 52
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 52 ~ Making the Final Moves
Strange occurrences had been happening around Hogwarts for the past several months. Several Slytherin students walking down the dungeon corridor suddenly disappeared and reappeared in the astronomy tower. It was found that some kind of magical wormhole had been created in the middle of the corridor. No one had ever seen anything like this, and the spell was placed inside of a containment spell and transferred to Professor Flitwick’s lab for further study.
There were also incidents of random magic happening all over the school. For example, windows were appearing and disappearing in the strangest places. The windows wouldn’t be that extraordinary except that they gave views of the Hogwarts landscape from great heights, and it was found that an object dropped out of them would actually fall. The windows were no illusion and quite dangerous since they could appear suddenly in walls, floors or even mid-air, suspended by nothing. All students were directed to be vigilant when moving through the castle lest they inadvertently fall out of one.
Strange doors were appearing too. When opened, they contained whirling, multi-colored vortexes which would try and suck a person in. So far, no one had been taken, but there were several close calls. Everyone was admonished not to open strange doors.
Every manifestation seemed to bend space. Flitwick was stumped but quite excited. If the secret of these spells could be divined, another mode of travel might be possible. If a window could be opened on a particular landscape, a witch or wizard could simply climb through it and instantly be transported to that area. For example, a window could be opened on Diagon Alley or another town, city or country. Flitwick suspected that the doors opened on active port activity…with Port keys one was drawn through a wormhole specifically created to take one to a specified destination. The wormholes behind these doors could take one anywhere…most likely. But there was no way to test the wormholes because it was likely the witch or wizard who went through might not be able to come back.
Albus was quite distracted by the upcoming quest to retrieve the taken souls from the Dementors in India. Then again, distracted was an understatement. Consumed was a better word. He decided that he would not go himself. The Dementors feared him and could feel him approaching. There had to be some element of surprise. Bara was to accompany a recon team of two Order members to India. Their purpose was to inspect the ruins for any and all potential escape routes and to distribute several port key destinations surrounding the ruins, so their forces would automatically be placed in position rather than having to spread out on foot and risking tipping off the creatures. Since Bara knew the area well and the danger was minimal since it would be done during the day, it was felt the boy could be of assistance. Of course he was excited.
Ideally the Order members would arrive directly to their positions and generate their Patronuses to guard the temple and drive back any Dementors that attempted to escape. Then Hermione, Severus and several Order members would enter the ruin, the Order members setting up Patronuses to guard the entrance as well as Hermione and Severus.
Personally, Severus felt the extra Order members would be in the way and a distraction, but Albus wouldn’t budge on it. He wanted Severus and Hermione protected at all costs.
Professor Flitwick was quite pleased with Bara’s progress both academically and magically. The boy could read now and his vocabulary increased dramatically. He could hold a full conversation now, and other than having a little problem with his tenses, was doing quite well. And his spells development…well now. It seemed the boy was learning a spell a week, his focus was so strong. Flitwick was quite amazed. It seemed Bara was a prodigy.
But the Professor didn’t know that Bara was sneaking into the Room of Requirement with his ill-gotten wand and practicing the new spells until he was exhausted. He was also running about Hogwarts making up pretend spells and swishing and flicking his wand all over the place. Since Flitwick didn’t know Bara had a wand, he had not yet told him about the dangers of randomly coming up with an intent and flicking his wand about. Magic was magic and could be easily and dangerously distorted by an unthinking wizard or witch…and strange things could happen.
Like magical doors and windows appearing out of nowhere.
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Finally, the day of departure arrived. There was some consternation initially. Severus pointed out that no one knew how many Dementors there actually were, but Hermione quickly solved that problem. Count the stricken Untouchables being cared for in the disillusioned aid camp, and add a few on for good measure. This was as good an estimation measure as any.
When Albus first sent aid, the medi-witches soon found themselves deluged by healthy Untouchables who wanted food that was for the upkeep of the stricken. Eventually they had to move the camp, ward it and keep it invisible so they could care for the stricken. It was difficult because the Untouchables had hungry children…but they couldn’t provide for everyone. There were just too many of them. The walls of the camp from the inside were opaque, so the tender-hearted medi-witches wouldn’t see the Untouchables and feel guilty.
Hermione had created a kind of harness that held over four liters of elixir that was strapped to her chest. It had a straw. Eight gulps provided enough elixir to kiss the Dementors, according to her calculations. Severus was a bit nervous about this. She hadn’t actually tested it…and the results could be disastrous if she were wrong. Hermione pointed out that the Dementor would be unable to extract her soul even if her calculations were slightly off and she would only have to consume more elixir until she got it right. They would be bound by his music and unable to escape as she did this.
Severus sighed. The witch had an answer for everything.
The couple still had not engaged in intercourse, and Severus was chomping at the bit to get to the Dementors and be rid of them. All they were to the wizard at this point were floating cockblockers. The sooner they were destroyed, the sooner Hermione would turn her attentions on him again.
Harry had sent several owls to Hermione over the months, which Severus had Eli intercept. Hermione was in no state to deal with the wizard while working on the project. Harry still had not come out of hiding, though Ginny did her best to get him to do so. He said he wasn’t ready yet. Actually, he wanted Hermione with him when he made himself public. He loved Ginny but Hermione was more of a steadying influence. Whenever he had to face a difficult situation, Hermione’s presence always made facing it easier. He missed her desperately and couldn’t understand why she hadn’t contacted him yet. Maybe she was angry. Well, he’d keep trying.
Severus, Hermione and one hundred Order members stood on the grounds of Hogwarts, port keys in hand, ready to make the synchronized journey to India. Hermione and Severus were to follow exactly ten minutes after the Order members, to give them time to set up the Patronuses. Bara and the recon team had done their jobs without disturbing the dark creatures, the port key destinations surrounding the ruined temple. Some of the Order members would be arriving in dense jungle. The vines and trees had been cut back so they wouldn’t have too much difficulty.
They timed their arrival to be shortly after sunrise, when the Dementors would be least active. Albus gave the Order members their final directives and wished them success. The Headmaster would be at St. Mungos with Minerva as they faced the creatures. If she awoke, he would know they had been successful.
Hermione and Severus watched as the Order members all said “Portis” and disappeared. It had begun. Severus was dressed in a white shirt, black trousers and black trainers so he could navigate the rubble of the temple. He held his violin and bow tightly. Hermione was in jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt, her hair braided in a French braid, the end rolled up and pinned. The harness containing the elixir was strapped to her chest, the retractable straw capped and ready to be accessed. She also held a magical torch that looked very much like a muggle hurricane lamp. She looked at Severus.
“Are you ready?” she asked the wizard. The witch had butterflies in her stomach.
Severus’ dark eyes washed over her.
“Yes, I am ready,” he replied, “But I want no Gryffindor heroics, Hermione. You wait until I have bound all the Dementors before you act. A mistake can be costly.”
”Don’t worry Severus. I know what to do,” the witch replied.
Severus looked at her. He was worried but didn’t show it. If anything were to happen to the witch…he would destroy every Dementor there…souls or no souls. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen.
Albus walked up to both of them.
“It is time,” he said, his blue eyes somber. “Good luck to both of you.”
Hermione and Severus activated their port keys, and were gone.
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When they arrived on the edge of the jungle facing the ruined temple, the witch and wizard were met by an Order member who told them the amount of stricken in the camp. Thirty-two. Hermione estimated there might be forty Dementors if they had absorbed more souls recently. The Untouchables let the stricken die if they weren’t taken by the medi-witches, so the Dementors had to replace the lost souls when that occurred.
Hermione looked about. There were Order members spaced evenly around the perimeter of the temple, silver Patronuses of all shapes and sizes pacing back and forth before them. It was quite impressive.
Severus eyed the crumbling opening that led to the temple depths. Hermione took several sips of the elixir through the straw and capped it, then took a deep breath, her eyes resting on the ruins.
“Let’s go, Severus,” she said, walking purposely toward the entrance, Severus following silently. But he was on point, one hundred and ten percent. They climbed over fallen stones and statues, entering the ruins. The first thing they heard was hissing. Hermione held up the lamp and saw several snakes fleeing the light.
“Maybe we should have brought Bara,” Severus mused. A lot of the snakes in India were poisonous. “He could have told them to all go away.”
“Snakes are the least of our problem,” Hermione said, pointing upward. There were hundreds of points of lights. “Bats. Bats mean guano. Cover your nose and walk quickly.”
Sure enough the strong odor of ammonia rose as they picked their way past the bats clinging to the ragged temple ceiling. The couple appeared to be in a huge corridor, stone pillars on either side of them in various states of erosion. Ahead of them was a large door leading into darkness.
Hermione heard a hiss, and spun, holding up her lantern. She thought she saw a motion. Severus drew his wand, clutching his violin and bow in one hand. Both backed up until their backs collided.
“We’re surrounded,” the wizard hissed.
Sure enough, the Dementors appeared from behind the pillars. hissing, drifting toward them in a terrifyingly unhurried manner as if absolutely sure the humans had no way to escape. None of the creatures were particularly hungry for souls but this was an infringement on their territory. Humans were not welcome here. The creatures had waited until Severus and Hermione were in the middle of the long corridor before cutting off their escape and their advance. The creatures were all around them.
Hermione could feel her courage being drained out of her slowly as they approached, feeding off her strength. Robed in black and hooded, their large mottled hands and black fingernails dangling as they drifted three feet off the ground, the Dementors were visually terrifying.
Her heart pounding, Hermione took an extra sip of elixir and set the torch down, opening the blinder wide to let out more light, light slowing the creatures somewhat…but they still drifted closer. They weren’t deterred. Hermione could hear their ragged breathing as she and Severus stood back to back.
“Now would be a good time to start playing,” Hermione said nervously as the noose of Dementors drew tighter.
“I want them close so none can flee the notes,” Severus breathed. He had his instrument in position, ready to play. He could feel the Dementors pulling at his spirit, but the wizard didn’t have that much happiness to steal in the first place, so he was only mildly affected by them.
“Not too damn close,” Hermione hissed as the creatures drew closer, their slowness making their approach all the more horrible.
Severus waited until the Dementors were about fifteen feet away, then started to play.
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A/N: Whoa on Bara playing with magic and making strange things happen at Hogwarts. Well, they are off to face the Dementors, Albus waiting with Minerva to find out if they were successful. Now Hermione and Severus are completely surrounded. Please review.