The Phoenix Prophecy

Chapter Seventeen: The Return

Monday – Evening - July 21^st

Madelyn: 9:30 PM

“Would one of you two gentlemen kindly explain to me, just who and what, we are dealing with,” I asked, as soon as we were back inside Marcus’ house. The little bit of information Sirius had told me about Luther and Eliza had not been terribly enlightening. I was feeling extremely edgy from everything that had happened today. I wanted some answers that I could sink my teeth into.

“The who; is a wizard named Luther, and a witch named Eliza,” Albus began slowly. “From the bits and pieces I have been able to piece together; it appears that they were the original members of Mortius’ dragon cult. As to the what; Luther and Eliza are spirits that desperately want off this island. They will stop at nothing to achieve their goal, which makes them extremely dangerous. In our first encounter, I underestimated their power and abilities, a mistake that shall not happen a second time.”

“Grand Wizard Dumbledore, I continue to sense that the dark forces unleashed by the destruction of the regulator are freely roaming the island,” Lemke interrupted, cautiously looking around the Atrium. “I suggest that you find the spirits you are searching for as quickly as possible. This island has become a very bad place. I fear for your safety.”

“I intend to do just that, Lemke. Thank you for your warning and concern,” Albus said courteously, with a slight nod of his head.

“You are most welcome,” Lemke replied, and then went to speak with his brothers who were holding Harry and Hermione’s cocooned bodies.

“Albus, do you have any idea as to how Luther and Eliza hexed Harry and Hermione? If we knew how the hex was cast, it would be a big help in figuring out what it will take to undo the hex,” I asked, while Sirius directed Lemke and his brothers to lay Harry and Hermione’s cocooned bodies on a pair of long tables beside the pool. Darkness had finally overtaken the island. The Atrium, with its fragrant smells and soft trickling sounds, was lit by the combination of a dozen flickering torches mounted on the outer wall and the light given off by the cascading fountain of water in the middle of the pool. The whole scene seemed almost surreal. I repressed a shiver as I looked over at Harry and Hermione’s bodies, which were just barely visible through the translucent cocoons, resting peacefully on the tables.

“I am quite certain that the rings Luther and Eliza forced Harry and Hermione wear, were the source of the hex,” Albus replied, as his eyes scanned furtively around the Atrium. “The rings were designed to drive Harry and Hermione’s spirits from their bodies so that Luther and Eliza could take possession of them. Evidently, the rings also placed a hex on Harry and Hermione’s spirits so that they could never leave this island and tell what had happened to them. As the hex would have to be cast while their spirits were still in their bodies, this is the most likely explanation.”

“Since it is highly unlikely that anyone will visit this island in the foreseeable future, Luther and Eliza would have gotten away with their deception without anyone being the wiser,” I added, wondering at the depths of depravity to which some individuals could sink.

“Precisely,” Albus answered, and slowly withdrew his wand from the left sleeve of his robe, as his eyes continued to dart around the Atrium.

I could tell by Albus’ subtle movements that he had sensed something was about to happen. Before I could draw my own wand, two ghostly spirits streaked straight towards us from the entrance to the library. Stopping just a few feet short of where we stood, the translucent, but unmistakable images of Harry and Hermione both tried to talk to us at the same time.

“Are we glad to see you,” Harry began excitedly.

“We thought we were going to be stuck here forever,” Hermione added, obviously reassured by our presence.

“You have no idea how relieved I am that you came back so quickly. I assume that you noticed our spirits remained behind when the elves transported our bodies?” Harry continued, talking very fast as if he had to get everything said all at once.

“Yes, we noticed that immediately,” Albus replied dryly, sounding just a bit too casual.

“I really don’t care for being outside of my body. It feels very strange indeed,” Hermione said, with her arms wrapped around herself as if she were shivering from being cold.

“Neither do I,” Harry added quickly.

“Harry, let’s get back into our bodies before anything else happens,” Hermione said eagerly, casting a longing glance at the cocoons.

“Right you are, Hermione,” Harry answered immediately, looking around, presumably for his body.

“Hey! Professor, why are our bodies wrapped up in those silk sheets?” Harry asked, when he noticed their cocooned bodies lying on top of the tables.

“The cocoons are necessary to protect your bodies from harm,” Albus answered, again sounding not quite like himself. Sirius must have noticed Albus’ tone of voice because he glanced at me with a questioning look on his face.

“Oh! That was a good idea,” Hermione replied, looking a bit flustered. I thought I detected a trace of sarcasm in her voice, which was not unlike her, but I thought it bit strange under the circumstances.

When I looked at Hermione, she quickly looked away, obviously trying to avoid direct eye contact. Looking at Lemke’s face, it was difficult to tell what the elf was thinking. The only thing that I knew for certain was that Lemke never took his eyes off either of the spirits, not even for a second.

“Yes indeed, a very good idea,” Albus added, and with a small wave of his wand, two large, translucent, greenish colored spheres materialized in front of him and floated lightly in the air.

“What…what are the spheres for?” Harry asked, as both he and Hermione backed away from the spheres, clearly surprised by their sudden appearance.

“These spheres will remove the hex that has been placed on your spirits so that once you re-enter your bodies you will be able to leave the island,” Albus answered easily, as the spheres advanced slowly towards Harry and Hermione’s spirits.

“Why can’t you just remove the hex once we are back in our bodies?” Hermione asked, seeming quite upset at the sight of the sphere as she and Harry continued to retreat as the spheres advanced towards them.

“That would be much too difficult, and it would take precious time we can not afford to waste,” Albus answered, dismissing Hermione’s suggestion off-handedly. “Come now. We do not have even a second to waste. Please enter the spheres so that we can get you back inside your bodies quickly, and then we will leave this island. Ron and Gretchen are most anxious to see you.”

Hermione looked at Harry as if she was uncertain of what to do next. When Harry turned his head to look at her, the spheres shot straight towards them, quickly enveloping each of them. The instant Harry and Hermione were enveloped by the spheres; their appearance changed into two individuals that I had never seen before. The female spirit looked completely surprised and bewildered, while the male looked as if he was going to explode with rage. The spheres started to become more and more opaque almost at once, making if very difficult to get a good look at the two spirits. In a blinding flash of light accompanied by a sharp crack that made me flinch, the spheres vanished freeing the two spirits who fled from the room, disappearing though the floor of the Atrium.

“I take it that was Luther and Eliza,” I said after the spirits had fled.

“Yes, that is correct, Madelyn,” Albus replied. “As I suspected, Luther and Eliza tried impersonating Harry and Hermione in an attempt to acquire their bodies.”

“What were those spheres?” Sirius asked, just as I was about to ask the same thing.

“The spheres are a gadget I concocted when I first started teaching at Hogwarts,” Albus replied, a small smile spreading across his face. “I call them ‘truth bubbles.’ If someone is impersonating someone else, the bubble shows his or her true identity once the person is inside the bubble. I also added the ability to trap the person inside the bubble, but unfortunately, Luther and Eliza were able to break free from the bubbles.”

“Well, you almost had them,” I replied, disappointed that the spirits had gotten away from us. Now Luther and Eliza were alerted to the fact that we knew what they were up to and would not be so easily fooled next time. “At least we prevented them from possessing Harry and Hermione’s bodies.”

“We did considerably more than that,” Albus replied, his eyes twinkling.

“All right, Albus. What else did the spheres do to Luther and Eliza’s spirits?” Sirius asked, winking at me.

“Luther and Eliza were inside the bubbles just long enough so that they can no longer impersonate Harry and Hermione. On good hex deserves another, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Albus, that was brilliant,” I replied, managing a smile despite all of our troubles. “Do Luther and Eliza realize this?”

“No, not yet, but they will once they try impersonating Harry and Hermione a second time,” Albus answered. “Their skin will turn a beautiful shade of puce.”

“That should make them quite easy to recognize,” Sirius added, grinning ear to ear.

“We have accomplished my first goal, namely to make it impossible for Luther and Eliza to deceive us through impersonation. What other tricks that may have planned we do not know,” Albus said seriously, his smile quickly wiped from his face. “Next we need to locate Harry and Hermione’s spirits as quickly as possible and remove the hex that binds them to this island. Unfortunately, we do not know how the hex was invoked, so removing it may prove to be very difficult.”

“It would seem that we need to get our hands on the rings Harry and Hermione were forced to wear,” I suggested.

“Precisely, Madelyn,” Albus replied. “Fawkes, I need you.”

Instantly Fawkes and Iseult apparated beside us and perched themselves on the back of a loveseat.

“Sirius, would you please remain here with Lemke and the cocoons while Madelyn and I return to Mortius’ room in search of the rings,” Albus asked. “Iseult will remain with you. If you need us, tell Iseult to come and find me. Madelyn and I will return as quickly as possible”

“Certainly, Albus. But do be careful. Luther and Eliza may still have some nasty surprises in store for us,” Sirius replied, looking worried, but determined. He gave me a quick kiss before Albus and I grabbed hold of Fawkes’ tail feathers and let him apparate us from the Atrium. The kiss was about as cold and dry as yesterday’s waffles, which said more than words could about how worried Sirius was over Harry and Hermione.

Sirius: 9:35 PM

As soon as Madelyn and Albus left in search of the rings, I glanced over at the cocoons that held Harry and Hermione’s spiritless bodies. I was not sure just how much more stress I could take in one day before I cracked from the pressure. No sooner were we out of one mess than we found ourselves in another. I was just barely over the shock of Ron and Gretchen hanging onto dear life by a thread, only to discover that Harry and Hermione’s spirits were not in their bodies. I was beginning to feel like I had been beaten senseless. Having gotten very little sleep last night, did not help much either. If it weren’t for the fact that Harry and Hermione were in desperate trouble, I could have lay down and gone to sleep on the cold stone floor.

Slowly I let my eyes travel completely around the Atrium, looking for anything suspicious. The sky above the dome was dark and I could see thousands of stars blinking down at me through the cloudless sky. Normally the Atrium at night would have been a beautiful place to be. The soft flickering light cast by the torches provided just enough light to move about the room without tripping over the tables or chairs. The focus of the Atrium was the multi-colored, cascading waterfall in the middle of the pool. The shimmering lights combined with the soothing sounds of water trickling down the twenty-foot high pile of rocks gave the Atrium a feeling of peace and tranquility. Sadly, the sight of Harry and Hermione’s cocooned bodies completely obliterated that feeling, leaving only tension and despair. Damn, I was tired.

“If Master Sirius Black wishes to sit and rest, my brothers and I would only be too happy to watch over you and the cocoons until Grand Wizard Dumbledore and Madelyn return,” Lemke offered kindly, while indicating a chair next to me that I could sit in.

“Lemke, you are most kind, and I do appreciate your offer, but I wouldn’t get any real rest under the circumstances,” I answered, standing up straight and taking several deep breathes in order to clear the cobwebs out of my mind and focus on our immediate problem.

“As you wish,” Lemke replied, bowing his head slightly.

“Lemke, if Luther and Eliza return and I am unable to stop them, or anything else threatens Harry and Hermione, please have your brothers return the cocoons to your home and wait there until you fetch them,” I instructed as I scanned the Atrium once again for any sign of Luther or Eliza.

“I will instruct my brothers to do that, but it is not necessary,” Lemke replied looking at me quizzically.

“Why is that?”

“As long as my brothers are touching the cocoons, no spirits can penetrate the shields that they have placed around the cocoons. Any spirit attempting to do so would be momentarily stunned.”

“In that case, maybe we should hope that Luther and Eliza try to penetrate the cocoons so that we can capture them once they have been stunned,” I suggested. Assuming Lemke’s shield would do as he said, and I saw no reason to doubt him, it might be the best way to capture Luther and Eliza’s spirits, once and for all.

“Yes, let us hope so,” Lemke replied and fell silent as he too gazed around the Atrium.

“Are the dark forces you can sense getting any closer to us?” I asked, suddenly remembering the dire warning Lemke had given Albus shortly after we returned to the island.

“No, not at this time. However, it is difficult to predict just what the dark forces are up to and if, or when they will suddenly attack without warning,” Lemke answered, which did little to alleviate the feeling that we were being watched.

The minutes passed by slowly as I waited for Luther and Eliza to show themselves again. After several minutes during which nothing happened, I felt my right hand begin to cramp from holding onto my wand so tightly. I transferred my wand to my left hand so that I could relax and flex my fingers to try to work out some pain I was feeling. Just as my right hand was starting to relax, I caught sight of a wispy white shadow hovering near the door to Marcus’ bedroom.

At first, I though my eyes were deceiving me. The shadow was almost invisible, but it was there. It looked almost as though it were a reflection cast by an old mirror.

“Lemke, do you see anything hovering near the door to Marcus’ bedroom?”

“Yes, I see a very old ghost that looks ready to depart this world in the very near future.”

“Could this be a trick Luther or Eliza are playing on us to divert our attention?” I asked, rapidly scanning the Atrium, looking in all directions, ready for a sneak attack from any direction.

“Master Sirius Black, the ghost appears to be genuine. I am certain that it is not Luther or Eliza,” Lemke replied, his tone of voice leaving little doubt as to his belief in his assertion.

“I am going to move closer for a better look,” I said, after taking another quick look around the Atrium.

I made my way slowly across the Atrium until I was just ten feet from a mostly transparent image shimmering in front of me. As I stared at the image, which was that of a pretty young woman, it shrank and brightened until it was about the size of an adult female and half the normal brightness for most of the ghosts I had seen in my lifetime.

“Can you hear me? Do you have a name?” I called out to the ghost.

At the sound of my voice, the ghost turned and looked at me, as though seeing me for the first time. I watched as the young woman studied me intently for several seconds.

“What is your name?” I asked again.

“My name is Megan,” the ghost replied, her voice barely more than a whisper as she continued to study me.

“My name is Sirius, Sirius Black,” I replied quickly.

“Yes, I know your name,” she replied, as if she had known me for ages.

“How can you possibly know my name?” I asked, suddenly feeling very apprehensive.

“You comforted Marcus in his final hour. For that I am deeply grateful,” Megan answered, a small wistful smile on her face.

“You knew Marcus?”

“Of course I did. He was my companion and I was his,” Megan replied, her voice filled with sorrow.

“How long were you and Marcus companions?”

“Marcus and I have been companions since shortly after he came to this island, some fifty years ago,” Megan replied, her face brightening a little.

“Megan, how long have you been on this island?” I asked.

“A very long time, almost a millennium,” she replied, her voice trailing off as she gazed around the Atrium longingly.

“The dark one has been freed, you must leave at once,” Megan intoned, her ghostly form suddenly becoming rigid as if she had just slipped into a catatonic trance.

Before I could reply, Megan abruptly came out of her trance and looked around the Atrium as if nothing unusual had happened. I decided to ignore her somewhat cryptic warning and ask her how she came to be on this island.

“Were you a member of Mortius’ cult?” I asked, figuring that it was the most likely explanation for her being here.

Megan glared at me for several seconds before answering. I could tell from the anger in her face that I had brought up a touchy subject.

“No. I was not a member of the cult,” she replied, her voice hard and cold.

The animosity she felt towards Mortius, the cult, or both was unmistakable. It was quite obvious from her reaction that she was familiar with Mortius and the cult. If she wasn’t a member, then what was she doing here and how did she get here in the first place? I decided to change the subject to avoid angering her further.

“Do you know a couple of spirits named Luther and Eliza?”

“Yes, I know of them,” Megan replied after a brief pause. “Why do you ask?”

“Luther and Eliza are trying to steal the bodies of my godson and his girlfriend,” I answered bitterly, which caused Megan to stare at me for several seconds before replying.

“Luther and Eliza are to be pitied, not despised and hated,” she replied compassionately, taking me completely by surprise.

“Pitied? They have done nothing to deserve any pity,” I retorted hotly.

“Mister Black, you have not the slightest idea of what Luther and Eliza have had to live through, or the suffering they have endured at the hands of Mortius,” Megan replied scathingly. The emphasis she placed on Mortius’ name told me that she deeply despised him. If she was not a member of the cult as she had claimed, then she must have known Mortius from before the cult was formed. Whatever the association was, it must not have been a pleasant one. It was quite obvious that Megan did not consider Luther and Eliza to be the evil vermin that I felt them to be.

“Attempting to steal another’s body for your own use is the foulest sort of murder,” I said angrily. “Just because a person has suffered at the hands of another, does not make it right for them to take someone else’s life from them.”

“Yes, of course, you are correct, Mister Black,” Megan replied sadly. “I know what Luther and Eliza are doing is wrong and they must not be allowed to succeed in their efforts. I only ask that you take into consideration the terrible wrongs they have suffered before you rush to judge them.”

“After Harry and Hermione are safely back inside their own bodies I will consider doing what you ask. At this moment, my only concern is for their welfare, not Luther and Eliza’s.”

“That is as it should be,” Megan replied, the lines in her face softening when she looked at me. “The spirits of your young people are hiding in the bedroom, under one of the beds. Perhaps you should try and coax them to come out before Luther and Eliza return.”

“Really? Which bedroom?” I asked excitedly, unable to believe that they were so close at hand.

“The bedroom next to the south entranceway,” Megan replied.

“Lemke, I am going to see if Harry and Hermione’s spirits are hiding beneath one of the beds. Be ready for anything,” I told him as I headed for the bedroom Megan had indicated.

I burst through the bedroom door and called out to Harry and Hermione, but they did not appear. Getting down on my hands and knees, I looked under the nearest bed. Nothing there, as was the same for the next two beds that I looked under. I was on the verge of deciding that Megan might be part of Luther and Eliza’s plan when I reached the fourth and last bed in the room. When I lifted the bed skirt and looked underneath the bed, I could make out the soft glow of two distinct ghostly forms that I had no difficulty recognizing.

“Cuddling is ever so much more fun when you have a physical body,” I said to Harry and Hermione who were completely entwined with each other. “If you two would be good enough to come out from under this bed, maybe we can get you back into your bodies.”

I dropped the bed skirt and stood up, waiting for Harry and Hermione’s spirits to come out, which they did a few moments later.

“Having a spot of fun, were we?” I asked, once they were completely out from under the bed.

“Sirius, don’t be angry with us,” Harry began. “When you all left with the elves and Hermione and I found ourselves here all alone, we thought we might be stranded here for ever. On top of that, Luther and Eliza were flying around, ranting and raving like a pair of enraged lunatics. We just wanted to be alone, where they wouldn’t bother us and we didn’t have to listen to them any more.”

“And besides, how do you know that cuddling is more fun when you have a body?” Hermione added defiantly.

“I don’t. I just assumed that having a body with all of its senses would make…well you know…oh, forget it,” I replied, irritated that they had been enjoying themselves while I was worrying myself into an early grave over what had happened to them.

“Sirius, I was just teasing,” Hermione replied warmly. “I want my body back. You are right. Cuddling as ghost is a poor substitute for the real thing.”

“Follow me. Your bodies are out in the Atrium waiting for you,” I said and headed for the door of the bedroom. I quickly crossed the Atrium to where Lemke and his brothers were guarding the cocoons. Harry and Hermione were right behind me when I reached the tables holding their bodies.

“As soon as I remove the protective cocoons, immediately re-enter your bodies before Luther and Eliza show up again,” I instructed, as I prepared to free their bodies.

“We will,” the two of them replied as the hovered next to their bodies.

I touched my wand to each cocoon, saying ‘sweet tooth’ as Albus had instructed. The cocoons instantly vanished and Harry and Hermione’s spirits settled inside their bodies. Within seconds, both of their eyelids began to flutter. Moments later their eyes opened and they slowly looked at me and then at each other. A few seconds later, Albus and Madelyn returned holding onto Fawkes’s tail feathers, their arrival announced by the usual popping noise.

“Ah, I see that our wayward youngsters have been found and are now whole once more,” Albus said when he and Madelyn walked over to where I was standing between the two tables Harry and Hermione were lying on.

“Yes, thanks to the help of a ghost named Megan,” I replied, pointing to the ghost that was still hovering near Marcus’ bedroom door.

“Very interesting,” Albus added, gazing in the direction of the ghost I had pointed out.

“Did you find the rings or anything else that could be of use in breaking the hex?” I asked Madelyn as Albus was studying the ghost I had pointed out.

“We did find the rings after a short search,” Madelyn replied. “They were lying on the floor. However, we did not find anything else of value. Specifically, we did not find any of Mortius’ journals that Luther and Eliza said were in the room. I hope the rings will be enough to tell us how to break the hex.”

“So do I, so do I,” I replied. My sense of dread, which had started as soon as we returned to the Atrium, was so strong that I fully expected to be attacked at any moment. The sooner we said goodbye to this place the better.

“Can we get up now?” Hermione asked. “These tables are not very comfortable.”

“Let me help you sit up,” Madelyn replied. “After I’m sure you are all right, then you may get up and move around as much as you like.”

I helped Harry to a sitting position while Madelyn did likewise with Hermione. After she checked each of them over quickly, we helped them to stand up. They didn’t seem to be impaired by their ordeal, so Madelyn told them to take it easy for a few minutes, while they got used to walking again.

“Sirius, I should very much like to meet this Megan. Would you be so kind as to introduce me?” Albus asked, once it was obvious that Harry and Hermione were safely back inside their bodies.

“Certainly, Albus,” I replied. “She told me that she has been Marcus’ companion for the past fifty years. I’m sure she knows many things that would be of interest to you about your old friend.”

“Is that so? Now I want to meet her more than ever,” Albus replied as we headed towards where Megan was hovering.

“Don’t forget about Lemke’s warning, Albus. It might be wise to keep the reminiscing short. We could be attacked at any moment.”

“I think we have enough time to talk with this ghost before the dark forces Lemke has sensed close in on the Atrium,” Albus replied, looking quite relaxed. “She may know many things that could be of value in understanding the powers that surround and permeate Marcus’ home. Specifically, she may have information that will help us break the hex that is preventing Harry and Hermione’s spirits from leaving the island.”

“That would be a pleasant turn of events. But still, I don’t think we should push our luck, which has been nothing but bad so far.”

“Sirius, my friend, you are far too pessimistic,” Albus said, winking at me.

“It comes from spending many long years in Azkaban,” I replied, managing half a smile.

“Yes, I know. A most unfortunate miscarriage of justice,” Albus answered, his light-hearted mood having suddenly vanished.

Hermione: 9:45 PM

I felt as if more had happened to me in the past two hours than in all the time we had spent since entering the Realm seventeen days ago. From the moment I set foot in Mortius’ secret room, a continuous stream of events had unfolded that left me dazed and bewildered. Even the traumatic experience of having my spirit forcibly ripped out of my body when the elves attempted to transport us to their home, was of little consequence in comparison with the horror and anguish of seeing Ron and Gretchen vanish before my eyes, only to be returned a short time later, bloodied and barely alive. The only thing that made it possible for me to survive all that I had endured was Harry’s undying love and strength, which was always there when I needed it. If he had not been at my side throughout this evening’s ordeal, I would have given up and waited for death to take me, putting an end to my torment and misery.

I could not have foreseen the events that had taken place since entering Mortius’ room even if I was the best divinity student in all of Hogwarts, which of course, I was not. Seeing the future was something I had difficulty believing in, possibly because, I felt that Professor Trelawney was a complete fraud. Even though great grandmother was always polite to Professor Trelawney, I was quite sure that she didn’t put much faith in any of her predictions either.

I had been so sure of myself as we entered Mortius’ room. Looking back, I now realized that I had deluded myself into thinking that I could handle any situation that might come my way. My arrogance had almost cost Harry and me our lives, and might yet cost Ron and Gretchen theirs. Hindsight is a marvelous thing. It shows you how and why you broke your neck after you have gone and done it. Of course, by then it is just a little bit too late to do you much good.

Thankfully, Harry and I were still alive and now back in our bodies. I could only hope and pray that Ron and Gretchen would survive their wounds. They were in the hands of the best healers on any world. If anybody could save them, it would be the elves. I wiped a tear that had welled up in my eye as I took Harry’s hand and followed the grown-ups as Sirius prepared to introduce Professor Dumbledore to the ghost named Megan. I was going to have to spend a lot of time reflecting on the mistakes I had made today in order to learn from them, and to avoid repeating them in the future.

Madelyn’s statement that she and Professor Dumbledore found the rings that hexed us, but did not know yet how to break the hex, coupled with Sirius and Professor Dumbledore’s cryptic discussion about a warning from Lemke left me more than just a little anxious over what was to become of Harry and me. Having spent the past fifteen minutes as a spirit trapped on this island was more than enough to convince me that I would be willing to try almost anything to break the hex, no matter how dangerous it might be. I was quite sure Harry felt exactly the same way. Hopefully this ghost we were about to meet would be able to help Professor Dumbledore break the hex that Luther and Eliza had placed on us.

“Megan, I would like you to meet Albus Dumbledore,” Sirius said to the ghost when we reached the doorway to Marcus’ bedroom.

The ghost completely ignored us. She seemed preoccupied with her thoughts as she gazed around the Atrium.

“Albus and Marcus have been friends since boyhood. He would like to chat with you about his old and dear friend,” Sirius added after several seconds had passed and the ghost continued to ignore our presence.

The instant Sirius mentioned that Professor Dumbledore and Gawain were friends since boyhood; the ghost focused her undivided attention on the professor, looking him over very carefully. Finally, Professor Dumbledore spoke to the ghost.

“Sirius tells me that your name is Megan. May I call you that?”

“Yes, you may,” she replied after a short pause. “It is one of my names, and the one I prefer to be addressed by.”

“Thank you, Megan. It has been over one hundred years since I have seen my old friend, Marcus. Sirius tells me that you and Marcus were companions for the past fifty years. I do hope you both enjoyed each other’s company. Marcus was one of the closest friends that I have had in my lifetime. I have truly missed him over the past century. With his passing we have all lost a great and true friend, plus a remarkable wizard.”

“If you missed Marcus so much, why did you not come back to see him?” Megan asked, a trace of sarcasm in her voice.

“I have been on Earth. The portal that connects the Realm to Earth is only open for the month of July once every one hundred years. This is the first time the portal has been open since I traveled to Earth a hundred years ago.”

“I see,” Megan said, looking past us to where Fawkes and Iseult were perched. “Please tell me the name of the two phoenixes.”

“The phoenix that lives with me is named Fawkes,” Albus answered. “The other phoenix is named Iseult. As you know, she lived with Marcus. The birds were a gift from Marcus’ father when Marcus and I were young boys.”

Megan seemed to be thinking about everything that Professor Dumbledore had said to her, as she was quiet for some time. Finally, she said, “From everything you have said, I can only conclude that you are indeed Marcus’ most cherished friend from his early years. Marcus told me that I might meet you some day and that if that day came, then I was to pass on to you his most treasured works.”

“What might those works be?” Professor Dumbledore asked, after Megan said nothing further for several seconds.

“His journals that described everything he had learned about this mysterious island and the people that have inhabited it for the past two millennia. He and I have spent the better part of the past fifty years compiling everything we could learn about the island from documents scattered throughout the Realm.”

Following this revelation, no one said anything for several seconds. It just hung in the air as if it were too good to be true and would suddenly vanish if anyone moved or said anything.

“I would be very happy to accept Marcus’ journals, if you would be kind enough to show me where they are located,” Professor Dumbledore said, breaking the silence that hung over us.

For a long moment, Megan just looked at Professor Dumbledore as if she were deciding what to do about his request. “Please follow me,” she said as she floated towards the center of the Atrium. Once she reached the stone wall surrounding the pool she stopped and instructed Professor Dumbledore to touch is wand to a small gem stone set in the side of the wall. The gem stone was so small and well concealed that unless you knew where to look you would never notice it in a million years “If you are who you say you are, then Marcus’ journals will appear before you.”

Professor Dumbledore quickly touched his wand to the gem stone Megan had indicated. Nothing happened, or at least that is what we all thought until the most exquisitely decorated trunk that appeared to be made out of pure silver slowly levitated out of the pool and set itself gently on the floor in front of the professor’s feet. Professor Dumbledore tapped the trunk with his wand and after several seconds during which the straps that sealed the chest rearranged themselves, the lid rose smoothly to reveal dozens of journals neatly stacked inside.

“Albus, dearest friend of Marcus, I am delighted to make your acquaintance,” Megan said affectionately after the trunk opened for the professor. “Marcus and I shared many, many wonderful years creating these journals. It is my sincere hope that you enjoying reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them. My only real regret is that I did not live in the same time as Marcus. He would have made the most wonderful husband a woman could ever ask for. I would have gladly borne him as many children as he wished, for no man would have made a better father to his sons and daughters. Sadly, my own husband did not live up to my expectations. His anger and rage over my premature death drove him to the dark arts so that he could extract his revenge on those he held responsible for my death. In truth, my death was ultimately the fault of my husband for attempting to acquire something we had not earned. In the end, my husband will only be remembered for the horrendous pain and suffering he caused and not the genuine humanity and compassion he showed for his fellow villagers when he was a young man.

With patience, love and understanding, Marcus helped me to overcome the bitterness and hatred that I felt towards my husband. He taught me that no matter how much we love someone, and want them to be good, it is ultimately up the individual to make the right choices that will justify our love and faith in that person. If the one we love chooses the wrong path, it is not our fault and we should not spend the rest of our lives blaming ourselves for their mistakes. Thanks to Marcus, I shall pass on to the next world without the bitterness and hatred that I once felt for Mortius, my first husband. I know that Marcus is waiting for me in the next world; there we shall live forever in peace and harmony for all eternity. Now that I have completed the task of passing on his journals, I can leave this world and join my true love. I bid you all farewell. May your lives be filled with peace and harmony, at least inwardly if not outwardly. The answers to all your questions about this island and the unspeakable evil that resides in the darkest depths of the island are in the journals that I have entrusted to you.”

With those words, Megan’s ghostly form slowly faded from view and she was gone forever. My eyes had filled with tears as I listened to her tell of her love for Marcus and the misery she had endured because of the pain and suffering her husband had caused others to suffer. I was so caught up in my empathy for Megan that my mind did not register her husband’s name until after she was gone. Then it hit me square in the face, like an icy wind off the lake at Hogwarts in the dead of winter, Megan was none other than Mortius’ wife whom we knew as Athene.

“Well, that certainly explains why Megan became so angry when I asked her if she was a member of Mortius’ cult,” Sirius said, snapping me out of a state of shocked disbelief.

“Professor, I don’t like the sound of this ‘unspeakable evil’ that Megan mentioned,” Harry said, letting go of my hand, placing his arm around my waist, and pulling me closer to him. “Do you have any idea what she was referring to.”

“I can only assume that it is the same dark force or forces that Lemke has felt since the regulator was destroyed,” Professor Dumbledore replied, as he closed the lid on the trunk.

“Albus, when I first started talking to Megan she went into some sort of trance and uttered the words, ‘the dark one has been freed, you must leave immediately’ or something to that effect,” Sirius said, glancing around the Atrium, a worried look on his face.

“Lemke, have the dark forces you sensed earlier, moved closer to us while we were talking with Megan?” Professor Dumbledore asked, gazing down at Lemke who was standing with his brothers beside the trunk.

“Yes, Grand Wizard Dumbledore, they have. I sense that they have been alerted to our presence, but are as of yet unsure of what to do about it,” Lemke replied. Even though his voice was calm, I could tell from his movements that he was concerned.

“We need to figure out how to break the hex that is preventing Harry and Hermione’s spirits from leaving the island as quickly as possible and then get the hell out of here,” Madelyn said, raising my anxiety to a new all time high.

“You will be able to break the hex, won’t you Professor?” Harry asked, his voice an octave higher than normal. When Harry glanced at me, I could see that he was just as scared as I was, even though we were both doing our best not to let each other know it.

“Harry…Hermione, I will not lie to you and tell you that I am one hundred percent certain that we can break the hex that binds you to this island,” Professor Dumbledore said gravely, looking at us over the tops of his spectacles which looked as if they were about to slip right off the tip of his nose. My stomach felt as if it had just been tied into a gigantic knot, even swallowing had become difficult to do. “I suggest that you two go and have a seat by the pool, for the sooner we get started, the sooner we may find the antidote for the hex.”

“Lemke, would you please be so kind as to have your brothers transport the contents of Marcus’ bedroom, library and treasure-room to your home so that in the event we have to leave the island in a hurry and are unable to return, nothing of value will be lost,” Professor Dumbledore asked as Harry and I headed for one of the loveseats next to the pool in the center of the Atrium.

“It would be our pleasure,” Lemke replied and immediately went to speak with his brothers.

“I suggest we get right to work looking for the means to break the hex,” Professor Dumbledore said to Madelyn and Sirius after Lemke and his brothers left to carry out the professor’s instructions. “We can use one of the tables closer to the wall, as it will be easier to see nearer the light.”

Now I was really scared. Professor Dumbledore’s request to immediately remove everything of value, while seemingly quite reasonable, meant only one thing. He expected the dark forces to close in on us at any moment. Even Lemke seemed to be a bit shaken, as he had not addressed the professor with his usual honorific.

Professor Dumbledore levitated the trunk with Gawain’s journals over to a long table closer to the torches along the outer wall of the Atrium. Retrieving several of the journals from the trunk once the professor reopened it, the three of them sat down and immediately began examining the rings Harry and I had been forced to ware. When Harry and I reached one of the loveseats beside the pool, we both dropped heavily into the soft cushions that padded the loveseat.

“Harry, what are we going to do if Professor Dumbledore can’t figure out how to break the hex before the dark forces Lemke spoke of arrive here?” I asked as I leaned against him with my head on his chest and one arm wrapped around his waist. I desperately wanted to close my eyes and wake up to find that this entire day had been just one big nightmare. I knew in my heart that was not going to happen, so the next best thing to do was to hang onto Harry and let him sooth my frazzled nerves. As much as I wanted to be my own woman, I still needed Harry for support when things got completely out of hand, as they had done today. Even though I chastised Harry for some of the lame stunts he pulled, he was the person I turned to in times of greatest need. Over the past six years, Harry had become the center of my universe.

“I don’t know, Hermione. But as long as we are together I can face whatever is in store for us,” Harry answered as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. “Right now, all we can do is sit tight and wait; and hope that Professor Dumbledore can break the hex in time. I realize that dark hexes can be devilishly tricky to undo. But Professor Dumbledore is the greatest wizard alive, I’m sure that he will figure it out. Try not to worry.”

“I wish we knew how Ron and Gretchen were doing. They looked simply dreadful when the elves transported them to their home,” I said, as their bloody images sprang into my mind. “You don’t think they…”

“No, I don’t think they died,” Harry replied finishing my unspoken thoughts. “Ron and Gretchen are tough. On top of that, the elves are great healers. I have to believe that Ron and Gretchen are going to survive their wounds.”

I sat up and kissed Harry lightly on the lips before looking over my shoulder to where the grownups were sitting. They had their heads buried in Gawain’s journals and didn’t notice me looking at them.

“Do you want to walk over and see if they have discovered anything?” Harry asked as I continued to stare over the back of the loveseat.

“No, I would just end up being even more depressed if they haven’t come up with anything,” I replied and turned around to lean against Harry once again. “I’m sure we will be the first to know once they figure out how to break the hex.”

“Yes, I’ sure you are right,” Harry replied. “Hermione…are you…sorry that we didn’t have sex last night?”

Harry’s question caught me totally off guard. I sat up quickly and looked into his eyes, in which I saw a mixture of emotions: love, desire, anxiety, fear, but most of all boundless compassion. “Harry, if we get off this rock, I won’t be sorry that we didn’t make love last night. If we don’t, I am going to be really angry, as ‘sorry’ won’t quite describe my feelings.”

“That pretty much sums up how I feel about it,” Harry added. After staring into each other’s eyes for a few more seconds our lips melted into a kiss that seemed to last forever in which the world around us ceased to have meaning. I didn’t realize just how well I had shut out the outside world and my fears until I felt someone tapping me on the shoulder. Breaking from our kiss, I saw Madelyn standing behind the loveseat smiling down at us.

“I really do hate to disturb you two, but Albus would like to speak with you,” Madelyn said. She waited for Harry to give me a hand up from the loveseat and followed us over to the table where the professor and Sirius were sitting. I could tell from the look on Sirius’ face that we were not going to like what we were about to hear.

“As of yet we have been unable to determine how to break the hex. We have however, come across some significant information pertaining to the ‘rings of power,’” Professor Dumbledore began. “It seems that these rings, one of which contains light energy and the other dark energy, contain enough power to destroy the entire island. Should the island be destroyed by the rings, it is possible that any active spells and hexes cast from the island would also be destroyed. I do not know for certain that such would be the case, but I think it highly likely. Unfortunately, if I am wrong, your spirits would be destroyed in the process. Nothing, would survive the total destruction that will ensue if the ‘rings of power’ are placed face to face and locked together by twisting them one full circle. I would not even attempt destroying the island unless we had no other choice.”

“Professor, if you join the ‘rings of power’ and destroy the island, how would we survive long enough for the hex to be broken and then leave the island?” Harry asked. My stomach felt as if it were crawling up my throat in an effort to escape. I could not have asked anything, even if I had wanted to, which I didn’t.

“The only way I can conceive of surviving the island’s destruction and then getting safely away would be to be as high as possible, directly above the island when the rings are joined. From the instant the destruction took place, you would have just a fraction of a second to apparate to a safe location,” Professor Dumbledore answered.

“Is that possible?” Harry asked, his voice cracking.

“Theoretically, yes it’s possible. I am not certain that it can actually be done, but it is possible. For now, we will keep working on the rings Luther and Eliza forced you to wear. I just thought that you should know what we have discovered thus far.”

“Thanks, I think?” Harry replied and led me back to the loveseat as the grownups returned to scanning the journals.

Harry had to steer me the whole way back to the loveseat. I had been so sure that the grownups would find a way to break the hex that I was completely unprepared for what I had just heard. Professor Dumbledore had offered us a sliver of hope for getting off the island, but it was extremely risky and there would be no second chance if it did not work as the professor had surmised. I sat down and just stared at the fountain in the middle of the pool trying to get my fears under control.

I leaned back and stared up at my reflection in the dome over my head. For several seconds my reflection just stared back at me as if it was mocking me. As I watched, my face slowly began to change shape. The color of my skin changed to a muddy brown and my eyes began to glow, yellow slits surrounded by deep red pupils. The changes were almost hypnotic. I watched in silence as my nose flattened and my reflection smiled down at me revealing two rows of needle sharp teeth. My reflection abruptly zoomed straight towards me, opening its mouth as if it were going to swallow me in a single bite. I gasped just as it reached me and sat up so quickly that I startled Harry. Inside my head, I heard a voice say that we would soon be his. It wasn’t the words that terrified me, it was the hideous sound that penetrated me to the core of my soul.

Suddenly, my face felt hot and I could feel the sweat running down the back of my neck. The temperature in the room seemed to have shot up to an almost unbearable level.

“Hermione, your face is beet red,” Harry said, as he placed his cool hand on my cheek.

“I think I’m going to pass out,” I replied, as the room suddenly started to spin slowly.

Harry jumped up and yanked me out of the loveseat. Before I could protest or faint, he was bending me over the edge of the pool and splashing cold water in my face. At first, I tried to fight him off because he had startled me, but I quit struggling as soon as I realized that the cool water felt wonderful on my hot face and I was not as dizzy as I was before. As soon as I relaxed and started helping Harry apply cool water to my face, he stopped splashing me, which was good because he was getting water everywhere.

“Harry, I’m going to be just fine,” I said as he stood by my side while I continued to apply cool water to only my face.

“Are you sure? You looked like you were ready to melt,” Harry replied, placing his hand on my back and rubbing gently. I couldn’t see his face, but from the sound of his voice, I could tell that Harry was starting to relax. Even though Harry could get carried away with his concern over my welfare, I was not about to say anything, he only had my best interests at heart.

“Yes, I’m sure,” I replied after I stood up straight when my face had finally cooled off and I didn’t feel like I was going to pass out anymore. Unfortunately, now I had a new pressing problem…my bladder felt like it was ready to burst.

“What’s wrong, Hermione?” Harry asked after he noticed that I was clenching my jaws tightly.

“Harry, if I don’t get to a bathroom soon I am going to have a childish accident,” I said through my clenched teeth, feeling slightly embarrassed.

“Oh!” was all he replied, looking relieved. I was anything but relieved. “Madelyn, could you come here for a moment?”

“What is it?” Madelyn asked Harry when she reached the side of the pool where we were standing.

“I have to go to the ladies room, now!” I answered before Harry could open his mouth.

“Albus, Hermione and I are going to the ladies room. We will be right back,” Madelyn told Professor. Fawkes and Iseult were perched directly behind him. Professor Dumbledore and Sirius were busy examining the rings Luther and Eliza had forced Harry and me to wear.

“Sirius, perhaps you and Harry should go with the ladies,” Professor Dumbledore suggested. “I shall be all right while you are gone, but try to be as quick as possible. Lemke will accompany you just in case you need him.” Something about the professor’s voice bothered me. He seemed almost anxious for all of us to leave the room. If I did not have a more ‘pressing’ issue on my mind, I would have asked if there was anything wrong.

I was up and heading for the bathroom that had not been destroyed before anyone else started to move. As I passed through the bedroom door, I thought I felt the floor tremble slightly. As I was moving as quickly as I could, I wasn’t sure if I had felt anything or not. Glancing back over my shoulder I noticed that Professor Dumbledore had stood up and was gazing up at the fountain in the middle of the Atrium. His back was to me so that I could not see his face. Both Fawkes and Iseult seemed quite restless.

I knew that I only had a few seconds before my bladder was going to cut loose on its own. When I passed through the bedroom door Madelyn was only a few steps behind me. I realized that Madelyn must have sensed something was about to happen, as she caught up with me before I reached the bathroom and cautiously entered it, her wand drawn and ready. A soon as she was satisfied that the room was safe for me to enter, she let me in. Thankfully, it only took her a few seconds for her to satisfy herself that the room was safe.

Madelyn shut the door after I entered the bathroom and waited patiently until I was finished. I definitely felt the floor tremble while Madelyn was taking her turn. It was not a very strong tremor, but the floor had definitely moved. We emerged from the bathroom to find Sirius and Harry standing just outside the door with anxious looks on their faces.

“Did either of you two feel the floor shake?” Sirius asked, looking visibly shaken.

“I did,” I answered.

“I did too,” Madelyn added quickly.

“Lemke, what about you?” Sirius asked looking at the elf.

“Yes, Master Sirius Black, I felt the tremor as well,” Lemke replied. “The ‘Demon of the Dark’ is on the move. It may already be headed directly for us.”

“I don’t like this at all,” Sirius said, gazing suspiciously around the room. “Harry and I will be back as fast as humanly possible. Keep your eyes and ears open.”

“Of course we will,” Madelyn answered, sounding just a little annoyed with him.

“What did he think we were going to do, take a quick cat nap?” Madelyn said to me after the guys stepped into the bathroom and shut the door.

“He is just worried about us, that’s all,” I said, realizing that Madelyn was suddenly very anxious.

“Madelyn, what…what is it?” I asked when her anxiety seemed to be getting worse.

“Shush…listen…can you hear that?” she asked in a hushed whisper while holding up her hand to silence me.

I strained my ears as hard as I could while holding my breath to make as little noise as possible. I was just about to tell Madelyn that I could not hear anything, when I suddenly heard a very faint sound coming from somewhere below us. It sounded like something hard was being scraped against the bottom of the stone floor we were standing on. Focusing all my attention on the floor, I could also make out sounds that had a distinct human quality about them. Human was probably the wrong description. Whatever was making these sounds might have been human once, but I was quite sure that they no longer resembled anything that I would call human.

“Yes, Madelyn. I can hear something directly beneath us,” I answered in a whisper, pointing to the floor.

“Lemke, do you have any idea what we are hearing?” Madelyn asked as she knelt down and placed her ear near the floor.

“The ‘Demon of the Dark’ has many minions at his beck and call. I believe that is what you are hearing,” Lemke replied.

“What is taking those two so long?” Madelyn asked, clearly agitated over the amount of time it was taking Harry and Sirius to return.

“It’s about time,” Madelyn said in hushed tones to Sirius as he and Harry emerged from the bathroom a second or two later. “Hermione and I were beginning to wonder if you fell in.”

“We didn’t take that long, Madelyn,” Sirius answered. “Honestly—

I gasped aloud, cutting Sirius off in mid sentence when I glanced up at the windows along the outside wall of the bedroom. Dozens of glowing red circles were visible through the windows. It was obvious that the red circles were pairs of eyes that belonged to creatures that we could not see because of the darkness. Their glowing eyes were the only feature that was visible against the blackness of the night sky.

Instinctively, I moved closer to Harry drawing my wand as Harry and Sirius did likewise. Madelyn already had her wand in her hand as we all stared back at the eyes that were most definitely staring at us.

“Sirius, what do we do now?” Madelyn asked.

“Lemke, get ready to get us all out of here if those creatures break through the glass,” Sirius told the elf without taking his eyes off the windows.

“Yes, I will do as you ask,” Lemke replied moving in between us so that we formed a small group with Lemke sandwiched in the middle.

“What are those things?” Harry asked and I felt him shudder.

“I have no idea,” Sirius answered. “Lemke, do you know what they are?”

“These creatures are mercenaries of the ‘Demon of the Dark’,” Lemke replied. “They carry out most of the foul deeds the dark one wishes done. It is said that they feed off the remains of those that they kill. They are a most foul and evil creature, for they have no pity for any living creature, especially humans whom they despise above all other creatures.”

“Will we able to stop them will spells or curses?” Madelyn asked, glancing around behind us and then down at the floor.

“They are protected by the dark one’s powers. Nothing can stop or bring harm to them as long as they are in the presence of the dark one,” Lemke answered. “Our only chance for survival is to leave here at once.”

“We must warn Albus,” Sirius said, glancing at Madelyn.

“Agreed,” Madelyn replied. “If we move in a tight band while hanging onto Lemke’s hands we can attempt to reach the door of the bedroom and warn Albus. If the creatures attack, Lemke can transport us out of here at once.”

“That sounds like our only option,” Sirius replied. “Lemke, do you agree?”

“Yes, Master Sirius Black, I agree,” Lemke answered and held out his hands for us to touch.

Harry and I reached down with our right hands after transferring our wands to our left hand and took ahold of Lemke’s left hand. Sirius and Madelyn did the same, but reversed as they were on Lemke’s right side. Harry and Sirius were in front of Madelyn and I with Sirius and Madelyn closest to the windows and the glowing eyes. I felt well surrounded as we started for the bedroom door.

We had only taken a couple of steps when a blinding flash of light from the Atrium lit up the bedroom as if it were high noon on a sunny day. The flash was followed immediately by a thunderous roar, which was accompanied by the sound of shattered glass raining down on the Atrium’s stone floor. After a moment’s hesitation in which we just stared at each other, we all raced for the door of the bedroom to see what had happened.

The sight that greeted our eyes as we skidded to halt in the doorway was like looking into the deepest pits of hell. The beautiful waterfall that had stood in the middle of the pool was completely gone. Rising out of the pool, which had been turned into a steaming inferno, was a column of what I can only describe as living, molten rock that projected up through what was left of the dome that used to cover the Atrium. Some twenty-five feet above the remains of the dome, the molten rock took on the shape of an enormous dragon’s head and long neck. The eyes alone looked to be at least three feet in diameter. The dragon was projecting a steady stream of fire back down into the Atrium aimed directly at Professor Dumbledore. From where we were standing, the heat was so intense that I felt as if my skin were about to catch on fire. I had to shield my eyes from the heat in order to see anything at all. Miraculously, Professor Dumbledore was standing unhurt in the middle of the continuous rain of fire. Fawkes and Iseult were directly above him, joined together by their talons and spinning rapidly with their wings outstretched. The phoenix’s formed a shield, or umbrella, that deflected the fire away from Professor Dumbledore. I would have been screaming except that the air was too hot to breathe deeply enough to fill my lungs with air.

Abruptly the stream of fire ceased. Glancing up at the dragon’s head, I could tell that it was getting ready to unleash another stream of fire down on the professor.

“Albus, get out of there!” Sirius screamed into the silence that followed the end of the stream of fire.

Before Sirius’s words died out, a second stream of fire rained down on the professor. Again, the phoenixes were able to deflect the fire away from Professor Dumbledore.

“Sirius, what are we going to do?” I heard Madelyn scream above the roar of the flames that had charred everything in the Atrium that wasn’t made of stone or metal. “Fawkes and Iseult can not keep this up forever.”

“We need to find some way to distract the monster so that Fawkes and Iseult can get Albus out of the Atrium,” Sirius shouted back.

“And just how are we going to do that?” Madelyn shrieked, screaming to make herself heard. “And what about the creatures outside the windows?”

“Look!” Harry screamed and pointed across the Atrium to where I could just make out the ghostly shapes of Luther and Eliza.

“Oh, great! That’s all we need right now,” Sirius shouted when he spotted what Harry was pointing at.

The stream of fire suddenly stopped for a second time. “Lemke, take the others as high as you can directly above the island. The instant you seen a brilliant flash of light, transport the five of you to your home. Do you under—

Professor Dumbledore’s words were cutoff by another stream of fire that rained down on him from above. The fire stream was hotter than before and forced us away from the bedroom doorway because of its intense heat.

“We must go now!” Lemke demanded, holding out his hands for us to take a hold of once more.

“We just can’t leave him!” Sirius screamed, more to himself than anyone of us.

“Sirius, we must. It is what Albus wants,” Madelyn replied, her voice cracking under the strain we were all feeling. “We have to go now or we will all die.”

“What about the hex that keeps our spirits from leaving the island?” I shouted hysterically, despite the fact that I was trying to keep my wits about me.

“You will just have to place your trust in Albus,” Sirius replied. “He would not do anything to place you in harm’s way. Remember, he thinks there is a very good chance that the hex will be broken once the island is destroyed.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Harry added.

“Sirius, it’s now or never,” Madelyn said forcefully.

The bedroom windows suddenly shattered and a dozen creatures that looked like a cross between a human and a dragon jumped to the floor and rushed straight at us. This put an immediate end to Sirius’ reluctance to leave. The instant Sirius placed his hand in Lemke’s, we found ourselves looking down at a tiny flicker of flame, a thousand feet or more below us. It almost seemed that we were among the stars. As we all watched and waited, I could not help but think of all the times we had spent with Professor Dumbledore over the past six years. Hogwarts was not going to be the same without him if he perished when he destroyed the island, which was the only option left open to us at this point.

The flame died out again for the third time, and before I could blink, an intense white flash took its place a few seconds later. I blinked again and we were standing on solid ground in the dead of night under a beautiful star filled sky.

“Where are we?” Harry asked, sounding as bewildered as I felt.

“You are at the home of my people,” Lemke replied, sounding very tired and depressed. “Please follow me and I will see you to your accommodations for the evening.”

Before we had taken two steps, I heard two loud ‘pops.’ I jerked my head around to see Professor Dumbledore standing there with Fawkes perched on his shoulders. Iseult was next to them, her talons clutching the top of the silver trunk that held Gawain’s journals.

“Professor Dumbledore,” Harry and I both cried out at the same time, while Sirius seemed to be at a loss for words and Madelyn managed a weak smile.

“I am glad to see that you two arrived here, whole and complete,” Professor Dumbledore said as if nothing much had just happened. “It is getting rather late and I have not had my supper this day. Perhaps our most generous host would be willing to provide us with a small meal.”

“I would be honored, Grand Wizard Dumbledore, to do just that,” Lemke answered, bowing towards the professor.

Someday, if I live long enough, maybe I will see something rattle Professor Dumbledore’s aplomb…but I’m not counting on it.