Special Investigations
Chapter 3: Reservations
With a jerk behind their navel and the sound of wind rushing through their ears Hermione and Harry landed with a soft thud in a forested area about one mile from the town of Izeikel Falls. Tightening the straps of their packs the two supposed honeymooners began the trek along the path towards the wizarding town.
They could hear the waterfall in the distance the sounds of water water crashing into the rocky pool below barely tickling their ears, it seemed idealic but something was setting Harry's nerves on edge, his attunement with Gaia should have generated a feeling of peace deep in this forested glade, instead he found himself feeling lightheaded and jumpy as the reached the outskirts of town. Hermione could feel her partners skittishness as they walked along the pavements taking in the sights. Mere minutes within the towns outskirts the pair realized something was very wrong, there were no people, the streets were empty and as they passed the stores on the main street they peered through windows and saw no sign of anyone.
Without having to say anything to her Hermione slipped her wand from it's holster to her hand fingering it nervously as the pair walked down the road towards the hotel they were registered at. Nothing moved on the main road and even the air was still, no animal sounds nothing, only the sound of the waterfall breaking the unnatural silence. Harry glanced around looking for some clue as to what had happened in the town, but was no use, what ever it was had left no traces of it's passage. Soon enough the pair were at the hotel and pushed open it's glass pane doors and stepped into the lobby. Once more there was no one there to greet them, finally they seemed to reach the same decsion at the same time and quickly shrugging off their rucksacks they rummaged through their gear till they located their combat gear and quickly changed their clothes. Hermione slipped her spares wands into their holsters at her wrists and a third into her hair twisting her chestnut curls into a tight knot keeping it from her eyes whilst Harry slipped on a pair of silver plated leather bracers covering them with the sleeves of his top, electricity crackled between his fingers as he walked back out into the street and looked along it's entire length spotting a single light lit in the church window.
Silently the pair made their way along the road towards the church, the light in the window still burned and with a feeling of hope they pushed open the doors to the church and walked inside. What greeted them was enough to make both of them physically ill. Scores of bodies littered the pews, lying there slowly decaying. "Jesus christ what's going on in this town." Hermione shook her head trying her hardest not to vomit as she made her way further down the aisles trying to study the corpses for some sign of what happened to them.
*Clunk*
The metallic thud rang through the silent church and Harry gestured to Hermione to stay put while he went to investigate. He vanished from her sight rounding the corner as he headed up the stairs leading to the balcony, the old steps creaked under his feet as he took the staircase slowly, his hands crackled with energy as he rounded the corner on to the shadowy balcony. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, regretting it almost instantly as the stench of decay filled his nostrils, whilst up here was no where near as bad as the main aisles, body's still littered the ground. "Hello is anyone here?" His voice echoed inside the silent church and he came to a stop as the doors at the other end of the balcony swung open and a figure shambled into sight. Harry sighed with relief as he made out the collar of the mans shirt identified him as a minister, probably the minister of this church. "Father, what happened to these people?" The minister just stood there his arms lightly swinging at his side as he stared at Harry from the shadows. "Father?" Suddenly the priest darted forward screaming moving in a kind of loping sprint. Panicking Harry let a bolt of electricity fly from his hands aimed at the unhinged member of the clergy. The bolt splashed against the ministers chest knocking him off his feet in a sprawling roll, it growled ferally and climbed back onto it's feet and began running at Harry again closing the distance between them in manic loping strides. "Bloody hell!" Harry turned and ran when he finally saw enough of the ministers appearance, blood splattered it's face, it's teeth snapped and broken, but what really caused Harry to run was the eyes, bloodshot to the point that all the white of the eye was a crimson, blood leaking from the corners of the sockets like tears, whilst the irises were a sickly feverish yellow. He took the stairs two at a time not wanting to get any closer to the minister incase what ever had caused this was infectious. He let his mind ease for a moment and his eyes glowed a pale green, almost jade like and he lay his hands on the wood of the door frame for a moment before he stepped away and waited. The doorway seemed to writhe, the wood seemingly alive once more but growing at an accelerated rate, small branches reaching out across the gap to block the doorway completely, but it was not fast enough, the diseased minister rounded the corner, screaming and gibbering, arms out stretched to grab Harry. With a yell of fear Harry raised his hands and a ball of flame almost a foot across shot from his palms slamming into the Priest bowling him over and setting his blood spattered robes aflame. Harry watched in horror as the minister burned screaming in rage at the loss of it's prey as it struggled to get through the altered doorway. He almost screamed as he felt a hand grab his arm and jerk him around, his hands raised another fireball growing steadily to blast the horror away from him.
Hermione yelled as the ball of fire grew to life in front of her face, she reacted instinctively, her years of Auror training kicking in and shifted her stance slightly and pushed Harry's hands to the side while she moved to the other and watched as the ball of flame shot from Harry's hands and splashed across the littered bodies of the town folk. "Jesus Christ Harry what are you doing!"
Harry just grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the open doors to the street, his eyes darting left and right for signs of movement. Hermione protested angrily, his hand bruising her arm as he finally stopped pulling her and he turned to face the church. "Abomination...." She looked at him in surprise at the tone of his voice as once more he cupped his hands in front of him and the fireball once more began to grow. A foot wide, a meter, two meter's, he grunted with the strain of creating such a massive ball of fire and he heaved sending it soaring across the road through the open church doors.
"Harry what are you doing!" She grabbed his arms and spun him to face her. "Are you insane!" She glared at him but he wasn't paying her any attention, his gaze was locked over her shoulder and very slowly she turned around and gasped.
TBC......
An: I AM EVIL!