Hush by msscribe
Disclaimer: No profits are being made off the fiction on these pages. Harry Potter, associated characters and the associated Harry Potter universe is © J. K. Rowling and respective publishers.
"The forest hides many secrets." -- Ronan the Centaur
Chapter 3 - The Collector
This is his mountain, where he can see his world. The winds have arrived, and he has been expecting their most recent demand. Nature is the only thing that has power over him.
Edred's life isn't often touched by intrigue. To him, there are simply those things that should be killed, and those things that shouldn't. He is comfortable in this world. He has power beyond what humans have, even the magical kind, and all who roam freely under his watch submit to his authority without question. He has always detested men, having little patience for the way they react to him. Some scream, some weep, and others only lie on the ground and tremble, silently awaiting their fate. His father was one of these weaklings, and he hates that some of the blood in his veins is the same as theirs.
Hermione's subtle beauty is unearthly, and although killing her would be enormously satisfying, he did not take her for that reason. She is his prize, and will soon be his key to atonement.
For a moment, Edred stands staring down at the forest being tousled mercilessly by the summer wind, hoping to appear unsuspecting to the overly ambitious mountain troll who is sneaking up behind him.
A couple of scout pixies fly through the trees below him, and he nods to them, signaling that he has indeed seen the threat.
He is hit with a wave of nostalgia at the thought of killing this mountain troll. It isn't uncommon for a mountain troll to try and attack him. Because of their arrogance, they have always been difficult creatures to maintain rule over.
His hand shakes with anticipation of the kill, but he waits. He will have to transform some, but not enough so anyone watching would be able to understand what was happening.
The troll raises his club into the air above Edred's head.
Edred spins around; slicing open the troll's enormous gut with his razor sharp claws. The troll falls back, surprised by this counter-attack. They are always surprised. They don't know that his range of vision is in all directions. They don't know that he can will his large ungraceful hands into efficient weapons. They don't know his other form. Everyone has always just assumed that their king and his enforcer are two separate entities.
The troll's eyes begin to roll back as blood spills out around him on the ground. Edred recognizes the necklace the troll wears and rips it from his thick throat. This troll was sworn to obey him, and wore the symbol of loyalty he gave out to all of his soldiers.
Edred will have to make an example of him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione wakes up from her deep sleep suddenly, like someone had snapped their fingers inside of her head. Her vision is blurred and she blinks to try to clear away the clouds.
The wind outside rocks and pummels the house. The branches from the trees are slashing against the shingles and she listens for complaints, but hears only silence.
'Has he gone already?' she thinks, seeing the clock only at five am.
No one answers.
'Did he leave already?'
The silence rings in her head, taunting her.
Fear begins to knot in her stomach as the wind keeps tearing things loose from the outside of the house. Harry and Ron are out there in the forest somewhere. She prays they have found shelter. For a while, she listens intently for all of the chatter she has grown accustomed to hearing. Still nothing.
Panic-stricken, Hermione gets out of bed. The kitchen is empty and quiet. Nothing is moving except for the fairy at the end of the stairs.
Hermione taps the glass and the fairy looks up at her, unconcerned.
"What?" its little voice says, annoyed.
She remembers that it can't hear the things she does, so it probably doesn't notice that the aliveness of the house seems to have come to a halt.
Hermione shakes her head and walks away. It curses her again, calling her a nuisance.
'Maybe nothing can hear me because of the wind,' she thinks to herself, hoping that something will speak to her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
As they sit against the back wall of the small dark cave, Harry thinks that the wind is worse then he has ever known. It is brutal and angry as it rushes past them like something diabolical.
"I hope this lets up soon," Harry says.
Pansy sighs, then resumes nibbling at her fingernail.
"I can't believe I'm trapped here with you two."
Ron begins to draw a chessboard on the dirt floor. "We can't believe it either. I'd give anything to be able to apparate you back to your slimy boyfriend."
Pansy snorts. "Draco is hardly slimy. He happens to be very refined, unlike you and the orphan here. What's the matter with you two anyway? Why risk your lives trying to find what's- her- name?"
"Hermione," Harry says, growing annoyed with Pansy's chatter, "Her name is Hermione."
"That's right, boring little Hermione. I could never remember her name because whenever she tried to tell me what it was, I used to fall asleep halfway through it."
Ron bites his tongue, and strategically places some stones onto the ground.
"You obviously don't have any friends like Hermione so I'll pretend you didn't say that," Harry says, shifting his eyes towards Ron.
"Yeah, and I can bet any amount of money Malfoy won't come looking for you!" Ron snaps.
Pansy's eyes turn to slits and she brings her knees up to her chest, looking away from the two boys. The wind is swirling so hard now that leaves blow by them like rain.
She sits in silence, trying to think of a good way to put Potter and Weasley in their place when she notices an outline of a figure walking towards them. It looks like a girl. Pansy stands, pointing at the entrance.
"Do you see that?" Pansy asks.
Harry and Ron look up from their chess game and reach for their wands. How was it that this figure hadn't been pitched high into the air by the fearsome wind?
She draws closer and Harry can see more clearly.
"Wait! Don't come any further or else!" Ron yells, pointing his wand at the being now standing in the doorway.
"Or else you'll do what?"
She is dressed in animal skin. Her feet are blackened with dust and her face is pointy. Her eyes are supernatural. They are yellow and wide and when she smiles at them, she reveals two razor sharp fangs in the front.
"What are you?" Pansy whispers, barely able to keep from shaking.
The girl enters the cave. "You have trespassed onto our land."
"Our?" Ron says.
One by one, more figures step out of the wind and begin to surround the entrance to their shelter. The girl walks closer to Harry.
"I'm warning you, I don't want to hurt you," Harry says.
The strange girl laughs again, and she raises a claw to pick her teeth with.
Ron moves up beside Harry. "Werewolves…they're werewolves."
Harry swallows hard and looks the werewolf girl directly in the eyes.
"What do you want?"
The wind begins to die down, and Harry can hear the ragged breathing of the creatures. She wipes a trail of saliva from her mouth and speaks.
"Had it not been for your good timing, you would be our breakfast. But we have already eaten our fill this morning. I cannot promise that you won't be lunch however."
Harry is holding his wand so tightly now that his fingers are aching.
"How can you be werewolves? You aren't human," Harry asks.
The girl bears her teeth again, growling angrily at the remark.
"Of course we aren't you fool! We can infect humans, but those of us born as werewolves are always more than human."
"Infected werewolves appear to be human, like Lupin, but real werewolves are never completely human," Ron explains to Harry.
There are quiet rumblings now at the sound of Professor Lupin's name. The girl steps aside as an older werewolf, a graying man, steps into the cave.
"How is it that you know Remus?" the elder werewolf asks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without the comforting babble from the objects in the house, Hermione feels like she is drowning in silence. Silence, like the inside of a coffin.
'I am awake and alive,' she thinks over and over again, trying to convince herself.
Hermione can't imagine enduring such silence for long. She has been surviving on the friendly voices of the house. It is enough that she has to push back thoughts of never seeing her parents again, never seeing Hogwarts again and never seeing Harry or Ron again.
The wind begins to slow. Cold wraps itself around her like a blanket. She listens, and her heart leaps with hope as she hears something mumble.
'Can you hear me?' she thinks tearfully.
Not to worry dear, we were silenced by the winds- the chair she is sitting in says - we had to answer its call -
And the voices in the house begin to swell, like different sections of a symphony being introduced into a song.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The drums from the werewolf village fill every cranny and space of what used to be a vast and thrumming silence. It pours into their ears as they are led into the center of the numerous crude structures that lie hidden behind a thick patch of sycamore trees. Harry thinks to himself that at least they are still on the right path.
"Our leader is Dergon," the elder werewolf says, pointing them towards the biggest hut leaning up against a large, black hill.
Harry, Ron and Pansy walk towards it, taking in the view around them. There are large flat rocks being used as a walkway, and they gleam like polished tiles. They avoid the red, glassy sand that is spilling out of a hut that appears to be a slaughterhouse. Its occupant is currently slicing open an animal Harry recognizes as a Centaur. He turns his head quickly, somewhat comforted that it isn't Firenze, the Centaur who had saved his life in his first year at Hogwarts.
When they reach the entrance, a small werewolf boy runs inside to inform Dergon of their presence. A few seconds later, a tall and muscular werewolf emerges. His eyes fall upon Harry's scar and he nods.
"You are the one Remus Lupin told me so much about. We are in debt to him, and because of that, we will spare your lives," he says loud enough for those gathering around to hear. There are disappointed sighs, and someone tosses a stone at Pansy.
"Silence! Concentrate on fighting the three headed dog that keeps trying to devour our children and steal our prey!" Dergon howls.
Ron and Harry exchange a knowing look. Pansy kicks the gravel at her feet uncomfortably.
"Do you think he means Fluffy?" Ron asks Harry.
Dergon hardens his stare. "You know of the monster we fight?"
Make a bargain, they can take you farther - the book in Harry's bag whispers - he knows where she is, I can read his mind -
"What if we told you we could get rid of this beast? Would you be willing to do something for us?"
Pansy shakes her head. "I'm not fighting any three headed dog for that little girlfriend of yours Potter. It's daylight now and I think I'll take my chances!"
She turns to walk and Dergon raises his hand, directing his followers to stop her. Pansy considers running until the girl werewolf raises her claws to Pansy's face.
"I would be willing to make a trade if you rid us of the beast. Our weapons cannot penetrate its thick skin at a distance, and whenever one of us has gotten close enough to injure it, it has devoured them whole," Dergon says.
They could make it to Hermione faster with those who knew the forest. It would cost them time now, but he knew it would save them time later.
"We have even tried leaving it a portion of our kill, but it prefers its victims live," Dergon says, pointing to a hut with the roof torn off.
Harry reaches out his hand to Dergon. "We will rid you of the beast. And if we do, you will send two of your own to help us get to the center of the forest."
Dergon takes Harry's hand. "I will honor that bargain. The beast is due to visit soon, so you probably don't have much time."
Ron steps up and rests his hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Where are we going to get soothing instruments? If we sing to it, we'll just piss it off. " Ron whispers.
Harry shrugs. Neither one of them could carry a tune in a bucket. "We'll have to be resourceful," Harry says, turning to look at Pansy who is still in a staring competition with the girl werewolf, "but at least we already have the live bait."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why are you here again so soon?- the door asks- have you come to see? -
'Please open for me. I promise I won't harm anything,' she thinks in her now achy head.
She doesn't deserve it! - the tree outside of the hallway window screams
The door opens for her, and once again, Hermione finds herself in his private room. The wooden box doesn't wait for her to ask, and opens by itself.
'Thank you.'
Hermione picks up a blue vile and sucks in her breath, preparing to be gifted. The room begins to spin and round bits of crystal form around her, each gem perfect and brilliant.
Pick one - a voice says
She reaches to pick up a crystal, hoping to see Harry and Ron. Instead, she sees Edred walking through the thicket. He is dragging something behind him. It is the body of a troll, and it leaves a trail of blood. She drops the crystal, and it shatters into dust.
Pick another -
She is beginning to sweat and her hands are starting to feel weak.
Hurry, you cannot withstand sight much longer -
She picks up another crystal and she is relieved to see Harry and Ron. Her heart is pounding faster now. They have people with them. She can see Harry's eyes. His lips mouth her name reverently. The vision isn't clear and the crystal begins to disintegrate. She grasps at ever speck of dust like her life depends on it, but they fall through her fingers anyway.
The box in the room makes a 'tsk-tsk' sound.
Hermione is soaked with sweat. She has seen so little, but it was at least some comfort, knowing they were still alive. Knowing she still had some hope.
You'd better clean up - the door says - he'll be home soon; the winds have died down -
She closes the lid on the box and checks the room for anything out of place. She leaves the room feeling close to death. The sight she received from the blue vial gave her very little, but took away a great deal of her strength.
'Why is the wind important?' her mind asks, as she makes her way into the bedroom for a change of clothes.
The winds have forced him to atone- the dresser says to her in a hushed voice - and that means your time has come as well -
Hermione doesn't know whether the chill running up her back is from the dresser's words, or the air hitting her damp body as she peels away the wet clothes. It will take her twenty minutes to draw a bath and that will leave her little time to prepare for his arrival.
'What does that mean?'
She won't be happy - the pillow mumbles - she loves another -
He has chosen you dear - her bed explains- you will be his Queen-
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The winds have called everything out of it's routine today. Our king answers to it and so do we," Dergon says.
They are sitting around the campfire in a large circle as dusk begins to creep up on them. They have been there all day, gathering the supplies needed to complete their end of the bargain.
"Can you tell me about the king?" Harry asks, knowing only what the brief passages in Hermione's book had written about him.
Dergon pulls a live spider out of a bowl and bites into it. The creature screams as his teeth rip it in half..
"The king rules over all of the forest, and even we answer to his power. He has been challenged by many and unmoved by none. He has chosen a bride, and his promise will be fulfilled."
'Hermione,' Harry mouths softly, lowering his head to hide the pained look on his face.
"What promise?" Ron asks, swallowing back nausea as the werewolves swallow live spiders left and right. Ron kicks an escaped one towards the werewolf boy who picks it up happily.
Dergon chomps into another. "The king will be given power for another one hundred years if a human accepts him as her husband. It is to atone for what nature has said are his crimes against man. He has never allowed humans to remain in the forest for very long, and although it is not a sin to kill for self preservation, it is a sin against nature to kill for pleasure. So he promised to pay his debt by meeting Nature's demands. And his pledge was carried to us by the wind."
Dergon spears a large spider through the stomach and sticks it in the fire. He does this twice more.
"Remus told us that humans prefer their meat to be engulfed in flames. This is Acromantula flesh. Very tender," he replies, handing Harry a stick with the meat charred at the end of it.
Harry nibbles at the offering appreciatively, trying to rid his head of the giant spider from where his meal came. Ron's face contorts in anguish, but he takes his offering as well. Pansy simply stares at hers, instead choosing to hand it to the werewolf girl. It is gulped down greedily in a matter of seconds.
"We can't afford to be rude," Ron warns her.
"I don't go around eating everything that's offered to me Weasel," Pansy replies, "That's how I manage to stay as pretty as a picture."
She runs her fingers through her hair.
"Pretty as a picture huh? At least that would explain my urge to hang you," Ron mumbles.
Harry opens the book in his hands. Ron looks over at him, his eyes questioning. Harry shakes his head no. The book has been very quiet tonight.
"I hope you two have a plan to catch this three headed thing. It's starting to get dark," Pansy says.
"Oh yeah, we have a plan all right," Ron replies smugly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I worship the ground that awaits your corpse Harry Potter!!" Pansy screams from the top of the hurriedly constructed post in the middle of the village.
Ron holds onto the drum and Harry brings the hollow, wooden tube to his mouth, looking around for signs of Fluffy.