Chapter 7
"You want to what?" the man in the black cloak asked incredulously.
"I want to make her dance Vilavarg. Let me play with her for just a little while."
Vilavarg realized that there were times it was best to let the servants play. If they were not rewarded from time to time they would often begin to think for themselves. That can often cause problems with underlings who are inanely stupid.
"You may play with her, but you are not to damage her in anyway. I don't want the boy to become suspicious when he sees her. Is that clear?"
"Yes Master."
"You insolent fool! I am not the Master, only Emeric is our master. We serve him and only him. You would do well to remember that."
"Of course. Forgive me," he said rather pathetically.
Vilavarg gathered up the hem of his cloak and turned dramatically around and left the small, scabby man to his own devices. The wretch turned towards Ellie and raised his wand. She sat as a rag doll would, strewn across the floor with her back leaning crookedly against the wall. Her eyes were glazed over. The Imperius Curse had already been cast on her three times. Her mind was trapped within itself as she answered the whims of the Circle.
"Get up girl. Get up and… and dance for poor Heavley. Dance!"
Heavley had little understanding of the intricacies of dance, and his command was quite vague. Still, Ellie found her body standing up and her hands held forward in a semi-circle. Her fingertips were outstretched, but not quite touching. Suddenly she heard music in her head and her body began to move.
"Yeesss, yesss, dance!" he cried again.
She lifted the backs of her feet up into an arch and she took a graceful step forward. Her arms lifted above her head and she began to twirl. Her feet became fluid and infinitely graceful. The music was so beautiful that she could not help but embrace it. Her body flowed forward and back in tender rhythm. She found herself gently swaying around the room as if she were an autumn leaf captured by the October winds.
Heavley had no idea of how perfect her form was, or how hauntingly beautiful her whole being danced to some unheard orchestra. Ellie suddenly felt a piece of herself hidden deep inside. She saw what was happening, though she had no control over it. Her most beautiful moment and it was not in front of her beloved. She began to weep as she leapt into the air. Her tears ran down her cheeks as she began to spin like a ballerina doll inside of a music box.
"Gevin," her mouth formed. "Please find me. Please take me away."
The words tasted like bile. She knew if he were to find her that she would be the one who would lead them all to ruin. She would be responsible for his death.
"Nooooo," she screamed. "Nooooo," and fell to the ground in hysterics.
Vilavarg stormed in with two others and they lifted their wands in unison. She looked up for the briefest moment, and realized what was coming. A flash and the connection to herself was lost.
"Sit down."
She did.
--- ---
"You're going aren't you?" Luna asked.
"I have to. He needs me, I... I can't let him face this alone. Sirius needs Harry and… and…"
"And you need Harry," Luna said in a quiet voice.
After hearing that it was like a door buried inside her mind swung open.
"Yes. I do need Harry. He is my best friend. Without Harry, I'm still the eleven year old girl crying in the bathroom. Without Harry, I'm still lying motionless from the stare of a basilisk. Without Harry, I am full of books, but empty of kindness and friendship. Without Harry, I am trapped in a library, rather than cheering for quidditch. Without Harry, I'm filled with anger and loneliness, but no place to heal those wounds. Without Harry… I'm not me."
"So, you'll die then?"
"How did you know about that?"
"I'm not really sure. I feel like someone told me that once. I can't seem to remember who or why."
Hermione reached into her pocket and held Tobias's parchment in her hand. I still remember you. I have not forgotten. She looked at Luna and realized she had stalled for too long.
"Goodbye Luna."
"Goodbye Hermione. Don't forget to come back."
Hermione grinned, "I won't."
She could not wait another minute it was time to go. She tried to get Harry to make sure that Sirius was really missing, but he was firm that if they waited it would be too late. So, with all the loyalty in the world, she told Harry she would go. It was time and nothing could stop the chain of events to come. She thought she would be more afraid to die, but knowing that she would save Harry some how, she felt a sense of calm. Like nothing she had ever felt before.
--- ---
"Now who on earth is that?" Dumbledore said perplexed.
He tried very hard to remember, but no memory of him came whatsoever. He stared hard into his pensieve and saw a smallish youngster, who appeared to be a second or third year student. He was standing next to Snape, while he himself was there. Snape was confiding to him that the boy had a great mind and wanted him to be accelerated through some of the easier classes. He had no reason not to trust Snape's judgment, so he agreed. How is that he could not remember him?
"Ahhh," he thought to himself. "I believe Hagrid and I recently discussed a most unusual enemy in our midst. Dear boy, forgive me."
Dumbledore raised his wand and cast an extremely powerful memory charm. Albus was one of the few wizards who could cast the spell with enough force to overcome the effects of the grendel hag.
"Yes, Tobias. I remember you. Never fear, you will not be forgotten. Now, I must find out why this terrible tragedy happened."
He stood up and walked over to Fawkes and began to gently stroke the soft, bright feathers. Then something quite unusual happened. Even the headmasters of old looking down from their portraits gasped in surprise.
"Why I've never seen… nor thought I would ever see the day. My, my, my," said one of the portraits.
Dumbledore pushed his glasses closer to his eyes and blinked a few times to make sure he was not mistaken. A figure had just come through the floor and settled in front of Dumbledore. It was one of the school ghosts, but not just any ghost mind you.
"Well, well, well Baron, I am pleased to see you. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
--- ---
Gevin sat on the sidewalk in front of the Leaky Cauldron. It was getting late and most of the customers had already made, or stumbled, their way home. He had no idea of where to even begin to look for Ellie. Each minute that went by, he convinced himself more and more that he would not find her.
Then something happened for the very first time in Gevin's life. An owl flew directly up to him, dropped a letter into his hand and spread its wings and took off again. He looked down at the letter in shock. He turned it to the front and saw that it was indeed addressed to him and it had come from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He immediately thought of Tobias and began to tear open the letter.
Dearest Gevin,
I have terrible news and then I'm afraid I have some worse news. I have recently discussed, with a mutual acquaintance, a bit about your situation. You can consider me a friend. I have just learned the whereabouts of young Ms. Borgin. She was taken by a group that I thought we had dealt with a long, long time ago. Perhaps our war with You-know-who has blinded me to other dangers that linger in the world. I strongly believe that she is being kept prisoner in one of the hidden chambers inside the ministry of magic. You must hurry there; she will very likely need your help. I myself just discovered that I must also go there, but for different reasons. A young wizard that I care greatly about and a number of his fellow students have gone there as well, to aid a dear friend. You must listen carefully. No matter what else happens, you must destroy the divining chest. So, much is riding on you seeing this through. Let no one deter you. Now, for the worse news. I regret to tell you that Tobias was killed last night. The Baron believes it was because he provided help to you. So, when you are fulfilling your grave mission, remember what he sacrificed to help you. When all of this is done, please come and visit the school. I would very much like to speak with you.
Sincerely,
A.D.
Gevin had no time to grieve. His heart was torn raw from the loss of his friend, but he had to hurry. Ellie needs him and he must get there as fast as he possibly can. When he has saved her and destroyed the artifact, then he would give himself the time he would need to mourn for Tobias. He lifted his wand and with a swish and a flick he vanished.
--- ---
Harry was half crazed with worry and grief. They were searching desperately through the ministry building. He was sure if he saw the room in person, he would remember it from his dream.
Hermione kept staring at him and tried to stay very close to him. She wanted to tell him something, something very important, but how could she? This was not the time to discuss her need to be around him, almost all of the time. Nor the time to tell him that she was so grateful to him for seeing past her flaws and becoming her friend. Nor was this the time to tell him that she was afraid, because she was starting to feel things for him that made her feel complete inside. She also knew that the time might never come. If this was her last night, then she would never get the chance again.
"I won't," she whispered as she ran to keep up. "I won't, because it would distract him. If she was going to die, then something terrible was about to happen. She could not let anything get in his way. She also had to keep her eyes open for the moment he would need her. She would carry all of these thoughts with her to whatever came after this life. It would have to do for now, that she was completely aware of herself and her feelings. Something strangely new for one Miss Hermione Granger.
Harry could barely keep his anger inside. If it was not for the fact that Sirius needed him, he would give in to it and probably just randomly blow things up with a wave of his wand. The thought of bringing the whole ministry down to ash and rubble was severely tempting. He turned around for a brief moment and saw Hermione looking at him as she did her best to keep up.
He felt like they were getting closer. He had to get to Sirius before he was hurt or worse. Many of his friends were at his side. That brought a measure of hope to him. At first he did not want them there, but now he was glad for the extra bodies, and wands for that matter.
Hermione never looked as good as she did when she was forsaking everything to help him. No matter how insane it was. So, essentially, she was looking really good pretty much all of the time nowadays. The thought made him laugh, but also made him feel like he could take on the world. Which, conveniently, was part of the plan at this moment.
--- ---
Gevin had apparated just outside of the ministry. He remembered what he had learned from an old witch in Knockturn. There was a secret entrance, to those who knew where it was and had the password. After sharing an unseemly amount of galleons, he was one of those people who knew. On the eastern side of the building there was a small window set on the ground level. It was quite small and had a number of weeds growing over it. Making it almost invisible, if you did not know what you were looking for. He cast a transfiguration spell and turned himself into an old alley cat. Fitting he thought. He then mewed out the words, 'The Great Filbin Sent Me'. The window swung open and he jumped inside. He then quickly undid the transfiguration and was back to his normal self. The small window then shut itself.
"Lumos!"
He was in a small storage room. He made his way to the door and stepped out into a dimly lit hallway. Now, to find his Ellie lost somewhere in this bureaucratic nightmare.
--- ---
Vilavarg stood silent.
"Gevin Rookwood is here, I can feel him," he announced.
Another figure turned and said, "Voldemort is here as well. Dumbledore will surely be here soon. All is going just as we had hoped."
"Indeed," Vilavarg replied.
--- ---
Just behind his Lord, stood Augustus Rookwood. He had assured Voldemort that The Circle Of Emeric would bring the divining chest here. He also informed him that once Harry Potter and the prophecy were dealt with, they could turn their attention to getting the chest and killing those who stood in the way.
"I know you are here, my young nephew," Augustus smiled. "To save the precious Borgin girl I have no doubt. Let me assure you though, that you will fail in this miserably. The chest and the prophecy will be in my Lord's hand before the night is through."