The Hunter And The Hunted
"Did you feel that," Snape asked.
"Yes, I did indeed," Dumbledore replied.
"Albus?" McGonagall queried.
The children were muttering amongst themselves. They were getting worried. It was time for Ron to address them again. A good leader always talks to their troops in time of worry. It helps them feel more secure in an unsecure world. Before Dumbledore could say a word, Ron had already landed his broom and was preparing to speak.
Ron had seen an open area directly to the north of the troops. The house-elves were starting to get excited, and felt they were very near their destination. It was time for him to make sure he kept all the students in check. The Slytherins would be the toughest. He knew that they would be best suited in front, in the thick of things, but it could also play against them if they acted rashly. His next thought made him want to hit something, hard. However, he knew that there was no time for the bitter past. He was not about to allow his own personal hatreds get in the way of finding Harry and Hermione.
"Hmmm, maybe I'm starting to grow up a little bit here. Too bad Hermione isn't around to see it," he said under his breath. The thought even made him smile a bit. Oh, how things have changed.
"Draco," the name stuck in his throat. "come here, we need to discuss something."
Malfoy looked up at Ron as if to say something. A number of Slytherins were gathered around him. Each of them waiting to see what snide comment he was about to unleash. Even Ron had his doubts this was going to go well. How was he going to deal with him being openly rebellious? It was the last thing he needed, but he had no choice.
Each and every person within hearing distance had their jaws wide open. Draco Malfoy looked around and then back at Ron.
"Yeah. I'm on my way."
Ron did everything in his power to not look surprised. Malfoy walked up to him and his eyes bore right into Ron.
"Don't think I'm doing this for you Weasley. I happen to believe that there are other things that are more important right now. My reasons for doing what I'm doing are my own. Just except it and move on."
"Alright Draco, fair enough. I know that some of the Slytherins are… anxious for what's coming. I don't want anyone to get hurt. Even you. As a side note, I really cannot believe that I'm saying that. Anyway, you hold a huge influence over them. I'm asking you to please do whatever it takes to keep them calm. When all this is over we can go back to hating each other, but right now… neither of us can afford that."
"Oh, I hate you right now Ron. Have no doubt of that. You do have a point though. I enjoy my little Slytherin kingdom and I would hate to lose any of my dedicated followers. Until this is over, a truce. Don't worry, we'll tow the line here, until we get back and then it's business as usual."
"Right," replied Ron.
Malfoy turned around and walked back over to his fellow students. Some of them still had their mouths hanging open and Crabbe always seemed to rub his stomach a lot when Draco was around. They were still afraid of him and probably always would be. Kind of sad really, a lonely king over his dysfunctional subjects. Ron had no time to think through such things. He needed to address everyone and get them feeling positive again. He was convinced that morale would make them or break them.
Ron nodded his head to Luna and she pulled out her wand and stated, "Sonorus!"
Ron's voice could be heard by everyone. All eyes were on him.
"Listen up! We are only minutes away from our destination, according to the house-elves. I need each of you to remain calm and focused. We have two lives depending on how we handle ourselves out here today. Up until now, you have been nothing short of exemplary. I'm proud of each and every one of you. It's time to finish this and go back home, so let's do just that. I want you to keep your wands ready, but more importantly your eyes open. Listen to the teachers heading up your group. I'll be relaying orders to them and they'll pass them on to you. The sounds we are hearing are most likely Harry and the Dark Lord fighting. This is our moment. Take it… and make it your own."
He jumped back on his broom and kicked off. The troops seemed to be energized. They were focused. They were ready.
Then all hell broke loose.
--- ---
Ginny could feel the pain shooting through her arm and leg. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. Her back had become completely numb and felt ice cold. Something was very wrong with her body. She began to sob in agony. Then she felt a drop of water on her forehead and then another. She tried to open her eyes, but they were so dry it felt like they were glued shut. Her own voice sounded foreign to her.
"Please… help… me."
"Now, now Ginny Weasley. You're safe now. I'm takin' you to Madame Pomfrey right now. She'll fix you right up."
The voice sounded familiar to her. So warm and safe.
"I'm dying," she whispered.
"I won't let that happen you hear. I just won't."
It was so difficult to talk. "Must warn… Ron… Giants, coming."
"That's none of your concern now. You were lucky as a unicorn, you were. The centaurs found you and brought you to me. I was busy trying to make inroads with their elders and had a great breakthrough. Everything will work out just fine. You'll see."
More drops of water fell on her nose and cheeks. It took almost everything she had, but she forced her eyes open. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and falling like rain.
"Hagrid. I'm scared."
"To be honest there Ginny, I'm a bit scared myself. Believe me I would like to be out helping Ron find Harry and Hermione, but I happen to know for a fact that if I didn't rush you back to safety, then Dumbledore would never forgive me. I don't think Ron would neither. So, here I am. Carrying you home; and it's a great honor to be doing so."
Ginny began to cry, but this time with relief. She was going home. Even if she died on the way, at least she would not be alone.
--- ---
Myrtle could not help but watch. To see what she would never have. Love. People always wondered why she was so batty. Rejection and heartache will do that; especially when it is all you have ever known. Even when her father found out she was haunting Hogwarts after her death, he never came to see her. Not even once. What kind of father would do that? She knew her mother would have come, but she had died when she was little.
There on the other side of the room was Harry and Hermione. Both of them were terribly scarred on the inside. Both of them confused about their place in the world. In the end though, they had each other. Harry had made her promise not to say anything to Hermione. He said he was going to be killed either by Hermione or Voldemort. He would rather die by Hermione's hand. Myrtle guessed that she could sort of understand that. Then something changed. She could hear Hermione asking Harry some painful questions and the next thing she knew they were in each other's arms. Myrtle had asked the same questions about her own family. How come her love for them was not enough to make them want to come and see her? Maybe it was because her love was not strong enough. Maybe it was because theirs was not. Either way it made her desperately sad to think about.
She took no pleasure in watching them make love. The only pleasure she found was that sometimes, in the most unlikely of places, love comes to save you. She knew that Harry had no idea of how bad off Hermione had been. Of course, Hermione had no idea of what burden Harry had been bearing all alone out here in the unforgiving wilderness. Myrtle wondered if love would ever come to save her. Then she began to cry. Someone would have to love her for that to happen, and no one in this world did. With that thought she drifted out into the forest. No one at Hogwarts ever heard from her again.
--- ---
Harry looked down at Hermione. She was this intoxicating mixture of fierce animal and a strangely delicate flower. She smelled like leaves and grass. Her hair was like a honeyed mane, so desperately out of control. Her skin had turned a sweet shade of reddish-brown from the unforgiving sun. Her body was slender, but the muscles in her legs were like a long distance runner's. Just looking at her was exhilarating. Within a few minutes he was already deciding whether or not they could have sex again. He wanted her so badly. He thought for sure that kissing her was going to be the last thing he did in this life. He was shocked that she responded so strongly. A raw feeling of need seemed to explode out of her. Before he knew what he was doing, he started tearing her clothes off. He had the most overwhelming desire to see her skin, her breasts, her stomach… all of her. Once he saw her then his mind simply went blank and the only thing he felt was a gripping need to be with her. Love was there, but something else was too. She made him feel… wild. Like a beast of the Forbidden Forest, taking a female of his kind. It made him feel an incredible sense of power, but at the same time strangely vulnerable. At any time she could have chosen to reject him, but instead she accepted him; without question and without reservation.
"I love you," Harry whispered. "At least I think. I'm not completely sure what love is, but if it's anything, than it must be this."
Hermione looked up at his face. She had her hand pressed against his chest and was drawing lines along the contours of his wiry body. She wanted to mate with him again. She wanted him to keep taking her, until she was carrying his child. Then her mind went flashing backwards in time. She felt herself staring into a dim mirror in a dark room, back at school. There in the mirror she could see herself… pregnant… with Harry's dark figure standing behind her. Holding her. Her desire was coming true. She thought about how strange that truly was.
"Harry, did you kill those three people?"
"What three people? I'm pretty sure that I haven't killed anyone. What are you talking about?"
"The three people they sent to find you."
"Hermione, no one has ever found me. Well, not until Myrtle came along. And, well, I guess then you, but you know what I mean."
"Then who killed them?" Hermione asked.
"My guess is Voldemort did."
"What?!" Hermione said sharply.
"Voldemort. He's still out here. We fight each other every night. I thought everyone knew that."
Hermione's mind short circuited. Everything was turned upside down. Everything she had done, everything she had prepared for was an illusion. It was all an illusion that she had created from the darkest recesses of her mind.
"Harry, there's something you need to know about me."
"What is it?"
"I've lost touch with everything. I've… I've gone mad. I think I'm broken inside."
Harry looked at her and a deep sorrow welled up in his heart.
"It doesn't matter. As long as you're with me, nothing else matters at all."
Hermione's mind snapped shut like a steel trap. "Harry! You said that you fight every night! That's why it's dark. He made it dark. He's coming for you!"
Harry looked at her with soft eyes, "I know."
"Good. That will make it so much easier. I see you've brought a little friend Harry. Shall we dance?"
Hermione looked up and saw a hideous caricature of a human. His grey fleshy skin looked sallow and sickly. His eyes were a strange mottled yellow. Voldemort was a lot of things; however, alive was not one of them.
--- ---
The giants had come storming out of the darkness. There was so many of them. They were as tall as the trees and frighteningly strong. Some of them had whole tree trunks and were swinging them like massive clubs. Others had grabbed huge rocks and were throwing them long distances, like immense catapults. Three students died and twice that were wounded even before Ron knew what hit them. He immediately began to bark out orders. He closed the ranks and got everyone into their positions. The Gryffindors immediately began to put up protective charms. Those who had fallen were quickly dragged back to safety. Dumbledore and Snape were like a howling thunderstorm, as spells came crackling from their wands. The Slytherins were using every dirty trick and nasty curse they could think of and the Ravenclaws were blasting away at close range. The Hufflepuffs were casting arrow charms and crying out 'accio' as they hurled whatever objects were lying around at the giants. They had already killed two of them, but more and more were pouring out of the trees. Then things took a terrible turn. A number of the giants had magical artifacts. Most likely gifts from Voldemort in exchange for their allegiance. One had a crystal crown that would shoot out flames in a wide arc, fanning out and setting everything nearby on fire. Before long a whole section of forest was ablaze.
Ron ordered the quidditch flyers to cast the rope charm and circle around the giants. The bigger they are the harder they fall, and once they were wrapped tight around the legs, down they went. Three more giants had been killed or incapacitated. Ron jerked around to see how many wounded there were now. He counted twelve wounded and possibly four more were dead. This was not how it was supposed to go. They were supposed to be an invincible army. The dead student's lying in their own blood, told him a far different story.
Ron clenched his jaw and began to swoop here and there, yelling for one group to back up another. He ordered a large number of the Gryffindors to join with the Hufflepuffs in volleying attacks. The other Gryffindors he ordered to concentrate all their charms and spells to aid the frontline Slytherins and Ravenclaws.
Dumbledore had squared off with the giant who had the fire crown. Snape had charged one who had a massive ice spear. McGonagall was transfiguring each and every little thing she came across into sharp objects, so the Hufflepuff students had better ammo to accio at the enemy. Then it hit Ron, he still had another group to help in the fight. He yelled out for Dobby and instructed him to take the house-elves around behind the giants and start fighting and creating as much confusion as they could. It would most likely disorient the giants to have to fight on more than one side.
In spite of it all, the wounded students were beginning to grow at an alarming rate. And for every giant down, three more came bursting out. They were in deep trouble. He began to wonder if he needed to call a retreat, if there would even be anywhere for them to run to.
--- ---
Myrtle had wandered by a small pond. There in the darkness she could make out the forms of two beautiful unicorns. She floated down towards them and quietly hid up in the tree canopy. They were prancing around a quiet glade. Both of them seemed so wise and graceful. She so wished she could be wise and graceful. Neither one of those terms really suited her. One of the unicorns looked up and noticed her.
"Hello Myrtle."
"He... hello," she replied in a shaky voice.
"Tell me dear ghost. What is it you are looking for?"
"I just want to go home, but…" she began to cry again, "I have no idea of where that is."
The second unicorn neighed and replied, "Turn around little lost one and find your way."
Myrtle slowly turned around as she felt a warm light fall across her shoulders. She looked into it and saw someone standing there.
"Mommy?"
"My sweet, silly Myrtle. Don't you think its time you left this cold world behind? You've been holding on to your anger and hurt for too long. Come here; come with me. I'll take you away from all this."
Myrtle drifted towards her. Her mother reached her hand out and touched her tenderly on the cheek, and this time she could feel it.
--- ---
They were going to lose. The giants had too many powerful wizard artifacts and their numbers kept increasing. He figured there had to be sixty or more. Dumbledore had killed nine of them on his own, but even he was getting worn out from the sheer speed and ferocity of the attack. He had quickly scouted the area and found nowhere to run to and nowhere for them to hide. They were going to die out here in this forest and he simply did not have the power to save them.
He could not give up. He refused to. He needed a diversion. Something to get the giants occupied long enough so he could re-gather their forces and attack as a single force, rather than scrambling around in small groups.
Ron turned his head around as the sound of hundreds of galloping hooves crashed through the forest nearby. They were headed this way. He flew up a bit higher to see if he could make out what was happening. Then he saw them. Leaping into the battle, dozens at a time. Each of them with swords and crossbows. The bolts they were using were covered in dark pitch. Each of the centaurs ran past one who was holding a torch. Then volleys of flaming missiles came arcing into the dark sky. It was the most beautiful thing Ron had ever seen.
Behind them, Grawp came lumbering out of the surrounding night. He had the most amazing thing with him. A massive blow dart, roughly the size of a sewage pipe. He reached into a bag and pulled out one of dozens of long darts. It was dripping with some kind of pungent poison. He slipped it into the tube and blew fiercely. The dart went hurling into the rampaging giants and hit one square in the chest. Not ten seconds later the giant was on the ground dead as a doornail.
Things were beginning to look up. Ron collected his thoughts and then he could see the final moves in front of him. He had it now.
"Checkmate," he grinned.