The Apprentice Piece
by Jardyn39
Part One of "The Apprentice Piece"
Chapter 19: Back to the Ministry
"Ron!"
Harry ran across the grass as soon as he saw Ron and Hermione emerging from the castle. He had just finished another tent session. They waited until Harry got his breath back.
"Hi, Harry," they said when eventually he could talk.
"I need to ask both of you a really big favour. I wouldn't but I'm desperate. It's the ball."
"Neville told us you have got him to dance with one of your dates," said Hermione with an amused expression.
"Yeah," said Harry. "I was hoping Seamus would do the same but Lavender refused to let him. I was wondering if you, both of you, wouldn't mind if Ron danced with Susan for one dance."
Ron really was his last resort. Harry had been very upset that Ron had dumped Luna like he had. He had decided not to challenge Ron about this as he was still a little upset about the Quidditch situation. Harry had convinced himself that it was a private matter so he hadn't raised this with Hermione either. He still didn't know whether she knew anything.
"I don't mind, Ron, really. It would be a really nice thing to do for Susan," Hermione said, absently rubbing her forearm which looked a little red.
"Well, okay," said Ron flatly.
"Thanks," said Harry.
*
Harry looked up as Neville ran across the courtyard towards him.
"What is it, Neville?" he asked with concern.
Neville took a moment to get his breath back before gasping, "Hermione, Hospital Wing!"
Harry didn't wait to hear more. He tore out of the courtyard and ran straight to the Hospital Wing.
*
Harry pushed open the doors and rushed into the Hospital Wing looking for Hermione. Ron was there listening as Madam Pomfrey spoke to the Headmaster. Nearby a hysterical second year girl was being comforted by Patrick Stephens.
"What happened?" demanded Harry, "Where's Hermione?"
"Miss Granger has been taken to St. Mungos for observation. She came in earlier complaining about a skin rash she got from some perfume she received as a gift. I gave her some ointment but unfortunately she stumbled on her way out. Miss Jacobson here helped her up."
"It's all my fault!" wailed the girl.
"You couldn't have known that contracting your illness would have affected Miss Granger so badly," said Professor Dumbledore kindly.
"It's fortunate Miss Granger's reaction became apparent so quickly. She's poorly but stable," said Madam Pomfrey.
The girl pushed Patrick Stephens away saying, "Now you'll get it too! Stay away!" Crying, she collapsed onto a bed.
*
Over the next week Harry and Ron pestered Madam Pomfrey several times each day for updates on Hermione's progress, which it appeared had remain unchanged.
One week to the day after Hermione had been taken into St Mungos, Harry made his regular detour to the Hospital Wing.
Harry knocked on the doorframe of the open office and looked in.
Madam Pomfrey was sitting at her desk with a parchment note in her hands. She looked up and Harry saw she had tears in her eyes and her hands were shaking.
Harry stood, afraid to ask anything.
"Hermione's condition has taken a turn for the worse. She's slipped into a coma. The Healers have no idea what to try. They have been hoping she would recover on her own."
They both stayed silent for a moment.
"Have they no idea what it could be?" asked Harry quietly.
"Well, they know that somehow the perfume dampened her magical abilities. That affected her natural ability to recover. The illness she contracted was far worse because of it. Even so it shouldn't have affected her so badly. The Healers think there is another factor they don't know about."
"Do you have any theories?" he asked hopefully.
"Well, just one," she answered hesitantly.
*
Harry hammered urgently on the Headmaster's office door until it opened, apparently on its own accord. He rushed in.
"Yes, Harry?" enquired Dumbledore, who was sitting at his desk with a quill in his hand. He finished writing and looked up.
"Sir, Madam Pomfrey just told me about Hermione. She's had an idea. I need to get to the Department of Mysteries and ask Fides for help."
Dumbledore frowned slightly, and for a moment Harry thought he might regret not just making his way there before speaking to the Headmaster.
"You may floo from here in a moment, Harry," Dumbledore said after a moment. "I must warn you, however, that you may not find what you seek. Did you say Fides?"
"Yes, Sir. He invited me when I was at the Ministry about my exams. Sorry, I assumed you knew."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, apparently impressed.
"He warned me then, about, well…" Harry hesitated, he didn't really know what Fides had warned him about, "but I have to try."
*
Harry leaped out of the lift into the lobby down in the Department of Mysteries even before the lanterns had lit themselves.
"Fides!" he shouted, "Are you there?"
"In here, Harry," said a voice from the room to the side. Harry rushed in to find Fides sitting at his desk.
"Hello, Harry, I was just enjoying the commotion you caused upstairs," he said smiling and extending his hand for Harry to shake. "The Minister looked quite put out when you ordered him out of the lift!"
"Well, I just needed to get here," said Harry a little sheepishly, wondering how Fides had seen upstairs.
"So, how can I help?"
"Well, a friend of mine, Hermione Granger, is in St Mungos and she's becoming very ill. Madam Pomfrey had an idea of what was causing it and when she told me I realised that it sounded similar to something you told me about before."
Fides help up a hand to interrupt him and looked at a Kestrel sitting on a perch that Harry hadn't noticed before.
"Get me the medical notes for Miss Hermione Granger from St. Mungos," he said clearly. Immediately the bird extended its wings as if to take off and then disappeared in a flash of light.
Harry stood staring at the empty perch for a moment before he noticed Fides had lit a fire and had thrown flue powder into it.
"Hospital Wing, Hogwarts," he told the fire putting his head into the magical flames.
After a few minutes conversing, Fides drew his head out of the flames looking deep in thought. Suddenly the bird appeared in a flash and settled in his shoulder. It dropped some parchment into Fides' hands. He sat and studied them intently.
After what seemed an age, Fides looked up.
"Miss Granger's condition is rather serious, Harry," he said handing the notes back to the bird. "Take these back and make sure no-one realises they were disturbed," he said to the bird and it disappeared again in a flash.
"If there's anything-" began Harry.
"You may be able to help her," interrupted Fides, "but it will have a slim chance of success at best. Not only will you have to endure to obtain it, you must accept that it may not even work."
"What is it?"
"An elixir that must be prepared and administered properly. It's next door, I'll show you," said Fides and he led Harry into the next room.
Fides opened a highly polished timber wall cabinet. The inside was velvet lined and hanging inside was a small crystal glass phial hanging from a golden chain. He carefully lifted the chain out of the cabinet and cradled the glass with his free hand.
Harry looked in awe at the glass object. It appeared to glow in the dim light. He was so mesmerised by it, he realised too late what Fides was about to do.
"NO! DON'T" Harry yelled as Fides casually poured the contents into the nearby sink.
Fides smiled. "It's okay, Harry, this is just a container. The remains of the liquid I poured away would be quite useless."
He stoppered the phial and handed the chain to Harry who was forcing himself to calm down.
"Put this around your neck," said Fides, "and then I'll explain."
"This container has to be prepared, both before and after you fill it with the elixir. On your journey to the spring, you must concentrate on why you want the elixir and especially why the person it is intended for is worthy. When you have filled it you must not allow anyone else to touch it before it is administered. Do you understand?"
Harry nodded, grasping the crystal phial.
"Please remember that if the container is lost or damaged, no other will work (well in time anyway). If the elixir is contaminated, no replacement may be sought."
Harry gulped but nodded.
"At some point you should expect to be challenged. No help will be rendered and I cannot intervene. Come now, I'll walk you to the bridge. Got your wand?"
A sudden panic gripped Harry as he withdrew the apprentice piece from his pocket. He could have sworn he was carrying his proper wand. What was this doing here?
Fides smiled and said, "That will do just fine. I'm sorry to use such party tricks but a phoenix feather core in there might be, er, provocative. Your wand is safe back at Hogwarts."
*
Harry followed Fides silently through a very narrow door and he found they were standing on a small ledge overlooking a wider cavern. Stretching ahead into the gloom was a rope bridge.
"The bridge will fall as soon as you step off the other side. You will need to find an alternative way back. The path gives you the general direction. The most important thing is to keep thinking about Miss Granger and what she means to you. I will monitor your progress as best I can. Good luck, Harry."
Harry stepped onto the bridge and momentarily felt dizzy. Immediately after he heard a deep growling from below.
It took Harry a few minutes to cross the swaying bridge. He had decided not to light his way in case he dropped his wand. Instead he felt his way holding onto each side with both hands. With each step into the darkness he thought of Hermione.
As he stepped off the end of the bridge and onto a dry stone ledge, Harry realised he had spent most of the time thinking about the good Hermione was capable of and how caring she was. He barely noticed the bridge catch fire and collapse behind him.
Harry grasped the glass hanging around his neck again, realising how afraid he was. He wasn't afraid of the unknown beast that sounded like it was getting closer, or the darkness around him. His real fear was losing Hermione.
He drew out his wand and barely whispered, "Lumos." The wand tip flared brightly revealing a path that appeared to follow around the face of the rock. The light was much brighter than usual and the beam wasn't as narrow. He set off.
Harry thought of the many times Hermione had given him unwavering support. An unenthusiastic Quidditch supporter, she had watched and cheered every one of his matches.
Hermione usually knew what was good for him even if he didn't. The DA that she had pushed him into was the only thing to keep him going last year. The interview with Rita Skeeter had helped enormously.
Harry rounded yet another corner. The ledge became very narrow at this point. With some difficulty he got past, pressing himself against the rock face.
He began to think about the times she had challenged him. He had been stubborn, angry, and reckless. And yet Hermione would never give up.
Harry snorted to himself remembering how annoying Hermione could be at times.
Suddenly Harry could hear the sound of running water. A few paces ahead he found a small spring. What looked like water was bubbling out of a small crack in the rock wall and dribbling down into a small carved bowl.
Harry was suddenly struck with a panicked thought, Was the container prepared correctly? Had he thought enough about Hermione?
He gently held the glass container under the spring and it filled quickly. He sealed it and hung the chain around his neck again. Taking his wand he looked around for the path he should take. To his alarm, it appeared to just drop off the edge.
Peering down into the darkness, Harry could see some pockets in the rock that might do for foot and hand holds.
He tucked the phial under his shirt for protection, laid on his front and gingerly lowered himself off the edge.
After what seemed an age and several slips later he dropped onto solid ground. He looked back up, having no idea how far down he had climbed.
Suddenly he slipped and fell face down hard onto the rock floor. In terror he scrambled to check the glass phial. With a relief he realised it was intact. Shaking, he took a few minutes thinking how close he had come to losing any chance of saving Hermione.
He laughed out loud when he realised, for the first time, that Hermione would probably chastise him again for going on another "people saving thing." His laughter echoed around him.
Gingerly his got to his feet and shined his wand ahead. He could see what could be taken for a path leading ahead.
He heard something. It sounded like breathing. It was close and Harry decided to proceed at once although he would have preferred to rest a little.
He came to a steep set of steps that had been carved into the rock. Water was cascading down them. He checked the phial again and started to climb up. Harry got about fifteen feet up the steps when he slipped and painfully slid down to the bottom, desperately trying to get a grip on the rock.
Just before he hit the bottom he managed to twist around and somehow held his arms across his chest to protect the phial, but that resulted in the treads of the steps hitting his back and head as he fell.
As he crashed into a heap his first thought was for the phial. Still okay. He shook his hands, refusing to acknowledge the pain from the many cuts and bruises, and began to climb again with grim determination.
With a last desperate effort his hoisted himself onto the ledge at the top of the steps and allowed himself a moment to catch his breath. He was in quite a state. Deep cuts were making his hands shake and he had gashes in both legs. He could feel a painful bruise on the left side of his face.
As he wiped his face with the dirty water he was sitting in, Harry was surprised to hear a voice come out of the darkness.
"Cup of tea, Harry?"
Harry stood and stared incredulously at Fides who was sitting at a small round table and pouring out two cups of tea.
"I thought you couldn't interfere?" asked Harry, trying to remain calm.
Fides coughed and said, "Unfortunately Miss Granger's condition has deteriorated. The elixir is ready and I will allow it to be administered early on condition that you give me your word that you will return with me to complete your journey."
Harry nodded and said, "I promise. Can we go now?"
"We may leave in about twenty minutes," Fides said pushing a cup towards Harry.
Harry sat, wincing in pain as he did so and took the tea with shaking hands.
"I haven't been challenged yet have I?"
"No," said Fides gently as a deep growl came from the darkness, "that comes later. Tell me, do you feel any different here?"
Harry thought about that strange question before answering, "Only slightly. I generally think clearly when I'm in a desperate situation. Why?"
Fides smiled and said, "Let me tell you how to administer the elixir."
*
"My staff will act as a Porkey for us, Harry. While we are away from here you will be tempted to remain. For your sake as well as your friend Hermione's, you must return with me," finished Fides.
Harry was by now desperate to get to St. Mungos. Fides held out his staff and Harry grabbed hold.