Ch 33: Black & Blue
Harry was sitting in a comfortable chair in one of the hotel rooms when he opened his eyes again. His mouth was tightly gagged and he found his body was completely paralyzed from the neck down. As he raised his head, he saw one of his attackers standing easily in front of him and to the side. He could smell the second one behind him. And directly in front of him stood a very tall house-elf casually twirling Harry's wand between his nimble fingers.
"We meet again, Mr. Potter. I wish it could be under more favorable circumstances, but neither you nor Miss Granger would listen to the voice of reason. You both insist on pursuing your mad quest. I'm afraid that will have to end soon. The only reason you are still alive is that we might need you as bait for Miss Granger. Now, if you tell me what I need to know, I promise your deaths will be quick and merciful. I am going to remove your gag now so that you can answer my questions, but do not try anything. I have your wand, and my associates are very familiar with magic. If you try any of your wandless or elemental magic, my friend behind you will give you a much higher dose of stone asp venom, one from which you will never awake. Besides, it would be futile to try and cast magic on them. They are members of the Ashanti Brotherhood, an ancient band of specially trained squibs who are dedicated to the destruction of human wizards and witches, and with these special tattoos are highly resistant, nearly immune in fact, to every form of magic cast at them." He waved his fingers, and Harry's gag fell to the ground.
Harry spit out a few bits of thread that were stuck in his mouth before glaring at the house-elf.
"Now, where is Miss Granger? Is she still in the Great Library?"
Harry just glared at him, saying nothing.
"I was afraid of this." He nodded to the man who stood behind Harry. He moved to Harry's side and Harry could feel the heat from a very hot blade washing over his face. Harry closed his eyes and focused all of his attention inward, trying to find the poison that was paralyzing him and trying to dilute it or destroy it. He had never attempted something like this, but knew that if he was unable to counter the poison, both he and Hermione would likely die. He had already tried to warn her, but the protective wards around the Great Library were too strong for him to break from so far away. And he knew that it was only a matter of time before Hermione came looking for him. He imagined the third one was waiting in the hotel lobby for Hermione to show up, just as he had earlier. Harry cursed again at having been so easily trapped. If Samuel ever found out he would be more than a little upset.
Finally, Harry detected the dark mist moving sluggishly in his veins. Concentrating with every ounce of his being, he tried to envision a very small burst of his magic rupturing the molecular bonds holding the poison together. Harry felt a slight tingle and then a surge of energy. He opened his eyes to see a glowing blade only inches from his left eye.
Abandoning conscious thought, Harry exploded into action, relying on his instincts and physical training. As his left hand shot up to grab the man's wrist and twist the knife away, Harry's right fist shout out and punched him in the solar plexus, right below the breastbone, driving the air from the man's chest. Harry then twisted to the left, shooting out of his chair and driving his right forearm up, right under the man's right elbow. As he continued to stand, he heard the loud snap of the elbow as it broke and heard the man scream in pain. The grip on the dagger loosened and Harry easily caught the dagger in a reverse grip as it fell to the floor and continuing his spin, plunged the dagger deeply into the man's stomach. There was a burning hiss as the red hot dagger sliced through his belly and the man's ragged screams ended quickly.
Harry pushed the man forward into the smaller elf as he raised his right hand and shouted "Gladius!" while he summoned his wand towards him. His transformed wand leaped into his hand as the other man rushed forward, stabbing with a short sword which Harry parried easily. Harry leaped forward, chasing the man back with a powerful lunge, and took the opportunity to stomp heavily on one of the hands of the elf, buried under the body of the other assassin. Harry ground his left foot until he could hear bones breaking in the hand. The elf screamed in pain and then there was nothing but his echoing cries as the elf teleported away.
Meanwhile, the other tattooed assassin had leaped forward and opened a slash on Harry's left thigh, which burned fiercely. Harry lunged forward again, then parried several quick slices before knocking his opponent's sword to the right. Harry lashed out with a kick and landed a solid blow to the man's knee. Harry continued spinning and brought his sword down in a powerful diagonal slash. It was blocked high, but Harry again used the opportunity to kick powerfully at the knee again. The man hobbled backward, limping painfully. Harry pressed his advantage, using his quicker footwork to put himself into position to land several deep slashes on the man's leg and side.
Harry feinted once with a low stab and then took a high, chopping swing to set up his opponent and give him a brief opening to stab at Harry's gut. The assassin took the bait and lunged and stumbled slightly on his wounded leg, which gave Harry the tiny opening he needed to slip his sword back down and over the top of the man's defensive parry where it slid easily between through his third and fourth rib, biting deep into the man's chest. Harry swore briefly as he had to roll the body in order to pull his sword back out of the mortal wound. He quickly checked the other man, but he was dead as well. Harry cursed again and then cloaked himself in invisibility and teleported to the main lobby of the hotel where he began scanning the room for the final assassin.
He searched the room desperately for a heavily tattooed man, but most of the figures wore long flowing robes, making it nearly impossible to visually identify the waiting assassin. He wondered if the tattoos were magical, which he thought would be highly ironic given the elf's description of their attitudes, and started scanning for traces of magical defenses. After several minutes of fruitless searching, he glanced at the clock and wondered if Hermione would be coming anytime soon. He hoped not, at least until he found the hiding assassin. He wondered if the tattoos were either not magical at all or were simply too subtle for him to detect with the spells at his disposal. Wracking his brain for another approach, he heard the distinctive crack of someone Apparating outside. But the multiple cracks he heard indicated more than one wizard and since he still couldn't feel Mione's telepathic link, he knew it wasn't her.
The door opened and in strode two deeply tanned figures. Harry instantly recognized by the way they walked and took everything in at a glance that they were trained professionals, probably Medjai, the Egyptian equivalent of the British Aurors. One moved to speak with the desk clerk while the other stood apart, watching the crowd.
Suddenly, Harry realized another trap was about to be sprung. He felt the tingle of an anti-teleportation ward emerge and Apparated to the front of the room with a loud crack as a Stunning spell and several darts struck right where he had been. He felt his disillusionment dispelled and rolled to the side as more darts and three bright flashes of light struck again right where he had been. There were innocent patrons running everywhere, but several smarter ones were looking for cover behind tables and couches or simply dropping to the floor. With a wave of his hand, Harry blanketed the room in complete darkness.
Focusing his senses he located the elf again, whom he knew was behind the violent attacks of the Medjai. Though the elf was invisible and now hidden by deep shadow, Harry could see the warm form easily and launched a carefully aimed bludgeoning hex that sent him flying against the wall and cracked the plaster on the wall. Harry grinned in momentary triumph as the body slumped to the ground and he realized he could teleport again. Harry took advantage of the temporary confusion of the Medjai as they tried to shake off the effects of the spell that the elf had cast on them and called out to them. He sensed movement and dropped quickly to the floor as he heard several darts fly above him and thud heavily into a nearby wall. Harry cursed and teleported behind the assassin. He raised his arm and transformed his wand into a small, heavy blackjack, which he then brought down as hard as he could on the base of the assassin's skull, just as he turned at the sound of Harry's voice. The blow dropped him to the ground like a brick.
The lights came back on and Harry was blinded temporarily. He tried to teleport away and realized the wards were back up. Instead he dove backward as a Stunner passed over him, a cutting hex hit his shoulder, and a bolt of pure energy grazed his side. Harry rolled behind the cover of a large couch and heard another set of distinctive pops from outside the hotel. The couch shuddered from the impact of another spell and started to burn. Harry ignored it as he waited for the Medjai to try and outflank his position. He let the couch burn and then sucked all the energy from it as he heard them Apparate on either side of him, trying to pin him down with deadly fire. But he was waiting for them and much quicker. He stunned the one on his right, sending him flying over a broken table. The one on his left found herself wrapped in tight ropes as she aimed her wand at him. Harry sensed the elf casting a spell nearby and yelled "BAUTTUERUM MARTEL!" even as Harry was hit with a freezing spell that took away his breath and sent him sliding across the room. As he tried to catch his breath, he was happy to see that the elf had been knocked through the hotel lobby across the street and through the wall of the next building. Harry hoped nobody else had been hurt and then looked up into the wand of the third Medjai, who was staring at him in deep confusion.
Harry heard another sound, as if someone were trying to speak to him but he couldn't make out a single word. Harry looked around and saw three more Medjai surrounding him, each with their own wands out. Harry remained still, his senses probing. He didn't have time to stay and try to sort all of this out. If the first Medjai was confused again, then the elf was out again or had left. He had to find out which because he needed some answers. Harry disappeared in the blink of an eye to the consternation of the Medjai who had just arrived.
Across the street, he surveyed the damage done to the other building. It appeared that he had knocked the elf into the kitchen of a small restaurant. Parts of the room were on fire, but all of the people who had been cooking appeared to have gotten away safely. Harry raised a hand and put out the fires with an easy swish of his hand and stalked towards the elf lying near a cabinet. With another wave of his hand he raised several defensive wards that should allow him to interrogate the elf in private. "Enervate!" shouted Harry. Then with his other hand he levitated the elf off the floor and threw him roughly against another wall, smacking his head hard again against the solid surface. "Gladius!" Pulling his sword back as he stepped forward, Harry then shoved the thin sword forward hard, piercing the elf right under the collar bone and pinning him painfully to the wall.
The elf screamed in agony and fear. Harry hoped that by keeping the elf in pain and off balance, he might be able to get some information out of him before he found a way to escape again.
"Why are you trying to kill Hermione!" Harry paused for a moment while the elf looked at him defiantly. "Answer me!" he screamed, grasping the hilt tightly and preparing to twist it, "or the pain gets much worse."
Harry felt the wards weaken and dodged and turned to the side just as another stunner barely missed him. He heard the elf chuckle and then there was a soft pop as he escaped from Harry's anti-Apparition ward. Harry summoned the bloody sword from the wall and transformed it back into his wand as he crouched in front of the four Medjai, raising a powerful defensive shield.
"Dammit! I had him! I had him and you let him get away!" he yelled in fury at the Medjai.
A tall, thin woman in the middle barked out a set of orders to the other three and they slowly spread out in the small kitchen. Harry simply gritted his teeth in anger and prepared to teleport away when he heard another familiar voice behind them, even though he had no idea what she was saying.
The four Medjai froze and turned to look at their leader who turned slowly turned towards Hermione who had her wand aimed directly at her.
"It's about time Hermione. I thought you might miss all the fun here tonight."
"Are you OK? Are you hurt?"
"No worse than usual."
The leader of the Medjai looked at Hermione, her eyes slowly widening in recognition. In accented English, she asked, "Are you Hermione Granger?"
Still not lowering her wand, she nodded. The lead Medjai then looked back at Harry and then lowered her wand. She snapped out several more orders and her three companions looked at her in shock. She repeated one of the orders, and they left her, Harry, and Hermione alone in the partially destroyed kitchen as they walked back across the street to the primary scene of the battle.
She asked Hermione to step into the kitchen and then raised several wards to allow them to speak privately without further interruption. "May I ask why you have come to Alexandria without notifying our Ministry Mr. Potter?"
Brushing away his brown locks, Harry looked at her for a moment before he revealed his true form. "I really can't say."
The Medjai glanced again at Hermione and then spoke again. "If I have to guess then, I imagine it has something to do with the Great Library." Before they could protest, she raised her hand. "Do not worry, you wouldn't be the first to do so. I know all about the Library, though I have never visited it myself, nor am I particularly interested in whatever information you seek there. That is your own business. However, I am very interested in what happened here tonight."
"How did you know who I was?" asked Harry.
"There are very few wizards that could defeat single handedly two Medjai and an Ashanti assassin. There are even fewer who are good friends with a very talented witch by the name of Hermione."
"Actually, there are two more Ashanti upstairs in one of the rooms. I'm afraid they won't have any answers though," added Harry.
The Medjai seemed stunned. "You defeated three Ashanti assassins, two of the best Medjai in Alexandria, and a very powerful house-elf. You are even more formidable in person than you are in the papers Mr. Potter."
Harry looked aside for a moment as he blushed slightly.
"Will you tell me what happened?"
Harry looked at her for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and then answered. "Hermione and I have been doing some research. The house-elf that I was speaking with wants to prevent us from continuing and has tried to kill us several times now. Tonight he was waiting for us to return to our hotel room along with the three Ashanti in order to ambush us. When I arrived, they drugged me and tried to force me to tell them where Hermione was…"
"Are you sure you're OK Harry? Did they…"
"I'm fine Mione, I promise."
"Let me at least clean you up a bit and stop the bleeding. You can keep talking while I work."
"Fine."
Hermione pulled off his shirt and grinned when Harry blushed again. The Medjai gasped and Hermione clucked disapprovingly as she cleaned up the dart wounds on one side, a burn on the other side, a deep slash on his shoulder, and the nasty effects of the powerful freezing charm on Harry's chest. She also cleaned up and cast a few healing spells on the slash on Harry's thigh and the dart wound in his calf.
Hermione cast a few mending spells on Harry's ruined shirt and helped him pull it back over his head while the Medjai simply shook her head in amazement. Hermione saw and explained, "Oh this isn't too bad, really. You should see him after a Quidditch match." The Medjai broke out laughing. When she had finished she looked at Harry and he continued his brief narrative.
"I managed to free myself, killing two of the Ashanti upstairs. I went downstairs to find the third assassin when the elf returned. He must have informed the Ministry of a wizard attack and that is why the Medjai arrived so quickly." Noticing the Medjai's curt nod, he continued. "When they arrived, he used a form of the Imperious curse on them to persuade them to attack me. When I knocked him out, that gave me a chance to disable the Ashanti and two of the Medjai. Then you showed up with reinforcements and I left since the anti-Apparation wards the elf had put up were no longer functioning. I found the house-elf here and was interrogating him when you broke through my wards and he escaped."
"Well the first thing we need to do is to address the issue of the house-elf…"
"I don't think that will be necessary. He isn't in any condition to come after us again tonight and we'll be gone by tomorrow. Though he can attack with magic, he doesn't seem to be able to actually cast any lethal spells, despite the fact that he wants us dead. He'll have to find some more people to use if he comes after us again tonight. Besides, it's us he's interested in, not you. As soon as we're gone, he won't bother you here anymore," insisted Harry.
"I see. Well, I'm not sure you'll be able to leave by tomorrow. Our investigation…"
"The longer we stay, the greater the danger that the elf will return with more friends and someone will get hurt or killed. The elf wants to kill Hermione and will not let anything get in his way. She is better protected at Hogwarts than here…"
The Medjai nodded thoughtfully.
"I'm sorry about the mess and all of the extra work we've created for your Obliviators, but the sooner we're away from Egypt, the safer it will be here. Besides, if you let me talk to the Ashanti, maybe we can give you something else to keep you busy…" offered Harry.
"Technically, only the Medjai are allowed to interrogate prisoners, but if you were to talk to him before we officially arrested him…"
Harry grinned and stood up. Together, Harry and Hermione followed the Medjai out of the kitchen and back to the hotel. Over the protests of the other Medjai, she led them to a small room where the Ashanti was slowly regaining consciousness. Following a nod from the head Medjai, the guard left the three of them alone with him. He looked up angrily at Harry.
"Are you ready Hermione?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Hello ugly. Remember me?" Harry stared at the blank look. "Oh, that's right you don't speak English. Let me try again."
With Hermione's help, he started again.
"I got nothing to say to you," spat out the prisoner.
"We'll see about that. Who hired you? Who is the master of the elf?"
The Ashanti remained silent.
"What can you tell us about him?" Harry glanced at Hermione. "Very well, let's try something else. Who was the last wizard you assassinated? How did you do it? Who hired you? How many other Ashanti do you know? How could we find them? Still don't want to talk? That's OK, we've learned more than enough. Go ahead Mione."
Hermione turned to a very puzzled Medjai. "The last wizard he killed was named Murl Habberdeen. Murl's nephew hired him for the murder. The nephew gave him the passwords to the defensive wards and he strangled him and the nephew hid the body in the family cemetery. He knows fifteen other members of the Ashanti and can give you their current contact information."
Harry turned back to the Ashanti. "I suggest you cooperate more fully the next time they talk to you, otherwise they might just cut you loose. But then everybody will know who ratted them out and you probably won't last three days on the streets. It's your choice."
Harry and Hermione turned to leave as the prisoner just watched them in shock.
"How did you do that?" muttered the Medjai as they stepped out of the room.
Harry winked and whispered, "Magic, of course."
She laughed again and said. "Don't worry about the rest of this mess-I'll take care of it from here. And thank you very much for the leads on the Ashanti. We've been working for years trying to break into that nasty group of assassins. Thank you. And when you get back, tell Bill hello from Ashdi Moran.
"Bill?" asked Harry.
"Why, Bill Weasley of course. Aren't you good friends of the family?"
"Well, yes, but how do you know Bill?"
"Oh, I would never kiss and tell, Mr. Potter," she replied smiling.
Harry just looked at her stunned, as did Hermione by his side. Hermione was the first to recover and said. "Thank you Ms. Moran…"
"Please, call me Ashdi. I hope we run into each other again under more favorable circumstances."
Harry nodded his thanks, grabbed an ashtray from the room, transformed it into a portkey, and with a final wave to Ashdi, they disappeared.
*-*-*
When they returned to Hogswarts, Hermione insisted that he visit Madame Pomfrey first.
As she began her examination, she clucked disapprovingly as she muttered to herself. "You've been out having fun again I see Mr. Potter. I really deserve a bonus for all the extra diagnostic work I have to do on your injuries. A few minor cuts, dagger or sword? Never mind, I don't really want to know. Small puncture wounds-were those from a dart?" At his nod she asked, "Were they poisoned?" her voice full of concern.
"They were. I neutralized it."
"Are you sure? How do you know? I should…"
"Believe me, if I had any of the stone asp venom still in my system, I wouldn't be able to move right now," answered Harry.
"Stone asp…" then she just shook her head in amazement. "An energy burn and some sort of frost spell. None of these look too bad and it seems they've been treated already. The dressings appear very neat and tidy, so I'll assume this isn't your own work Mr. Potter. Very well done, Miss Granger," she finished, ignoring Harry's offended protest. "In fact, I don't know why I haven't had you in here before to learn more about Healing. You seem to have a natural aptitude for it and if you decide to continue to stay by Mr. Potter's side I daresay he will always be in need of medical treatment," she looked at Hermione and then winked before adding, "especially considering his delicate condition."
Hermione chuckled while Harry violently protested about having any delicate condition as Dumbledore walked into the room.
"Ah, Mr. Potter, we do seem to have most of our meetings here, don't we? Perhaps we could make a special room for you and your visitors to keep you more comfortable during your frequent stays."
"Everybody's a comedian today," muttered Harry as Madame Pomfrey finished reapplying the dressings and left. "You know the drill, Mr. Potter. Take those potions on the bedstand before you go to sleep and I'll check in on you in the morning. Miss Granger, please make sure he drinks them all. And no flying, fighting, or wandering the halls tonight Mr. Potter."
Harry just rolled his eyes while Hermione grinned as she turned and left. Dumbledore made himself a comfortable chair and then raised a few wards to give them some privacy and make sure they weren't overheard.
"So how was your trip?"
"More exciting than most research trips, I'd reckon," replied Harry dryly and sketched out for Dumbledore the major events both before and after their research in the Great Library.
"Baruscapi crabmen, assassins of the Ashanti Brotherhood, and this obsessed house-elf, all in addition to the Great Sphinx itself. Yes, you've had quite a busy week and a half. I wish we knew more about this elf-he sounds so different from any other elf I've ever heard of. And you say he reads the Quibbler. Very strange indeed. But tell me, were you able to discover anything new about Atlantis itself?"
"We were able to clear up a few things," continued Hermione. "I found what appears to be a first hand account of the massive civil war that ended up destroying Atlantis." She repeated it for Dumbledore from memory and then summarized it. "Tens of thousands of Athlanti, as they called themselves, as well as uncounted other allies died during the two phases of the civil war. The son of the original rebel raised another army before the Athlanti had a chance to recover from the first battles and made an alliance with some powerful demon named Valypsa. The demon eventually turned on him and ended up bringing about the destruction of the island and cursing the survivors somehow. The demon was apparently killed-I'm not quite sure how, the demon claimed to be impervious to magic and weapons.
And just as we suspected, there was some sort of artifact, he described it as an orb, which seemed to have some power over life and death. But we're not sure exactly where it is. I think the final battle took place in a city called Athlantius, it might have been the capital, I don't know for sure, I couldn't find any maps of the island. I believe that the orb was last used during the final battle in Athlantius-part of the account mentioned that it was just beyond the reach of the demon where it was wounded. But whether that meant it was physically out of reach or magically hidden, I don't know.
So we are fairly certain that this artifact exists, and we think it is somewhere in the ruins of a city named Athantius somewhere on a larger island that we know as Atlantis though it's possible that the survivors took it with them or hid it somewhere else. Even if it is still in the city, we have no idea where it might be or how big the city was, where the city itself was located, or where the island itself used to exist. It could be anywhere on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
None of the other sources have anything to say about where the island was or how to get there, they just mention some of the things that were traded-silks, silver, gold, furs, dwarven metals, cocoa-so it sounds like they had very extensive trade networks throughout the world. But there was no mention of ships-the only thing that was mentioned was something about portals, but where they might have been there was no indication in the records.
So basically our research is at a dead end. Those portals leading to Atlantis could be anywhere in the world. We thought maybe there was a portal near Alexandria, since these crabmen were created as the guardians, but we couldn't find one, the Guardian did not know of one, and there was nothing in the Library that indicated there might be one. As for Atlantis itself, I suspect it is somewhere within the Bermuda Triangle."
"The Bermuda Triangle?" asked Harry.
"It's an area of ocean just off the coast of Florida by the United States where Muggles have lost lots of planes and ships under very mysterious circumstances. I think the island had very powerful anti-detection wards and shielding charms which would explain why it has never been found and why there are so many Muggle ships and planes have been lost there-I think the those enchantments interfere with their mechanical and electronic equipment. But even if I've guessed correctly, there are still hundreds of square miles of ocean floor to explore, and the island itself is probably still guarded by some variation of an unplottable spell."
"How were you able to read an original eyewitness account Miss Granger?"
"Well," smiled Hermione, "that might be the only lead we have. I believe I could read the manuscript because I have actually met one of the Athlanti or one of their descendents. At the very least, I've met with someone who speaks their language or one similar enough to it for me to recognize the language." Then her smile faded somewhat. "But I'm not sure who it was and I've spoken with a lot of different people over the last year trying to put together alliances to help defeat Voldemort. But maybe if I could figure out who it was, they might provide a clue to finding Atlantis."
Dumbledore nodded. "Very impressive Hermione. And how did your own research go Harry?"
Harry smiled broadly. "I think I found something for Remus. There was a story from Persia from the 3rd century BC. A village in the north was terrorized by a werewolf, and then suddenly the attacks stopped. But a few months later, one of the hunters killed the largest lion that had ever been seen in those parts, about the same time that the son of one of the tribal elders disappeared," explained Harry. "I think it proves that our idea about having werewolves attempt the Animagus transformation just might work. Look, I know it's not conclusive, it's merely anecdotal, but I think it's the only evidence we're likely to find, unless you've turned up something more conclusive."
"No, I haven't. We can talk to Remus later. I'm glad to see both of you back relatively safe and sound." Dumbledore looked up. "Ah, news of your return seems to have spread. If there is nothing else, I will leave you to your friends." Harry and Hermione smiled and waved at their friends as Dumbledore stood up.
"Where have you two been?!" burst out Ron. "Are you alright?"
"We're fine. You know how Madame Pomfrey is, if she had her way, I'd live down here in one of the infirmary beds year round. I'm fine though."
"But where did you guys go?"
"We were researching."
"More research? Well, I'm sure that was fun…" finished Ron rather lamely.
"But if you were just researching, how did you get hurt so badly Harry?" asked Luna with concern.
"I'm fine, don't worry about it Luna."
"Well, we're glad you guys made it back before Christmas. Have you finished your shopping yet?" asked Ginny who didn't look entirely convinced but seemed willing to change the subject.
Harry's face fell and Hermione shook her head no as well.
"Well, good, there was a bunch of us planning another trip to Hogmeade's tomorrow to do some last minute shopping and relax before we all head home for the holidays. Do you both want to come?"
"Sure," answered Hermione.
"Uhh."
"Oh relax, Harry. We'll go to the Twins' store and hang out for a while, then we can check out the latest brooms while the girls do their shopping. Then we can pick up any presents we need before we meet them for lunch at the Three Broomsticks. That's what we did today, but it will be a lot more fun with you there tomorrow."
"And that's why we have to go back and finish shopping tomorrow, because you and the other boys did nothing helpful all day except make yourselves scarce. You didn't do any serious shopping or…"
"Nag, nag," muttered Ron.
"Oh, well, then count me in," chuckled Harry, looking relieved. "So who all is going?"
Ginny paused for a moment and began counting on her fingers. "Well, everyone that went today-that would be me and Neville, Ron and Luna, Padma, Parvati, Lavender, Seamus, Dean and some guy from Ravenclaw that Padma has been seeing, I think his name is Thomas. Oh and there'll be you and Hermione tomorrow and uhh, we invited Gabrielle and Draco to come as well."
Ron started to say something but bit back his comment when Luna laid her hand on his arm.
Ginny glanced at him in irritation. "We decided to invite them this afternoon while we were having lunch at the Three Broomsticks. If you hadn't been busy drooling over the new model of the Solar Flare III, you could have voiced your objection while we were discussing it over lunch. We were hoping you guys would be back from wherever it was that you went in time."
"Yeah, we're glad to be back too. It sounds like fun. Uh-oh, looks like Pomfrey's coming back. She wants me to stay the night here-big surprise there, but I'll catch up with all of you tomorrow at breakfast."
"All right, everybody out. Mr. Potter needs his rest tonight," called out Madame Pomfrey as she shooed everyone from the infirmary.
*-*-*
Deep in sleep, Harry lay breathing quietly in his bed as the shadow crept closer. The figure reached out a hand to grab Harry's arm and then Harry simply disappeared. The cloaked figure whirled, looking for the vanished wizard. Suddenly he threw back his head and chuckled.
"Very good, Potter. Very good indeed. You can uncloak yourself now, we need to talk."
Harry suddenly reappeared ten feet away as he reholstered his wand. "Hunt, don't do that!" he hissed. "You nearly gave me a heart attack and I came this close to blowing you through that wall over there."
"Constant vigilance, Potter! Constant vigilance!"
"I know, I know," muttered Harry.
"You always need to be on guard-even while you're asleep and especially when you're recovering…"
"I know, I know," repeated Harry tiredly.
"So tell me how you did that. Some sort of defensive ward or…"
"I'm not telling. And what is so important that you had to come and wake me up in the middle of the night? Do you have a new lead?"
Samuel grinned a predator's smile. "Just got word about some Death Eaters that need rounding up. The information I got indicates that they're trying to make contact with some vampires so I thought we could kill two birds with one…"
"Did you say vampires and Death Eaters?" snapped Harry, his fatigue immediately evaporated and his entire attention focused on Samuel.
"Yeah, you heard me-I was speaking English, wasn't I? Why?" he asked seeing Harry's face tighten and his eyes focus intently.
"Let me grab my stuff. I'll see you at the front gates in five minutes."
"Don't keep me waiting Potter," and he turned towards the door. Pausing at the door, he turned back and grinned. "And give her a kiss for me Potter." But Harry was already gone. Samuel chuckled to himself and headed for the front gates.
Harry teleported to his room where he quickly changed and grabbed his magical pouch, his broom, and a warm cloak.
"Mione? Are you awake?"
"Harry?! Is that you? You should be sleeping. Are you OK? What's wrong?"
"I'm fine Mione. But Samuel just stopped by and I've got to go. I wanted to let you know before I left. I'm sorry about the shopping trip tomorrow, but I have to…"
"Are you sure you should go? You're still hurt from today and…"
"I'm fine Hermione. I need to go."
"I know. I understand. I'll meet you downstairs in the Common Room."
"Mione, you don't need to…"
"I want to Harry. Finish getting your stuff and I'll see you in a minute."
"OK."
"Ron. Ron, wake up."
"Shhh, Luna. Give me back my broom, I need to defend the goals."
Harry rolled his eyes and shook his best friend harder. "Ron, it's Harry. Wake up."
"Lun-er Harry. What do you want? Do you know what time it is?"
"No, now listen. When you go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, you need to stay close to Hermione. Do not let her out of your sight, no matter what. Do you understand?"
"Yeah, watch Hermione shop tomorrow. Whatever Harry."
"Listen to me Ron. It's very important. I won't be there tomorrow, Samuel and I are going hunting. I need you to take care of Hermione for me, she's been in a lot of danger recently."
"Hermione, danger, yeah, got it Harry. Can I go back to sleep now?"
"Yeah, Ron. Get some sleep. Just take care of her for me while I'm gone, OK?"
"Sure thing mate," mumbled Ron as he fell back asleep.
Harry frowned but picked up his things and teleported downstairs to the common room. Hermione was standing behind the couch, drumming her fingers nervously on the back of the couch as she watched the low flames in the fireplace. Clad in her slightly worn bathrobe with her bushy hair sticking out every which way, Harry once again marveled at her beauty for a moment before he spoke.
"Mione."
She turned and threw her arms around him. "Promise me you'll be careful. Promise me you'll come back to me."
Harry patted her back reassuringly. "I promise Mione, I promise. I'm sorry I have to go…"
"Don't be Harry. I understand. We both do what we have to do. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Besides, I'll be busy shopping tomorrow and now I won't have to worry about you trying to spy on me and figure out what presents I am getting tomorrow."
"You haven't already gotten me mine?" asked Harry incredulously.
"Maybe. Maybe not. I'm not saying," teased Hermione.
Harry grinned. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you Hermione Granger."
"And I love you Harry Potter."
Harry leaned down, wrapped his arms around her and gave her no doubt about his feelings for her. Leaning his forehead against hers he simply soaked in the joy of the moment, etching it into his memory.
"You better get going Harry. Hunt gets kind of cranky when you keep him waiting," whispered Hermione in a slightly teasing tone.
"He can wait another minute," replied Harry and kissed her again. When he finally pulled away, he caressed her cheek again and whispered softly. "Goodbye Mione, I'll see you soon."
"Goodbye Harry. I love you."
"I love you too." Harry then disappeared and Hermione headed back to her bedroom.
"Took you long enough Romeo," teased Samuel.
"Let's go. Where are we headed?" asked Harry.
"Well, we can travel by floo as far as Bournemouth, and then we'll have to travel by broom from there to Christchurch. We'll have to go slow and be cautious so we won't be detected, but we should be there well before daylight. Now let's go to the Hogshead Tavern, it should still be open this late. We can floo from there." Harry nodded and they both Apparated away.
*-*-*
By midafternoon, Harry was very bored and very tired. They had arrived outside what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse in one of the seedier sections of London several hours before dawn. Harry was perched on top of a nearby building with a clear view of the back alley and entrance. Samuel was covering the front of the building. Though he had seen several people walk by in the hours he had been stationed there, nobody had gone in or out of the warehouse.
Suddenly, a large hawk settled down near where Harry's invisible dragonform was sitting on the edge of the roof. The hawk swiveled its head quickly and then hopped down to the roof of the building, behind the small ledge which prevented anyone from seeing him from the street. The hawk then transformed itself into a tall, lean wizard with long black hair.
"Something's not right Harry. There's something odd about this place, about this whole thing. I don't like it."
Harry suddenly appeared next to Samuel. "What do you mean?"
"Well, two things have been bothering me all morning about this tip-the informant and the information."
"What was wrong?"
"Well, I never met the informant. It was a tip given to me by one of my regular contacts, but they didn't know the informant either. That's always suspicious. And second, the information-it's almost too precise, too exact. Unless someone very high up is betraying these Death Eaters, it has more information than one would expect. And I've never seen a Death Eater willingly sell out another Death Eater unless there was something in it for them-but this informant didn't ask for anything. He just passed on the information and left. And the meeting was to take place at noon. That was three hours ago. Why on earth would vampires set up a meeting midday when they're at their weakest, unless they were already in the building deep in the basement or something? And I haven't detected a single magical defensive ward. If there are vampires in there, they would have some sort of protections set up. I'm beginning to think that we've been set up."
"So what do you think? Should we just go in and poke around a bit? See if someone has set up a trap for us?"
"Yeah, I think so Potter. If this is a trap, we need to figure out who set it and why. We'll go in through the back."
"But what about the front?" asked Harry.
"If we hear something, you can teleport back out to the front and catch them. I'm more worried about them setting a trap for us inside so we'll go in together. Just try and stun anybody you see Potter-we need them to be able to give us some answers."
"Speak for yourself, Hunt," muttered Harry under his breath.
When Samuel asked if he was ready, Harry nodded his head. Harry quickly checked the alley to make sure it was clear and then grabbed Samuel's shoulder. They reappeared just outside the back door. They both did a quick scan to check for defensive wards of any sort and found none. When Harry waved his hand and opened the door wandlessly, they waited for an alarm to go off. There was nothing but the clicking of the locks on the back door. Samuel cautiously opened the door and motioned for Harry to follow him. They crept in silently. The disturbed dust on the floor indicated that there had been a number of people here very recently, but it was impossible to determine just how many. Samuel followed the main trail through the aisles of deserted wooden crates and shipping boxes while Harry followed behind him silent and invisible. The path led them to a large wooden crate. They looked at each other and then at the footprints on either side of the box and the drag marks behind the box. They then pushed the crate back which revealed a large trapdoor in the floor.
"Not very good at hiding things are they?" pointed out Samuel while Harry stared intently at the door, checking closely for traps but again finding nothing. Harry opened it again wordlessly and Samuel tugged it open. Harry glanced ominously at Samuel as they then descended into the dank, musky darkness that filled the basement. Apart from the dank, earthy aroma one would expect from a basement, Harry was sure he had detected the scent of blood and death.
When Samuel reached the bottom of the ladder, he lit his wand and signaled for Harry to descend as he looked around. At first glance, the room appeared normal enough. There was a long table in one corner. Along one wall were a number of long wooden boxes with their lids leaning next to them.
It was the other half of the room that caused the bile to rise in Harry's throat. There were a number of chains and manacles lining the wall, some attached directly to the stone wall itself, some attached to a variety of tables and very uncomfortable looking chairs. In the middle stood what appeared to be a low stone altar. On one end of the room stood another table with a variety of bowls, knives, and oddly shaped bottles and cups. On the other end appeared to be some sort of furnace. Harry stood frozen in horror as his nose easily told him what the brownish red substance he could see coating the tables, walls, and chains-dried blood.
To his side, Samuel swore forcefully and spit as he moved closer to the altar. Mechanically, almost against his will, Harry moved slowly towards the furnace at the other end. Afraid of what he might find, he slowly opened the grate and peered inside. There were a few scraps of paper mingled with the grey-white ash covering the inside of the large furnace. Harry reached to pull a few of them out and his fingers brushed something a little more solid. Praying his fears wouldn't be realized, he slowly brushed away the ashes and pulled out what appeared to be a long bone. Probably a femur. And probably human.
Clamping his mouth tightly shut against the sudden urge to throw up, Harry closed his eyes and breathed shallowly, trying to regain control. He knew there was nothing more he could do now for the victims except find their murderers. Opening his eyes again he reached again into the ashes and pulled out the few scraps of paper he could find, carefully shaking off the human ashes from these potential scraps of evidence. His eyes widened in shock when he recognized the nervous but happy face of the witch looking back at him from what appeared to be a clipping from a wizarding newspaper. The other scrap of paper had only parts of a few words "`OGSME,' `oomsti,' and `eezes,'" as well as a few lines drawn on it. Harry looked at it for a moment and then realized what he was holding. He turned to find Samuel at the far end of the room examining the far table and the different bowls and cups.
"Hunt! What the hell is going on here?! What have we stumbled into?"
Samuel spat again and turned towards Harry angrily. "I think we've found a nest of wannabe vampires. I came across a group like this once in the States."
"What?!" asked Harry incredulously.
"There are some people who actually want to become vampires. They sometimes try and make themselves into vampires by trying to develop a taste for human blood by kidnapping people, draining the blood from their bodies, and trying to drink it." Glancing over at the altar, he added. "Or sometimes they try other methods."
"Who on earth would want to do that?"
"It takes a pretty sick, twisted individual. Sometimes they're just Muggles fascinated by the myths and legends and drawn to the idea of immortality. Sometimes they're Squibs jealous of the magical power they can't use, and crave another source of power. They're the more dangerous of the two groups, because they usually know just enough magic and have just enough knowledge about real vampires to actually have a chance at succeeding in their mad quest. Based on what we've seen today, I'd say we have a mixture. There were no magical alarms, just the normal Muggle ones that you disarmed. But these attempts at potions and the attempted spells cast at the altar indicate at least one of these psychos is familiar with the magical world. But it looks like they've left and they're not coming back. Maybe they knew we were coming."
"Well, they didn't do too good a job of cleaning up," commented Harry, looking with revulsion at the blood spattered table and instruments. Then his voice hardened. "They threw all of their victims in the furnace and tried to burn all the evidence. There's no way of telling how many people they killed. And they tried to burn this as well."
Harry slammed the scraps of paper down on the bloody table, rattling the other items.
Samuel looked closely at the pieces of paper. "Isn't that…"
"It's a picture of Hermione. And they've circled her picture in ink for some reason."
"But what are these words? OGSME?"
"I think this was a map of Hogsmeade. See these lines? On this street here are the Three Broomsticks and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." Then Harry's face whitened. "No! No, no, NO!"
"What?!"
"Hermione and a group of our friends from Hogwarts were going to go to Hogsmeade today to go shopping. Some of them were talking about inviting us yesterday in the Three Broomsticks. Our conversations have been overheard before in one of those pubs. What if these bloodsucking wannabes have decided that drinking magical blood might be better than Muggle blood?"
"Go Harry! Go check on your friends and make sure they're OK. I'll keep looking around here for clues. Maybe I can find their new hideout. Go."
Harry nodded once in thanks and then disappeared. Samuel spat again in disgust and went over to the other table to search for more clues.
*-*-*
Harry appeared in the middle of the street in front of The Three Broomsticks amidst a chaotic crowd. His insides turned ice cold as he saw the numbers of dark cloaked Aurors looking around what was left of the Three Broomsticks. Most were either looking for clues, speaking with individuals, or simply trying to keep the frightened but morbidly curious crowd back. Harry paused for a moment, refusing to let his fear or anxiety control him, but allowing a white hot anger to burn through him, clearing his mind and allowing him to focus. He stepped forward through the crowd.
One of the Aurors stepped forward to intercept him and backed up a step when he saw the dark unruly hair and the light scar on the forehead. But that wasn't what made him step backward, it was the flashing green eyes that seemed to reflect a barely controlled rage raging within. "Lupin!" called out the Auror. "You've got a guest!" He then pointed the young man in the direction of the Chief Auror.
"Harry!" called out the concerned werewolf. "I'm not sure you need to see this, it's…"
"It can't be any worse than anything else I've ever seen," stated Harry quietly. "Just tell me what happened. Please."
Lupin sighed and led him inside before beginning. "About noon, there was an attack on the patrons of The Three Broomsticks. Among the regulars there was a large group of students from Hogwarts, uhh, including many of your friends, I'm sorry to say."
"There were a bunch of them coming today to finish some last minute shopping," added Harry.
Lupin nodded and continued. "There were at least a dozen attackers, and maybe two vampires involved."
"Are you sure they were vampires?" asked Harry.
"There's no doubt about it. From the survivor's descriptions of the attack and the magical traces that have left behind, we're positive."
Harry steeled himself for the question he had to ask. "You mentioned survivors. Were there fatalities then?"
"Yes. None of the students died, but there were several that were hurt pretty badly. Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom are all in the hospital wing, being taken care of by Madame Pomfrey. There were three adult wizards who were killed during the attack."
Harry let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "So none of the girls were hurt? I can't believe…"
"We don't know Harry. They're gone. The attackers took all the female students and left everyone else behind."
Suddenly the walls began to tremble and Lupin quickly reached out towards Harry and grabbed his shoulder. "Calm down Harry. We're going to find them."
"You have no idea what I've just seen Remus. We have to find them and find them now. Before…before they…"
"What are you talking about Harry?" asked Remus.
Harry quickly informed him of the stakeout that he and Samuel had conducted this morning and what they had discovered.
"But what doesn't make sense is the involvement of two real vampires," muttered Harry. "I don't get it." Then he squared his shoulders. "And right now I don't care. Let me help you look for clues Remus and let's find these guys."
Remus looked as if he were going to refuse then simply nodded his head in agreement. "Fine, but stick with me." Harry helped Remus identify some of the different spells that were used and listened in on several of the interviews, trying to get a clearer picture of what had happened. But they still had no idea where they might have taken the girls. Harry was growing increasingly frustrated. After an hour, he sighed in exasperation. "You said Ron and the others are in the hospital wing? I'm going to go talk to them and see what they can tell me."
Harry appeared in the infirmary and barely jumped out of the way as Madame Pomfrey nearly ran over the top of him. She glared at him for a moment and then her gaze softened and she said simply, "They're over there Mr. Potter," nodding with her head.
Harry walked slowly by the beds where several of his dormmates were sleeping soundly, no doubt under the influence of one of Pomfrey's potions.
"Doesn't look like I'll be getting much out of these guys anytime soon."
Dean and Seamus had some nasty bruises and cuts, and Seamus' ribs were heavily bandaged, but other than that they appeared all right. Neville on the other hand, looked a downright mess. Both his eyes were black, his nose was three times its normal size, and he had a large square bandage on his side. Harry detected the smell of gunpowder. "They used guns! We're lucky more people didn't die." He walked back to Dean and Seamus and detected the slight odor of burnt flesh. On Dean's shoulder he saw what appeared to be a few tiny pinpricks. "Is that one of those tazers or a stun gun?" he wondered as he shook his head.
"Harry," mumbled a low voice and Harry turned to see Ron looking up at him sadly from one of the beds.
"Ron! Are you OK?" Harry looked at his badly burned face covered with blisters. "It looks like those guys had some pretty nasty…"
Just then, Malfoy, who was in the next bed over, leaned over his bed and coughed up another slug into a huge pail by his bed. Harry glanced at him and then back at Ron who suddenly looked slightly pale under his burns.
"stuff. But I think they were all Squibs or Muggles and the vampires didn't use any spells like…so how did you two get hit with…"
Harry stopped and stared in growing anger as Draco and Ron exchanged a guilty look.
"You two were out dueling somewhere when the attack happened, weren't you? Draco is coughing up slugs, one of your favorite curses Ron, and it looks like Draco hit you with one of his favorites, the Burning Blister hex."
"Harry, it wasn't my fault. Malfoy said…"
"I DON"T CARE WHAT HE SAID!" screamed Harry. "I asked you to watch out for Hermione last night. I told you not to let her out of your sight. You said you would. YOU SAID YOU WOULD PROTECT HER!"
"Harry…"
"I don't want to hear it! Look at those other guys. They gave everything they had to protect the girls. Another couple of inches to the right, and Neville would have been dead. He nearly died protecting the girl he loves. YOUR SISTER! And where were you two prats?! Off settling some stupid grudge over some silly comment one of you made. I thought you liked Gabrielle, Draco. I thought you cared for her. Apparently trying to put down Ron is more important.
And YOU! I thought you cared for Luna. I know you love your sister. But once again you've let your stupid pride and anger do all the thinking for you and make decisions for you.
Congratulations you two idiotic berks! I hope you're happy. I hope one of you made your point. Because now they're gone. And I've seen what these kidnappers do to the people they snatch. THEY BLEED THEM DRY, THEY DRINK THEIR BLOOD, AND THEN THEY BURN THEIR BODIES!!!"
"Harry! That's enough," commanded Dumbledore in a stern tone. Only then did Harry notice the horrified group of students and faculty around him who were visiting or treating the injured.
"If you want to sugarcoat it for them, fine Dumbledore. I don't have time right now to worry about hurt feelings or any of that crap. I've got to go find these guys before they finish off my best friends." Without another word Harry disappeared.
"Harry," muttered Ron, with tears rolling down his face. "I'm sooo sorry. I'll make it up to you somehow, I swear," he vowed as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.
"You're not going anywhere Mr. Weasley," insisted Madame Pomfrey.
"But I've got to…"
"If I were you, Mr. Weasley, I would give Harry a little bit of space right now," advised Dumbledore. "There is nothing you can really do right now, Lupin and the other Aurors are investigating the scene right now. There was nothing you could have done to prevent this, it is not your fault."
"But I should have been there. Harry's right. I should have been with my sister and Luna and the others. I should have been watching Hermione like I had promised. If anything happens…"
"We will worry about that later, Mr. Weasley. For right now, you need to rest so that the potion can help with your burns." Ron laid back down, but did not rest easily.
*-*-*
Harry reappeared in The Three Broomsticks in a towering rage. For a few minutes he watched the other Aurors continue their investigation while he tried to control his anger. Remus tried to approach him but he simply shook his head-he didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Then he slapped his hand to his forehead. "I'm such an idiot! I should be back with Samuel, looking for clues there. That's where we'll find our lead, not here." Before Lupin could say anything, Harry disappeared once again.
When he reappeared in the basement a moment later, he discovered to his surprise that it was completely empty. Swearing under his breath, Harry glanced around the room quickly, trying to find anything that might indicate why Samuel had left. On the back table he found a hastily scribbled note.
"I found this rental deposit for a small warehouse in the village of Braemuir. It's very close to both Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. I waited for you to return and when you didn't I assumed your friends were in danger and that speed was of the essence. I'm heading there now. Hurry if you don't want to miss all the fun!"
Harry slammed his fist on the table and grabbed up the scraps of paper with the address on it and disappeared once again.
He reappeared within the smoldering remains of The Three Broomsticks and looked for Lupin. He stepped over to him quickly and whispered. "I think I've got something. Samuel found an address in Braemuir and went to investigate. I'm going to go find him. I'll be back in a few minutes to let you know if I found anything."
Lupin grabbed his elbow. "I'm coming with you. Let me grab a few Aurors."
"Fine," hissed Harry. "But hurry." Harry pulled his broom back out of his pouch and waited impatiently for Lupin and half a dozen Aurors to get their equipment. They then took off, Lupin and Harry leading the way, flying low and fast towards the small village. They landed on the outskirts and Harry cast a few quick transformation spells to alter the clothing of the Aurors so they could blend in. Then he and Lupin quickly found the street and the small building with the address Samuel had left. Lupin motioned for several of the Aurors to go around behind and then he and Harry went through the front door after checking it for traps.
There was nothing of interest on the first floor, but Harry and Lupin both detected the faint sound of someone crying. Glancing at each other, they moved quickly through the rows of crates, looking for a trapdoor or a set of stairs leading down. On one wall by a half open door they found two mangled bodies. Harry looked at the condition and his eyes widened in recognition.
"Aardus!" he cursed. "What are you doing here?"
"Aardus?" asked Lupin. "Wasn't he…"
"Yeah. We just keep bumping into him." Nodding towards the two mutilated bodies he added. "I'd recognize his work anywhere."
Harry stepped past the two bodies and down the stairs, Lupin covering him. Harry nodded at the bottom of the stairs and Lupin descended quickly. They found three more dead bodies sprawled on the floor and went through the next door where the sound of sobbing had grown louder. The inside of the room resembled a nightmare from hell. There were over a dozen bodies lying everywhere in the room with blood splattered everywhere. About half of the bodies had dark bags over their heads and their arms tied behind their backs. Some of them were shaking as they cried, but at least they seemed to be alive. There were half a dozen bodies with their throats ripped out, lying in various positions throughout the room. Four more bodies were bound with cords or Stunned, but their throats too had been torn out. Harry could easily distinguish between the handiwork of the vampire and the American Grey Warlock. Remus spotted Samuel against the far wall, lying on his side and bleeding profusely, and moved over quickly. Harry and the other Aurors quickly began untying the girls and pulling off their masks.
Harry noticed that Ginny was unconscious and appeared to have a broken arm and a broken leg. "Apparently she didn't go down without a fight. Unlike that prat of a brother," he thought to himself. Luna, too, had a number of bruises and abrasions. He glanced over at Samuel as he was releasing the bonds on Gabrielle and realized he had been shot at least twice by a Muggle firearm. He didn't see any spell damage. "Get him to Pomfrey now Lupin. You know what kind of damage a gun can do right?"
Lupin nodded grimly. "Silver bullets are a weapon of choice for werewolves among Muggles. Much better than silver swords or arrowheads."
Harry finished with Gabrielle and stood up and looked around. Then he realized something he should have noticed right away. All of the girls but Ginny were up and awake. But Hermione was not in the room. He could sense neither her nor Saldar-wherever they were, it was very far away. Never had he felt so alone in his life.
"Hermione! Hermione! Where are you?!" There was no answer as Lupin looked at him sadly. The walls began to shake again as Harry kept screaming out her name.
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