Chapter Twenty Six
The darkness seemed irreversible and everlasting. Fragmented memories of fumbling clammy hands drifted around her mind. She shivered in the eternal night wishing and hoping somebody would discover her.
Her lip was cut; she could feel the pressure throb from even the slightest movement. Her right cheek was scratched and bleeding and her eye had swollen shut. The bruising continued colouring as she hugged her arms tight around her knees, praying for anyone to help her.
Tears drenched her robes along with filth from the grimy floor and muck from being briefly dragged along the ground. She dared not move another inch. She could hear scraping, scratching and hungry squeaking from across the other side of the dungeon. Rats.
In the time she waited she forgot she was a talented witch. Without her precious wand she was nothing, completely useless. She was no longer a hopeful student, a wanted friend, a wonderful daughter. She was merely a needed victim. A stepping stone to something bigger. She was of no service to anybody as she relied and pleaded for somebody to rescue her.
Seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours until time became a forgotten mix of emotions she could not begin to sift through. The smell of death filled her nostrils causing her to wretch slightly and she knew she was not entirely alone in her black cell.
After more timeless incarceration she thought she heard noises coming from outside the damaged walls. The soft thumping of footsteps landing furtively on stone. She leaned forward slightly in curiosity hoping she was not becoming delusional from her dark isolation.
The thumping turned to anxious pounding as the footsteps picked up pace into a sprint. A thunderous scraping reverberated off the walls as an enormous circular door was wrenched open from the wall. Immediately she retracted into the shadows on the other side of her cell.
"I know you're there. I am here to help you. I am not the enemy." The light flooding the doorway could not block out the shadow of a tall thin man. Hermione could only see his outline and fearing the worst stumbled further away from him. She made contact with the back wall, the last wall. She had no other defence.
***************************************************************
Davis continued to pound Harry's chest. His attempts to resuscitate him seemed ineffective as he showed no signs of life. The spent venom from the ferocious serpent drifted lazily across the cracked fissured ground. They had drained as much of the poison as they could from his body and instantly cast a Blood Replenishing spell. However it was evident that at some point Harry's heart had stopped beating.
He hit his chest hard again, the pounding becoming more desperate. Ron sat forlornly watching, his hands twisting his flaming hair in agitation. Professor Sinistra held the palm of her hand across her mouth, tears trickling down her cheeks joining her sorrowful expression.
Around them chaos was continuing. Muddled students, perplexed and terrified, were sorted together and led out of the vast Chamber of Secrets. A portkey had been designed to transport the students back into the Great Hall. The Headmaster had instructed two separate parties of four to search the branching tunnels for any signs of Hermione but so far no news had returned.
"Ethan…stop," sniffed Sinistra as she knelt down beside him and took hold of his beating hands. Davis paused dropping his hands to his thighs and shutting his eyes despairingly. A dreaded silence descended upon the grieving group of wizards and witches. The most important staff members were shepherding students and organising some sanity.
Dumbledore hurried over to the motionless group and halted suddenly at their expressions. Ron would say that he wore a mask of shock. That it seemed to him that Dumbledore had expected but never accepted something like this could happen. The mournful crowd leaned on each other, not bearing to look into the vacant face of the young lifeless wizard.
With a muffled cry Davis reached up again and brought his fist pelting into Harry's chest.
Life seemed to burst through his veins. It felt like a long awaited electric shock had finally surprised him. He was sent into a spiral of coughing while the throng of people surrounding him were too astonished to help him.
Even in the dim light of the murky chamber his eyes seemed extremely sensitive to the brightness. He could feel his body adjusting, rapidly regenerating as it pumped blood to starved organs. His senses seemed heightened, the footsteps thundering in his ears. He could smell damp vegetation and his memory instantly registered everything that had happened before his unconscious state. The Basilisk's ferocious death, the clamber of chaos and then Riddle's death at the hands of Ron.
*********************************************************************
"There's still no sign of her Harry," Ron said solemnly minutes later. The team had disbanded in search of Hermione who had still not been found. Harry was miraculously walking and talking normally, even though still deathly pale, he was almost perfectly normal.
Dumbledore had implored that he remain behind while nearly every staff member searched the passageways. It seemed each tunnel had an estimated thirty tributary passages. Lockhart had been roused and sent off on his own search party, much to his displeasure. He claimed he had a terrible migraine but that did not sit well with McGonagall.
"Do you think…that she's still alive?" Ron asked bluntly after Harry's lengthy silence. Harry turned to him, disdain evident on his features.
"Of course she is. She's Hermione for god sake!" he hissed at him.
Ron stumbled over an apology and then withdrew Hermione's wand. "Professor Sinistra picked it up earlier and gave it to me. To keep safe you know? I think it better you hold onto it for Hermione. Merlin knows what I'm like with wands."
Harry's green eyes blazed in the dim light as he carefully removed the wand from Ron's outstretched hand. "She has to be alive."
After a moment of reflecting on the wand, he pocketed it and twisted around to face the two passageways in one view. He peered at Ron over his shoulder. "Left or right?"
"Dumbledore told us to stay. He seemed pretty strict about the whole thing too Harry. I really ought to tell you that you should listen to him but I don't think you'll even listen to me," Ron sighed in response.
Harry's eyes glinted with adventure. "You just saved everybody's lives because you destroyed that diary. I'll always listen to you, as long as the words are coming from your mouth not somebody else's."
They decided to take the left fork as Ron told him that Dumbledore had taken the right. Harry sent a beaming triangle of light into the tunnel from his wand. He swept it across the grimy large-stone brick walls and the filth embedded into the ground.
"Lockhart was forced to come down this one," Ron explained relishing the wizard's luck. "Didn't seem to happy at all. I reckon he's just a glory-hound and a good for nothing adventure thief. I refuse to even consider that I am a bad judge of character on that one."
Harry was barely listening to him, his focus intent on other sounds. Far off in the distance he thought he could hear a slow languid dripping, then footsteps racing along stone. Ron had not heard any unusual noises leading Harry to believe there was quite a distance between them and the footsteps. He quickened his own pace.
*******************************************************************
"Stay away from me!" Her hysterical screaming was becoming more frantic. She had been in the darkness so long that the entire world seemed a threat. The new intruder into her set conscious was alarming her, her nerves were already ruptured from the day's events.
"Listen to me. I. Will. Not. Hurt. You." He took a tentative step toward her and just as he reached her she reacted instinctively and aggressively. Her foot connected agonizingly with his shin and then her fist landed sorely on the side of his head. He wheezed and cursed in displeasure, holding his injured limbs.
"It's Hermione, isn't it?" The question took her by surprise. She paused in fear.
"How do you know my name?! You vile monster…you deserve to be locked up! Or murdered!" She drew her balled fist back preparing to launch another attack. Fear had overruled all rational thought.
This time he caught her fist and snatched her other arm to stop her.
"You obviously have no idea who I am," he murmured as she continued to struggle against his firm hold. "I'm a friend of your mate Harry," he explained loudly with a hint of sarcastic impatience. He felt her stop slightly. "Rabastan…the lunatic from Azkaban who's not all that crazy…friend of his parents…oh let me show you." He dragged her tersely until they were standing in the tiny amount of light emanating through the doorway.
She gazed into his dark brown eyes, the premature lines and pleading expression on his face. He bit his lower lip begging she would understand he meant absolutely no harm.
"Let go of me…you're hurting me," she cried vehemently. He released her immediately knowing he had reacted unreasonable and perhaps too roughly with someone who was evidently on edge. She gingerly held the wrist he had grasped tightly and he noted forlornly that her fear had not subsided.
"I'm sorry about hurting you. I don't get a lot of human contact and I am obviously not all that adept to it. But there are people searching these passageways for you and if they find me then there'll be hell to pay so you have to excuse my urgency." He smiled hopefully in her direction.
"Why would there be hell to pay if they caught you? I thought you told Harry you were innocent," she asked sceptically.
"Believe me when I say my reputation will outlive me. And not a lot of people know the truth so if you would please just follow me out…"
"How do I know I can trust you?" she asked uncertainly.
"Trust me." They both whipped around at the sound of Harry's monotone voice. He held his wand pointed towards the ground and there was a sombre air surrounding him. Ron stood at his shoulder clearly trying to make out Rabastan.
"Harry," Rabastan grinned in delight. "There isn't a lot of time to sit around and chat. I spotted a terrified professor wandering around a few moments before I found Hermione. As I've already told Hermione, I think it best I move on."
"How did you get in here? What entrance did you use?" Harry asked interested.
"There's a water system just outside of Hogsmeade. That was the safest way in. I had to consult some people I knew to ensure I had the correct coordinates. One of my old acquaintances has a…detailed…map of the grounds. It was just a matter of looking for what wasn't there…" he beamed manically and Harry wasn't sure what Rabastan was speaking of.
Hermione stepped out of the dungeon she had been detained in for hours. The light stemming from Harry's wand seemed to scorch her sensitive eyes and she blinked a few times before the pain lessened. Her cheek was searing in pain but she refused to worry about it. Right now she was determined to get out of the grimy underground passageways. She took off in the path Harry and Ron had just arrived from without as much as a word in their direction.
"She needs more time, Harry. She's been locked in a vacuum of sound for the past few hours and was surely never meant to be found. It's a form of torture in His eyes Harry." Rabastan's comforting words sent Harry's heart into a declining dread. Just as he was about to respond a shout interrupted him.
"By Merlin you've escaped!!" The vigorous caller was none other than Professor Lockhart. His wavy hair was tousled and perspiration ran down the sides of his dirt streaked face. His wand was aimed at Rabastan's chest before even Harry noticed. "This explains everything…the whole ordeal of tonight!" he exclaimed fervently.
Rabastan watched wordlessly, disdain apparent on his features. His shoved his hands in his pockets and peered at Lockhart's face. Then after a moment of silence in which Harry noted Lockhart's fear grow Rabastan asked excitedly. "So who are you then?"
Lockhart appeared gob-smacked that Rabastan had never even heard his name mentioned. "Gilderoy Lockhart! Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League! You must've read my books! Oh come on!" he yelled in stunned frustration. His horizontal arm which held his deadly wand dropped disappointedly to his side as he racked his memory for another of his renowned titles. "Five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile-Award," he added in desperation.
"Sorry mate. I'm don't swing that way…" Rabastan threw a heavy punch and knocked Lockhart into the opposite wall of the tunnel. His wand fell to the ground and rattled away due to the slight slope in the passage and Harry noticed Lockhart was not unconscious but a bit dazed. Ron let out a loud "Whoa" before returning his gaze to Rabastan and laughing hysterically. Rabastan was not smiling, instead agitation riddled his every move.
"Harry give me your wand," he implored extending one of his long hands.
"Why?" Harry was undoubtedly wary of his actions. Rabastan had already confessed to killing before.
"Harry…" he placed both of his wiry hands on Harry's shoulders as if bracing himself. "If this man tells the Ministry who he met down these tunnels then I'll go straight back to Azkaban. My name is worth nothing as far as anyone is concerned. The entire wizarding world will recognise me from the millions of front pages I'll be pasted all over." He leaned closer still grasping his shoulders. Harry was transfixed by Rabastan's ability to put emphasis into every syllable and every word that came out of his mouth. "Let's face it Harry, in their eyes I have no reason to be here and I'm still going to be a suspect for the rest of my life."
"You cannot murder him!" Harry roared indignantly.
"What?! I'm not going to kill him," he answered outraged. "I'm going to perform a Memory Charm. Wipe out the past few minutes and voila he will be free to go. I cannot allow him to reveal the fact that I was down here when Voldemort was too. It doesn't take a genius to work out why."
"Watch out!" Ron's yell was too late as Rabastan was tackled to the ground by Lockhart. All Harry could make out was flailing arms and the occasional smack of Rabastan's head against the solid stone. Suddenly Lockhart scrambled off him and floundered into the darkness before returning with his wand. Harry was too preoccupied with a bloody-nosed Rabastan to even notice. Before realisation struck Harry had been relieved of his wand by a haggard Lockhart.
"Harry step back," warned Rabastan thickly through a burst lip. A trickle of blood travelled down the length of his face and dropped onto his now tattered and stained suit.
Harry's mind was piling up like a car-crash. His thoughts seemed to fuse together and he tried to think of a possible escape for Rabastan. Lockhart was already boasting, recalling his past exploits and declaring that this would be his greatest achievements. "I think you'll find my Memory Charms are most effective and I'll admit that even I am proud of them."
"Harry get out of the way," Rabastan said jerkily stumbling to his feet. He clawed at Harry before ripping him out of the way leaving Lockhart a clear target.
"All those pitiful excuse for heroes," Lockhart continued. "Blabbering and snivelling, filthy polluted diseased towns that some crackpot ended up saving. I gave them a hero but I always had my doubters. Dear little Harry can vouch as one of them. And Mr. Weasley was another sceptic. Tonight I'll give them what they want. Death Eaters speak for themselves. I'll tell the story how you hunted Ms. Granger but were intercepted before you could…"
"I'm giving you one last chance," bellowed Rabastan. "You can stop what will happen!"
Lockhart snorted contemptuously. "The tables are turned Lestrange. I am in the position of power. Not you! You are at my mercy." His laugh was high and cruel and Harry shared a nervous glance with Ron who was standing a few feet behind Lockhart.
"PUT THE WAND DOWN!" Rabastan roared frantically. Harry was incapable of movement as he gazed on in fear. Lockhart was unmistakably jumpy and his movements were sudden and abrupt to the point that Harry found himself leaning away.
"What happens now is your doing," Rabastan finished sorrowfully.
Lockhart continued to cackle but his tone had lost confidence and did not appear too sure of himself. Swiftly he shrieked `Obliviate!' unleashing a stream of blue light spiralling towards Rabastan. Instantly Rabastan reacted throwing his hand forward. Harry was so horrified by Lockhart's actions that he did not pay attention to what Rabastan roared back. The beam of light reflected off some invisible force and shot back, hitting Lockhart in the chest and sending him to the ground.
Rabastan wheezed, bent over with his hands on his knees in exhaustion. After a moment he scuttled over and shook Lockhart's unconscious form. With a groan he sat forward and smiled good-naturedly up at Rabastan then at Ron. "Hello," he grinned childishly. "Can anyone tell me when the next train to Bangkok is? It's just I seemed to have missed the last one and mislaid the foreign currency that I was carrying."
Ron gawked up at Rabastan's bemused expression. "He wiped his own memory out. Ironic isn't it. Spends his life presenting an image and a lasting memory to the world and then misplaces it himself. Sad but perhaps the world will be better this way."
"Mine will anyway," Ron added once he had gotten over the initial shock.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked looking at Rabastan who appeared battered and ultimately scruffy.
"Definitely," he answered with a smirk. "Walk him up to wherever you came from. Tell them he tried to attack you and that his wand backfired or just make up something that does not include me in your story." Another mischievous smirk.
"I better make a quick exit. I'll try and make contact before the school year is out but I'm not promising anything. The world will be far more dangerous after tonight. But hey," he added seeing Harry and Ron's gloomy expressions "you saved the castle and a lot more tonight. May not be much but I'm proud of you."
"What were you doing here? Under the castle?" Harry asked curiously.
"I watched a large crowd of students haul your friend, Hermione, into the castle. I knew something awful was about to take place, I have a feeling for this kind of thing. I'd been asking around and apparently there have been some strange things happening. Anyway I took a chance and went through an entrance I had been vaguely sure of. I had borrowed a beneficial tool from an old friend and I knew where they had left her. That's about it, you guys came, then Captain `Look at Me' and here we are."
At the mere mention of Hermione, Harry had breathed a sigh. Already he had deduced something had dramatically changed and it did not seem like a good thing. Rabastan noticed the change in Harry's behaviour. "Give her time. She's been through a lot and she did it on her own. That's going to be playing on her mind for awhile. Once she's rested and she has time to sort some things out in her head she'll be back to normal."
"Hermione's never been normal," laughed Ron causing Harry to glare at him. "We'd better go or they'll order somebody to look for us soon."
They said their goodbyes to Rabastan and literally dragged Lockhart back to the Chamber. Teachers congregated around them and Madam Pomfrey immediately began fussing over Harry. "I swear if you get into anymore trouble or deadly situations next year I will murder you."
Professor Sprout informed the gathering that the Mandrakes were ready in order to revive those that had been petrified causing Ron to heave a sigh of relief. When Harry broke free of the bustling nurse he discovered Professor Dumbledore watching Lockhart with the air of someone examining a new and interesting species, as Lockhart politely asked Professor Snape for a map of Thailand.
Harry retold the story of how Lockhart had attempted to remove their memories but only to Dumbledore, not wanting anyone else to overhear or suspect. He also recaptured the majority of the details of their actions previous to entering the Chamber. The race to discover the truth and the final assumption, his short joust with Riddle and the bout with the Basilisk.
Dumbledore peered intently over his gold-rimmed spectacles. "I plainly remember instructing you to remain here while we searched for Ms. Granger, Harry."
"Yes, sir. It's just she is my best friend and I felt an obligation to look for her myself," he explained calmly and resolutely.
"I trust it will not happen again," the Headmaster asked but his beard twitched slightly in the dim light.
"Some promises cannot be made, Professor," Harry responded with more conviction than he felt. "I hope you don't find it rude or…"
"Harry, you have a right as a wizard and as a person to stand up for what you believe. I will listen to any argument as long as it comes from a moral place or more importantly from your heart. I am pleased at a young age you have something worth standing up to the `greatest wizard of the century' for." He chuckled as he made his way off towards the throng of active people.
**********************************************************************
-->