Here is part five, I am glad that those of you who have reviewed are enjoying the story. Considering the amount of tales written about our heroes it surprises me that anything is original anymore, somewhere at sometime someone must have….. but if they haven't and this is a first then my mind must be weirder than I thought it was. Thanks for reading.
Solomon Aegis
Wiltshire 2008.
5. Borrowed Magic
Nara, hiding in the shadows, watched as Professor Guru ranted and raved at the seal covering the gateway to the dreamtime. It had closed once Harry had disappeared and resumed its normal solid state, and without her ju-stick none of the incantations Guru was using appeared to be having any effect. The clamour of her protestations brought Keli and Edi running into the chamber, their ju-sticks raised ready to fight off whatever horrors their leader had brought into being this time. But they found her with her dark face suffused with anger throwing enchantments at the floor that fizzled and sparkled before fading away leaving a slightly sulphurous smell behind them. Guru whirled on her henchmen and snatched the ju-stick from Edi's hand; she pointed it at the seal and shouted the unlocking incantation. The power behind the spell was palpable as it streaked across and hit the seal, but as with everything else the professor had tried the seal remained unresponsive and as set in stone as before.
"That dratted boy!" Guru spat out, "He has changed the seal; using his myall magic has ruined it. We must perform the ritual; Marmoo must see to it that he causes no more harm to our designs." The professor tried hard to calm herself as yet again she thought through the plan which would enable her to rise to her rightful place. "The ceremony of the first stepping is not that far ahead, we still have time despite this upset," she was talking quietly now almost to herself, "yes, yes everything will be alright." Now convinced in her own mind she turned to the two men. "You have received assurances from those outside, and taken care of that other matter?"
"Yes professor," Keli replied. "Everyone is ready and simply awaiting your signal. Those of our people already here will make the takeover straightforward and as for that other matter it has been done as you instructed."
"Good, good," Guru gloated, "Come to my rooms and we will finish this thing; I must speak with Marmoo then it is just a matter of waiting."
The professor led the two men out of the chamber and Nara let out the breath she had been unconsciously holding. She slipped from the shadows, nervously watching the door until she was sure Guru would not suddenly reappear. Clutching the professor's ju-stick to her chest she crossed over the seal and stood in front of the paintings she had so recently read to Harry. As she stared at the neatly drawn figures she became aware that the last line she had read out was no longer the last line of the story. Before her astonished gaze new images were forming, this tale it seemed was far from over.
* * *
Harry and Hermione sat with their backs pressed up against the perfect rock, their arms around each other. Hermione could still feel the tingle on her lips left by their first kiss, and that tingle resonated throughout the rest of her body. Why did it have to be now, when their chances of returning to reality and having something of a life together were so slim. Was it always so that perfect love is only found in a perfect place such as this and can never exist where real people lived? No, she didn't believe that for a moment.
Hermione shifted her head so that she could look at the young man that had come to save her. She knew he would come, she had never doubted that for a moment. All the time she had known him she had felt secure knowing that he would do the best he possibly could to look after her. Perhaps that is why she had never thought to fall in love with him; perhaps that is why he had never thought to fall in love with her. Yet they had been in love, maybe not since the very first train ride, but certainly since the troll paid her a visit in that awful bathroom. They had thought that love like that was different, "Sisterly feelings," Ron had called it; whatever, it was certainly very different to the attachment she had felt for Ron.
She had fancied Ron, she could not deny that, but physical attraction alone was not love, not the love that lasts anyway, and Ron had a problem that he couldn't get over; a problem that meant their love was bound to fail, he didn't trust her. Harry was different; true they hadn't agreed on everything over the years but there was an implicit trust between them that whatever each of them did, it was always done with the best of intentions to help out the other.
Hermione wondered what else had happened to Harry since she had last seen him. She had watched with dismay his initial break-up with Ginny. Perhaps to some the pairing off of the four of them would have appeared ideal, but the cracks in the relationship between the red-head and the chosen one had appeared very quickly. Had he seen her again? It didn't really matter because although Harry hadn't said, Hermione knew, that he and Ginny were as over as she and Ron. The fact that he was here and that first kiss was all the proof she would ever need to know that Harry Potter was in love with her, Hermione Granger.
He felt the softness of her move against him, he had found her, she was real, and she was in his arms. Hermione had come to no harm, well she only had a sore ankle, as a result of her fall, and that was getting better. She had been so shocked when he told her that she had been gone for the best part of a month, for her only half an hour or so had seemed to pass, since she had fallen into the Tjukurpa. Those men, who had coined the term Dreamtime for this place, were probably far more accurate than they had realised. Time didn't appear to follow the same rules as it did up top, or was it down below, neither Harry or Hermione understood where they were in relation to the world that held Mr and Mrs Granger, Ron, Ginny and all the others. They knew it was not the same, and they knew that, at this moment, it had not been touched by anything to ruin its perfection.
If Harry could have ignored their unusual location he would have been blissfully happy, as it was he was worried. Sure he had found Hermione and she was ok but he had absolutely no idea how they were going to get back to Uluru. He was trying very hard to think of a way to solve this problem when his concentration was broken by Hermione gently shaking his arm.
"Harry, you were snoring," she said with a giggle.
"Oh, sorry," he blushed slightly, and smiled. Hermione smiled back, and that simple smile produced a warm glow in Harry's chest and it spread to fill his whole body, making him blush even more. "Err… what do you think we ought to do?" he asked mainly to get his mind back on track.
"I'm not sure there is anything we can do. I must admit I haven't tried my wand, I was a little afraid to see if it would work, it didn't help me when I fell and if it did now it could muck things up even more." She took her wand from her pocket and rolled it between her fingers, it appeared quite unresponsive, as was Harry's when they examined his.
"Well we can't sit here doing nothing," declared Harry. "There is a stream down there let's at least go and get a drink, I'm parched," He jumped to his feet, and then stooped to help Hermione to hers. She tested her ankle, it seemed quite sound now, so hand in hand the pair walked down the slight incline toward the sound of running water.
There was a small waterfall which fell into a shallow pool of crystal clear water; the beauty of the place was indescribable. They had nothing but their hands to scoop up the water but they managed to make adequate cups and slake their thirst. The sun sparkled off the surface of the pool and Hermione sighed, then making an instant decision kicked off her shoes and began to pull her robes off over her head.
Harry froze, his eyes fixed on the sight of Hermione removing her clothes, he didn't want to stare but for the life of him he could think of nothing else to look at. She very obviously had as little on underneath her robes as he did. In fact the small blue garment that remained covered only enough of her to cause Harry's imagination to work overtime and decide, that in this perfect land, she just might be the most perfect thing here.
With a splash and a shriek at the temperature of the water, she was gone. Her body sliced through the still water, and the clarity of that water concealed none of it. She surfaced in the middle of the pool, and turned back towards Harry who was stoically trying to look at anything but her, and failing miserably.
"Come on Harry, get in, the water's fine once you get used to it," she could sense his reluctance, "Oh Harry, don't be so stuffy, I do love you, you know, and I have nothing to hide, I hope you have nothing to hide from me?" she teased.
She was standing in the water, which was just deep enough to cover her breasts. The sparkling of the sun on the ripples she was making in the pool provided the illusion that just enough of Hermione was concealed to allow Harry to stare at her.
What was he worried about?
Was it an inner shyness that Hermione obviously didn't feel?
No, it was because he knew there was that unspoken trust between them a trust that he didn't want to betray. But he told himself that trust like that worked both ways she trusted him to do the right thing so how could he not trust her. So before he could confuse himself enough to change his mind he pulled off his boots and socks and then the thin robe over his head. Standing on the bank of the pool he looked down at the smiling girl and without considering the consequences, dived into the water.
The water was icy cold, and Harry's skin reacted immediately; he had to swim hard to try and warm up, but again the young wizard did not consider the consequences. Boxer shorts are not designed to be swimming trunks; Harry only kicked out his feet once, and his red and gold Gryffindor boxers floated free and headed back to the bank on their own. Even with his head below the water Harry could hear Hermione's silvery peals of laughter as they echoed around the pool. He surfaced and she was standing there, no more than a few inches from him, she was showing not the slightest trace of embarrassment at his predicament, or the closeness of their bodies. He could see her teeth as she smiled, they were perfect, and he couldn't understand how her parents could have objected when Madam Pomfrey had made such a wonderful job of them. Hermione moved closer still, sinuously sliding her arms out of the water, she wrapped them around his neck and pulled him tightly to her.
It briefly flashed through Harry's mind that there should be the slight tinge of awkwardness associated with their relative positions, but then he knew why there wasn't. He was in love, it was not hard to think it; would it be more difficult to say it to a friend, such as the one currently pressed up against him so that he could feel every contour of her body?
"I love you," he tried it out, and he liked the way it sounded, and the reaction it produced. When their lips eventually parted he said it again. "I love you, so much. Why did I never see this before?"
"I don't know Harry, I don't care, and it doesn't matter." Hermione said from deep in his embracing arms, "You have cared about me from the moment that blessed troll tried to do me in, and that caring was love. Not silly adolescent love, but proper love, and now I am a woman that can respond to that love." And so she did.
Harry felt his senses begin to unravel as she moved against him, but he had no wish to be the silent partner in this relationship and so began strategies of his own to confound the young woman that was doing such a good job on him. Neither of them paid any attention to the small piece of blue material that floated slowly to the bank to join Harry's scarlet and gold shorts; they were consumed with each other, and the perfection of the setting slipped into the background of their thoughts. Given the opportunity it may have remained so, but a sound so unpleasant that it could not be ignored rose in volume to drown out everything else.
The lovers parted and looked about, a dreadful buzzing, hard and merciless, it droned on and on becoming painful to the ears, and then the source of that sound passed overhead. The scream of fear caught in Hermione's throat, and Harry, similarly fearful of attracting the monster, suppressed his cry of horror. It was something out of a nightmare, its body larger than that of a tall man and with a wingspan that stretched to twenty feet. As it flew over the pool the downdraught from its wings ruffled the water, and left in its wake an appalling stench.
All thoughts of the consummation of their love for each other driven from their minds Harry pulled Hermione towards the shore, where they gathered their wet and dry clothing and hastily put them on.
"What do you think it was?" Hermione asked.
"Well if the wall paintings are correct then that is the latest creation of the spirit Marmoo and it's on its way to use that bloody great sting attached to its rear end to attack Baiame." Harry said as he struggled with his last boot.
Hermione looked a little shocked at Harry's pronouncement but also impressed, "I didn't know that aboriginal myths were a speciality of yours, where did you get this information."
Harry smiled for once the tables were turned he knew something that she didn't. "I had a crash course, and the last set of paintings were read to me."
Hermione gave Harry an accusing look, "You used your wand to clean them up, priceless works of art and you…. you…. what did you do?"
"Recantus Tergeus," said Harry, "but slowly and very gently." Hermione drew in her breath, and to forestall what Harry knew was going to happen, held up his hand. "And before you forget I am Harry and not Ron and yell at me, it worked, the paintings are fine. Now shall we see if we can find out where that thing has gone or not?"
Hermione looked into Harry's eyes. "I may yell at you from time to time in the future, I can't promise that I won't, but there is one thing, I can promise, I will never confuse you with Ron. I love you Harry Potter and I always will, and she kissed him soundly on the lips. "Come on then." And grabbing his hand she pulled him away from the pond and they headed off after Marmoo's creature.
* * *
In the days following Harry's disappearance into the dreamtime Nara had searched Uluru for Professor Pindari, but no matter where she looked she could not find him. For fear that Guru would catch her again she didn't reveal herself to her fellow students but kept to the shadows where she knew she was safe. The very thing that had led her into so much trouble at home was very probably keeping her alive. Her mother had been so dismayed to find that her only daughter was a naya-mai a dream walker, someone who could move from shadow to shadow at will. In the tales of the ancestors this trait was used to enable those so cursed to inhabit the shadows near sleeping men and women and control their dreams. It was all nonsense of course all a naya-mai could do was to fold the space hidden in the shadows, fading from one dark corner to reappear in another, an ability Nara had never thought was particularly useful until now.
She had watched as Guru performed the ritual and spoke with the disturbed spirit. His presence filled the room as before and Nara sank further into the darkness that had become her haven. The girl now understood what had gone on before but this time Marmoo was not concentrating on her, he was unhappy that Guru had let not only Hermione but now Harry slip by her and upset the balance of the dreamtime. It took a great deal of persuasion on the part of the professor to restore the confidence the spirit had in her and get him to initiate the plans she had in mind. As Guru bowed low to the spirit she thought she had under her control, Nara saw the look in Marmoo's eyes, it was clear he had an agenda all of his own and she doubted that the professor ranked very high in them. Now there was something else for her to worry about, Guru was no more than a highly skilled shaman and she could be beaten, but Marmoo was a powerful spirit what on earth could beat him?
The days and then weeks slipped by but without Pindari Nara had no possibility of getting anyone to act against Professor Guru, she was far too powerful to confront and at the moment was acting perfectly normally. The young girl kept to herself, using the shadows to leave her room in her ongoing search for Pindari and keep herself fed. By the start of the week leading up to first stepping Nara had almost given up. In a few days nearly everyone in Uluru would depart to their homes to celebrate the day man and woman first walked out of the dreamtime onto the sands of the homeland.
Then the day arrived and Guru made her move. The few students, researchers and teachers that had remained in Uluru were no match for the outside help Guru and her cohorts had enlisted. Fortunately the invasion only resulted in a few slightly damaged heads and some bruised egos so with very little trouble Binda Guru found herself in charge, and Nara incongruously had her first break. She saw the weak and battered form of Professor Pindari, supported none too gently between Edi and Keli, being half dragged back toward his office. The smell coming from the old man's robes, told its own story, and Nara cursed herself for not thinking of looking in the miles of sewers that served Uluru.
* * *
Harry and Hermione struggled to run through the long grass but it was an impossible task, the creature was moving much too quickly, they could see it in the distance but there was never any way they would catch it. They collapsed onto the grass to gather their breath, and the creature finally disappeared from their sight.
"Bugger!" said Harry with feeling, "What do we do now?"
He felt Hermione grab his arm, "Run might be a good idea," she said a little shrilly as she climbed back on her feet.
Initially she was not sure if what she was seeing was real but as it pushed its way through the long grass it suddenly reared up and scanned the area with its eyes. Only for the briefest second in her life had she ever seen any like the beast that was now heading in their direction and that one glimpse had ended up with her petrified in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. She had no wish to repeat the experience, but her advice to Harry was being ignored, and the great lump was sitting calmly staring at the Basilisk as it weaved its way over the ground. Harry looked up as she tugged his arm again and with the single glance he gave her, she realised she was safe. He stood anyway and slipped his arm around her waist.
"He is not quite what he looks like," he told her. "He scared me too the first time I saw him, but this is Kurreah the rainbow serpent, he brought me to Uluru from Sydney, he's friendly… I think."
Kurreah had known where to find them; their song sang so loudly it was not difficult to follow, it even drowned out the foul emanations from Marmoo's creation, surely that could only be a good sign. The woman had seen him first and there was a perceived recognition and alarm in her expression, but then the man caught sight of him and in one glance calmed the woman's fears. He stood to be beside her and in that one vision, of the two standing together, some of Kurreah's own worries left him.
They probably didn't realise the significance of their dress, he in red, she in pale blue, the designs on the front of their robes identical. There, formed before his eyes, was the image of the joined souls, an image as old as this land, the image of the first. If nothing else this must make Baiame see reason. Kurreah had to hope, it was hope that kept him alive and at this moment all his hope was concentrated in this young couple.
The serpent stopped and rose up so that his head was level with Harry's. "I see that you have found her then Harry Potter."
Harry began to translate to Hermione but she stopped him, she was staring in wonder at the spirit that only a few moments ago had frightened her so much. "It's ok Harry I can understand him, I don't know how, but it's fine. Yes he found me," she said to Kurreah, "thank you for bringing him to me." Her words came out in English but the serpent bowed to her none the less.
Kurreah turned in the direction the flying creature had taken, flicking his tongue to taste the air. "We do not have much time," the ground shook for a second or two and Kurreah hung his head. "The creature has already completed its task and Baiame sickens. Marmoo will soon learn that you are here, the one you call Guru will tell him, and he will send his creature after you."
"Guru wants to destroy the muggle world and use the spirits to rule what is left", said Harry, "She thinks we can stop her, that is why she threw Hermione through the seal."
"I am aware of her plans but she will have nothing to rule," said Kurreah. "The shaman, at least in one instance, is wrong. If Baiame is not cured then destruction will not be confined, all will perish, humans, witches, wizards all will die, and the Tjukurpa will vanish as well, nothing will be saved."
"Then there is something we can do to stop all this happening," said Hermione, hoping she had understood the serpent correctly. "Can we use magic?" she asked.
"No the magic in your wands will not work here. This an ancient place possibly the most ancient, and only magic as old as the Tjukurpa will work." Kurreah looked at the two young people before him, and if a serpent can smile he smiled. "Magic like that you have a plenty. The two of you are so full of it I can taste it, you hold it in your hearts for each other and Harry even brought some in from outside."
Harry suddenly understood, "You mean love."
"Yes Harry love. The power of love is infinite, love that is selflessly given can literally move mountains; how do you think this place and all of us were made." An angry buzzing sound began, and started to grow louder. Kurreah wound his coils protectively around Harry and Hermione. "There is a cave, I will take you," he said. "you will be safe there. The love Hermione's mother gave you Harry will protect you both, but once the creature realises it cannot get at you it will backtrack to your guardian. I cannot stay here with you; I must go to help protect her."
They experienced no conscious movement but they found themselves in a cave that, like everything in this strange place, appeared to be the blueprint for every cave there ever was, and it was hard to tell if it was natural or not. The cave mouth was not large and Harry had to stoop to look out of it, he could see they were perhaps several hundred feet up the smooth side of a mountain and he could hear but not yet see Marmoo's creature. He ducked back inside Hermione was standing there with a worried expression on her face, he moved to her side and together they examined the fortress that was to protect them. The vaulted roof was smooth, devoid of hanging stalactites, one side of the cave was formed by a wall of deep red rock it was dry and looked comfortingly solid. The other side glowed with light, the wall there was made of crystal, a beautiful pale pink colour, and light from outside was refracted through it making the inside of the cave much brighter than it should have been. They could see as well as feel that the floor was covered with a thick coating of soft, springy moss that smelled fresh and clean, and looked very inviting.
There was definitely something most odd about this cave, the light that filtered through the crystal wall had a strange hypnotic quality to it, and for both Harry and Hermione the cave seemed unnaturally warm. Together they stood in the centre of the floor almost transfixed; their examination of the cave was over, now they were looking at each other, each one concentrating on the others face. Harry's arms were around Hermione's waist and her arms were draped over his shoulders. This exquisite examination, this drinking in of each other's soul continued while the insistent buzzing grew to a painful level, but neither appeared to be that concerned by it.
"What did Kurreah mean about my mum's love protecting us?" said Hermione dreamily.
Harry had watched as her wonderful mouth formed the words, "When I left them, she gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek, she told me to take her love to protect us both," he replied. "I remembered that my mum had done the same, and I hoped that your mum's magic would be as strong."
"My mum doesn't have any magic."
"Of course she does …" said Harry gently gazing down into Hermione's dark wonderful eyes, "watch and listen."
They turned to face the narrow entrance, their movements slow and out of time, the magic of the cave woken from countless years of slumber began to work once more. The sound of the creature outside rose to a crescendo then fell silent as it landed and only the tumbling of loose rocks could be heard as its feet scrabbled for purchase on the mountain slope. It tried force its sting deep into the cave, searching for the occupants, there was a brilliant flash of light and it gave an almost human scream. Again and again the huge insect thrust its stinger into the cave and at each attempt the flash of light and scream rang out anew. To Harry and Hermione it seemed an age before it occurred to the creature that the cave was inviolate. Then in fury Marmoo's creation thrashed at the rocks around the cave mouth, not to try to get in but causing them to fall and completely block the entrance, Harry and Hermione were trapped.
Its insect mind worked on the most basic level, the creature knew exactly what to do, it would store these morsels here and go on to destroy the source of their protection then it would dig them out; food hard won often tasted the sweetest. Even through the pile of rocks that blocked the entrance to the cave and imprisoned Harry and Hermione the angry buzz of its wings could be heard as the creature took to the air, and vanished.
* * *