6. Blue Magic
The dark clouds gathered over Sydney Harbour, and the lightening flashed down to strike the curving arch of the Harbour Bridge. The storms recently had been so bad that the bridge was closed to all muggle traffic and only the hardiest or maybe it was the foolhardy who tried to cross the harbour in any form of boat. The city was essentially paralysed and it was not the only one. All over the world the muggles were in trouble, the weather was unpredictable and violent and the electricity supplies and electronics they relied on so heavily were failing them. Even in the countries where life revolved around simpler means of survival, the rains brought floods and the merciless sun brought droughts to places that until this time had seen neither. The world was beginning to fall apart.
* * *
In the heart of Tjukurpa the great spirit Baiame sat and stared out over the land that had been created so long ago. At one time he had thought it perfect but it did not appear that way to him now, he sighed and his breath flattened the grass and raised the dust, everything was so dry, everything was beginning to die. Marmoo watched Baiame from the safety of his own ground. The spirit of the insects lived below the rocks and in the crevices around the roots of the trees, places that were dark and usually damp, he watched and he was pleased with what he saw. He wanted revenge, he had nursed his hurt almost since the beginning of time, and now he was seeing the fruits of that revenge. But as he watched Baiame succumb to the sting of his creation he began to worry. His realm should not be harmed and yet before his eyes it was drying out. The rocks were crumbling to dust and the trees were dying, their roots shrivelling with the lack of moisture, he had forgotten, in his arrogance, that Baiame the one father and Ybi the sun spirit had spun everything out of the nothingness that had existed before, everything, including himself.
* * *
In a northern suburb of Sydney a raggedly dressed man sat on a sofa and wondered what the hell he was going to do now. Hermione had hidden her parents so well from the magical community that it had taken him a week to track them down. 'If only she had removed all the confunding charms that concealed their whereabouts when she had restored their memories' he thought 'then he might have found them before Harry had disappeared off to Uluru'. There was nothing he could do about that now, but what was really getting his goat was that another six weeks had passed, they were still waiting for Harry and Hermione to turn up, and all his requests to Professor Pindari at Uluru for information had gone unanswered.
The 'they' that were waiting for the missing pair were the raggedly dressed man, Dagoberto Williams, and his opposite number from England, Kingsley Shacklebolt. Kingsley had been rather put out with Dago when he had lost track of Harry and even more put out by the inaction; he had first arrived two weeks ago and at each visit kept insisting that they go straight to Uluru and sort things out. He was, until Dago put him right, quite unaware of the delicate balance that existed between the native and non-native magical communities that would make presumptive action like that totally unacceptable, even if it was to rescue Harry Potter.
At least the Granger-Wilkins were being most co-operative, something the Australian Auror found very rare in most muggles, but then he supposed, they had a vested interest in seeing their daughter back home safely. There was a deep rumble of thunder from outside that made the window panes vibrate and rattle in their frames, the wizard sighed, prised himself out of his seat, walked to the window and looked up at the sky. It was shaping up to be another whopping storm, the flash of lightening that crashed out of the clouds blinded him for a moment, and then as his vision cleared he saw something that he could never have imagined even in his worst nightmares.
* * *
In the cave and unknowable distance away Harry and Hermione had hardly moved, the magic of the grotto holding them in its thrall. They had shown no fear during the attack by Marmoo's creature, but in the silence after its departure concern had crept into Hermione's mind.
"Harry," her voice was a whisper, "your mum died to protect you, do you think my mum….?" Hermione stopped unable to go on.
Unable to pull his gaze away from her face Harry could not completely hide his own thoughts from her, but he comforted her by saying, "Kurreah has gone to her, I'm sure if he can he will keep her safe. My mum never really had a chance, but she left me for a reason, and your mum is no different, she would give herself gladly for you."
"For us Harry, for us," she countered, and her love for the young man in her arms soared and their embrace slipped closer, and closer.
* * *
Dago Williams whipped his mirror from his pocket, "Kingsley!" he yelled into it, "Here! Now!" and with an uncharacteristic, CRACK!, which further rattled the window panes, Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared.
"What?" said Shacklebolt.
"Up there!" said Dago, pointing wildly up at the sky.
"Oh crap! Where are the Grangers?"
"Here," said David Granger as he and Natalie emerged from the bedroom, "what's going on?"
"We're about to have a visitor, and not a welcome one," said Kingsley. "Stay behind us." And the two wizards faced the window, wands drawn as something large and very unpleasant crashed through the wall and landed in the living room buzzing angrily.
Both wands spat green fire but despite the deadly curses Marmoo's creature was still very much alive, it was merely forced back away from its intended target, and now it was even more upset than before.
It didn't seem to matter what the two chief aurors used, the creature was impervious to all the magic at their disposal. All they were able to do was to hold it at bay, the physical force of their spells all that was stopping it from getting at the Grangers. Dago and Kingsley fought on despite their failure to kill the creature, they dare not slacken their defence or it would be on them, and its incessant, ferocious attack gave them no opportunity to apparate to safety. Even such well trained aurors were not inexhaustible, using every spell in their arsenal was taking its toll and the wizards began to tire. The creature sensed this fatigue and doubled its efforts to swing its stinger towards the group now cowering against the wall. Kingsley and Dago were losing an unequal battle and all appeared lost then a long, thick, sinuous body erupted from the stairwell and Kurreah the Rainbow Serpent launched himself across the sitting room.
His coils enveloped the creature, and try as it might, it could not bring its sting around to strike at the serpent's body. Kingsley and Dago stopped firing spells, they weren't that sure about this large snake, but for the moment it appeared it was on their side, and they used the unexpected respite to usher the Granger's back into the bedroom.
Kurreah's body tensed as he squeezed and the creature struggled wildly and let out the same scream of pain that the barrier at the cave had produced, but this time the pain did not stop, there was no withdrawal, there was no relief. The Rainbow Serpent continued to apply the pressure, tighter and tighter his coils contracted, and the pitch of the scream rose higher and higher. The sound passed out of the range of the watching aurors' hearing but they could still feel the vibration in the air it produced. As the ultrasonic sound shattered the windows in the buildings across the road the pressure Kurreah was applying became too great and creature's body suddenly exploded, and its sting, fired like an arrow from a bow, shot across the room and buried itself in the wall.
After the noise of battle there was a palpable silence as Kurreah unwound himself from the carcase and dropped it to the floor with a wet thud. The Grangers reappeared in the sitting room to stare in fear at this next perceived menace; Kingsley and Dago stood prepared to face the snake, with their wands at the ready.
The Serpent drew himself up to the height of a man, his head turned slowly to face the wizards and Hermione's parents. It stared at them all with dark emotionless eyes, as its tongue flicked tasting the air, and then to their surprise it spoke to them slowly in English, "I am Kurreah the rainbow serpent, your magic will not harm me," he said, "but then, in turn, I will not harm you. I have news of the two you seek." The two chief aurors somewhat cautiously lowered their wands. Kurreah turned to Mrs. Granger, "You are the naya?" … it was clear she did not understand… "The mother?" he asked.
"Yes I am, err…the naya," she replied trying hard not to show her nervousness and respond correctly. Hermione had often said how particular magical creatures could be if you said the wrong thing.
"Your daughter is well she is with her mugung…" Kurreah paused again, searching for the right phrase, "her lover," he selected. "They are safe but if Baiame cannot be cured all will be lost. The fate of this world and that of Tjukurpa depends on them. I must go. I need hope to survive," he explained, "and there is so little hope in this place already it is hard for me to stay." There was a flicker of light and Kurreah vanished, leaving the totally destroyed sitting room, and a ten foot long, squashed, and very smelly, bug on the floor.
"She's safe, and Harry's with her," Natalie let her relief out, and the tears started to fall. "I'll give that snake all the hope he needs," she said determinedly, "I know I'll see them again, I just know it."
"The snake said she was with her lover Natalie," said David Granger, not too loudly and with a certain amount of fatherly concern.
"Yes I know", his wife replied, as if she had not a care in the world, "and I can't think of anyone else I would want him to be."
"Umm," said David not even loud enough for his wife to hear, "I think I'm going to have a long talk with that young man."
* * *
The young man David wished to speak to, and his young lady, lay in the soft moss on the floor of the cave. Clad now only in the garment they were born in, they were cocooned and protected by the magic that still survived in this special place and were unaware of anything but the love, so long held in check and so recently released, that existed between them.
* * *
The creature may have perished but its poison was still doing its work and Baiame was fading. As his essence dwindled so the dreamtime withered about him, all that he and Ybi had made so long ago began to unravel. Even Ybi shining so brightly in the sky was powerless to stop his decline, and so the dreamtime vanished slowly bit by bit.
What was happening in Tjukurpa was also happening to the world outside, the disasters natural and manmade grew in incidence and destruction; even sacred Uluru was not exempt. The rain beating down on the normally arid place was most unusual, it was hard and prolonged, and the water was cascading off the rock in great waterfalls forming huge lakes on the desert floor below.
* * *
Nara was worried, not for herself, not anymore; her brief association with Harry had at least taught her that bravery came in many forms, and her ability as a naya-mai, to slip into the shadows and hide where no one could find her, had kept her safe. She was worried about Professor Pindari, he had looked in a bad way as Edi and Keli dragged him passed her hiding place. She followed the men as close as she dared still having to be very careful as Guru's mercenaries marched the halls and corridors and would instantly attack and incarcerate any individual they found that was not on their side.
Nara slipped out of the shadows as close to Pindari's study as she could, there was a one-sided shouting match going on inside and Professor Guru was scoring all the points. Nara retreated back into the darkness as the door to the study banged open and a wild-eyed Dr Guru flanked by Edi and Keli marched out. She strode imperiously off down the corridor, her bare feet slapping hard on the cold stone floor, the men slammed the door closed behind them but in their haste to keep up didn't lock it. Nara waited until the sound of Professor Guru's progress faded into the distance and then gathering all her courage, she slipped back out of the shadows and silently opening the door to the study went in. Professor Pindari was there, sitting in his chair, his head in his hands, mumbling to himself.
"Professor?"
"No more, no more, do not ask me more Guru, I will not answer," he croaked out.
"No professor it is me, Nara, something strange is happening," she crossed over and laid her hand on the old man's shoulder, he looked up, but his eyes were dull and had little comprehension in them. The girl with compassion in her eyes for the state of the old man fetched a goblet of water from the side table and held it to his lips. He reached up and placed his shaking hands over hers and took a long swallow. "I helped Harry through the portal to get to Hermione," Nara was saying as Pindari paused in his drinking, "Professor Guru was furious, and I was so scared. I've been in hiding since then, but that was weeks ago now everything is changing, there is something terribly wrong. Outside it is raining, raining so hard."
Pindari stared at the young girl as she talked and he seemed to recognise her, some life coming back into his eyes. "Guru seeks destroy the world of the inapertwa, and to rule what remains," he told her, and shook his head at the folly of it all, "she has tried to wrest the secrets of Uluru from me so she can rule from here, but she does not realise that there will be nothing left, nothing, everything will be destroyed." The old professor grabbed Nara's hand, "You must help sustain Uluru, until Harry Potter succeeds or the rest of the world is gone, when this place is all that remains then you must make the decision to let it go. It will be the end of everything."
Nara was regarding the professor in horror, "I cannot protect Uluru, I am only a lowly student; all I have is Professor Guru's ju-stick that Harry gave me but I don't know how to use it, what could I do?"
Professor Pindari looked at the magical totem held so closely to the young girls chest and then up into the wide eyes of the girl herself. He smiled reassuringly at her. "That young wizard did better than he knew when he elevated you to the status of shaman." Nara started to protest at the professor's words, but he stopped her. "No my dear I did not understand at first but Harry is unique, he has travelled to a place that as far as I know no others have returned from safely and now he is chasing his love, to …well who knows where, beyond the bounds of this existence surely. That, in my book, makes him well qualified to decide who should wield a wand or ju-stick, and my dear he picked you. You, young Nara, are what he chose you to be, and you will go to the highest point of Uluru and you will sing the song of creation until the end."
"But the ju-stick is not mine, I can't…" Nara was still not convinced, but Pindari laid a hand on her arm and stalled her protestations.
"The ju-stick will search your heart, it will find that it is true, and it will work for you." He waved the girl off, and continued to ramble to himself, "Go, believe me, it will work for you, as it never worked for Guru, it saw her heart and it led her astray."
After locking the door of his office from the inside, Nara reluctantly left the old man and melted into the shadows again. She had her orders and although she knew the song he spoke of she had no real idea of how she was to accomplish the task the professor had set her. She wound her way through the halls of Uluru heading always upwards and she reappeared in a room lined with ceremonial robes hanging from hooks in the walls; it was the room closest to the top of Uluru, and was the only one that gave access to the dayoorl. She opened the door, and stared out at the dark threatening sky and then over the desert below, it was now under several feet of water, a lake that stretched for miles and miles in every direction. She stepped out onto the wet, slick, surface of Uluru and scrambled and slid to an area where there was a large expanse of bare rock that was absolutely flat. This was the dayoorl, a hallowed place on this sacred mound that was used on the most special of occasion. Had Guru not taken over, the ceremony of the first stepping would have been celebrated here; now, a hallowed place or not, like everywhere else, it was being swamped by the rain. There was a flash of lightening and a crash of thunder that rolled on and on over the desert lake. From here Nara should be able to see for miles but the rain closed everything in, she glanced up, for a moment she could see the sky, and it was black and terrible.
Nara thought hard, perhaps deep inside her she knew what to do; she, like Harry before her, trusted that what she thought was right was indeed the correct thing to do. So she tapped the ju-stick on the dayoorl once, twice and then a third time. She saw the tendrils of flame that leapt from her ju-stick and flashed over the surface of the dayoorl which began to glow, its natural red colour enhanced by the fire that seemed to have seeped into the rock. Nara stepped onto the flickering rock and walked to the centre of the dayoorl; she lowered herself down to sit cross-legged on the wet rock and began to sing.
* * *
In their cave, on the slopes of Omaroo, Harry and Hermione lay, their bodies entwined, their love for each other consuming them utterly. Slowly and carefully each had undressed the other, their robes flowing to the floor to lie side by side as now were their former wearers. The moss was soft beneath them and the air was warm around them, the light of the Sun Mother, Ybi, shone through the crystal wall of the cave and bathed then both in a gentle pink glow.
Harry's touch was so tender, he ran his hand down Hermione's neck and then on to feel the flowing curve of her spine finally resting his hand in the hollow of her back. Her skin was smooth and warm and her hair smelled of the cool clear water that had so recently washed it. He felt his desire for her grow and then become trapped between them as she pulled herself tight to him.
Hermione's body was tingling all over she shuddered with pleasure as Harry's hand caressed her back, and could feel the effect their closeness was having on him. The effect on her was no less demanding but she was not ready yet and she tightened her embrace better to feel the hardness of his body. She pressed her breasts into his strong firm chest and let the delight of him reach down and stimulate her body in a way that had never happened before.
She drew back her head so that she could see his face, Harry's eyes were closed, and for a moment Hermione just let his warm breath wash over her, then she leaned in and touched his lips with hers. His mouth opened and she was drawn into him and a small sound escaped her throat only to be swallowed up by his, and Harry opened his eyes. Hermione stared into the intense emerald pools and she lost herself to them, finally ready. Harry saw the pupils of her beautiful chocolate coloured eyes dilate and Hermione's body almost flowed into his, and he flowed into her.
Their passion soared as they became one, and delight followed on after delight as the culmination of all those years of love and caring came to fruition.
There could be no doubt that the cave itself was enchanted, the effect it was having on the young couple, was testament to that. With the world disintegrating around them Harry and Hermione could see only themselves, they encountered no distractions as they made love and reached a peak of pleasure that allowed the power of their love to radiate out and carry its scarlet light into the dimming world of the Tjukurpa.
"Look Baiame, look!" called Ybi from her place so high in the heavens, and she pointed down with a finger of the brightest sunshine. Her light struck the slopes of the beautiful mountain Omaroo, and it was tinged with the colour of blood, the colour of creation.
Baiame looked, but his vision was clouded by the venom from Marmoo's creature and his spirit weakened. He could see them as if the rock surrounding Harry and Hermione was not there, but he could not see the tenderness with which they made love, nor the pleasure they each received from the other as they reached the culmination of their passion.
In his weakness it was impossible for him to grasp the importance of what he was seeing and he turned his head away. The darkness of the unravelling of the dreamtime touched the lower slopes of great Omaroo and threatened to climb up and so destroy the cave and its occupants for ever.
"WAIT!" shouted Kurreah, from his position low on the ground, he had returned and lay with his coils wound protectively over the entrance to the cave. "Come closer One Father, come closer and see, come closer and see with eyes not clouded, but clear, in the light of their love."
Baiame wearily turned back and came closer, and the unravelling slowed and then stopped. "I know you of old, worm," he said to the Rainbow Serpent, "why will you not let me go, I am tired and the Tjukurpa holds nothing for me any more. I sense that you are merely trying to save yourself."
"Those are the words that Marmoo would have you speak, they are not those of the Baiame I have known for so long," said Kurreah at his most persuasive. He was, after all, the father of all snakes and could turn on the charm when necessary. "Feel the love that is in here, look at it, taste it, talk to them; give creation a chance.
The scarlet light touched the countenance of Baiame and he felt its warmth, and with it the depth of the love that Harry and Hermione had released.
"Umm….," said Baiame, his curiosity tickled by the feeling. "There is something here that is familiar to me."
"Yes, yes," encouraged Kurreah and Ybi speaking together, almost as if they had rehearsed it.
Baiame regarded the two lovers, now sleeping, their bodies relaxed, with Harry's arms protectively encircling Hermione. He did not wake them, he watched the tiny movements each of them made, and even in their sleep Baiame could sense the love that coursed between them. And the poison in him began to fade, and lose its hold on him, then something caught Baiame's eye, something he had not seen since the very beginning of the dreamtime.
Harry and Hermione's robes were, as were they, lying side by side, the designs on the front of them almost touching, and Baiame saw, as had Kurreah before him, the image of the joined souls. He stared at the pattern, so like the one he had given to the Firsts so long ago, and as he stared his consciousness began to expand once more and right on the edge of his senses, coming from so very far away, he heard a child's voice singing a shaman's song, singing the song of creation. Nara's song was the final catalyst and the bane of Marmoo finally dissipated.
The One Father stood now on the edge of creation with a decision to make. Only half of Tjukurpa remained, should he rebuild what had disappeared or should he start again. Was the world that had risen out of his dreamtime worth saving?
He would have the truth of it, and that the truth was there in front of him, in the forms of the sleeping couple, they were humans, unable to lie to him, he would wake them now, and if he found them wanting, he could still unravel the rest of the world.
As Harry awoke he could hear the song, it was quite faint but it sounded hauntingly familiar, and he thought he recognised the clear young voice that was singing it. One thing he had no problem in recognising was the presence of the young witch by his side, her smooth soft skin so close to his own. Harry turned to Hermione, and slowly, so as not to disturb her, ran his fingers through her hair, there were some strands of those bushy brown curls that were obscuring her face, and he gently brushed them aside. He revealed a pair of smiling dark brown eyes, and a face full of happiness.
"Hi," she said dreamily, and hooked an arm around his neck.
"Hi," he replied, and he let her pull him down until his lips met hers.
"Hello!" screeched a voice; the word was followed by a shrill whistle, which made Harry and Hermione jump. They looked for the source of the voice, and sitting on a boulder, close to the collapsed entrance of the cave was a large white cockatoo. It tipped its head to one side, the way parrots do, and regarded the couple; it gave out another long whistle and raised its crest showing bright yellow feathers.
"Did that bird just speak?" Hermione asked; she was now completely awake.
"Err… I think so," Harry replied looking about the cave with searching eyes, "and can you hear that singing?"
"Yes, and I am sure I have heard that song before, but I can't think where."
"So you can hear the song of creation," said the cockatoo in a deep modulated voice, most unlike the speech one normally associates with a talking bird. "Now that I can see you clearly I can tell you are not the Firsts I put here so long ago, they will long have turned to dust. Why are you here?"
So Harry and Hermione explained the series of events that led to them being shut in the cave, and the cockatoo listened to every word. As they told their tale the sound of the song became louder, never enough to interrupt the narrative, but clearer until Harry suddenly exclaimed "Fawkes! I recognise it now; it is the song of the phoenix!"
"You know of the fire birds," said the cockatoo, and rather disconcertingly it transformed into a tall dark skinned man, who was as unashamedly naked as Harry and Hermione. "They took that song as their own," he said, as he remembered back to almost the beginning of time, "But it was mine first, it is the song of creation, the song of eternal life."
"I knew I'd heard something like it before," said Hermione sadly, "but my recollection is not a happy one." Harry gave her a questioning raise of an eyebrow. "The day Dumbledore died," she gripped Harry's hand, as a down cast but understanding expression crossed his face, "Fawkes sang his lament; it was the saddest thing I had ever heard."
"Indeed you are right, sung slightly differently the song will be its antithesis," said the man, "but the child sings this one well."
Hermione shrewdly watched the man who had until quite recently taken the form of a sulphur cockatoo. "Does Nara sing it well enough to make you want to stop all the undoing, Baiame?" She asked.
"Ah so you know who I am, and you think one story and one song is enough to convince me that the world deserves a second chance?"
"Isn't it?"
"Maybe and maybe not," Baiame was being divinely ambiguous, because he was searching for his final confirmation that these two, the ambassadors of their kind were worthy of the second chance that they wished for their world. Then in their minds he found what he was looking for, the final test for love, death.
"I would ask you young woman," he said to Hermione, "would you be prepared to do as I ask without question or understanding to save your world?" .
Hermione glanced to Harry then back to the Spirit, "Yes," her answer was clear but there was a small waver of apprehension in her voice.
"Very well," he said, "all you have to do is walk through this, and your world is saved." Baiame waved his arm and at the back of the cave a horrifyingly familiar stone arch appeared, a grey fluttering veil hanging down over the opening, concealing what lay beyond.
Hermione gasped and a fearful expression crossed her face but she fought it down and bravely confronted her fate. "If it will save everyone else then I will go," she declared.
"NO!" Harry shouted, "It's not right," he grabbed her hand to hold her still, "you have a mum and dad waiting for you, if you do this, they will lose you and I will have nothing either. I will go, for them and for you." He cast his mind back to May, "I've faced this before; it's not so bad."
"The bargain does not concern you," Baiame said to Harry, "You may leave," and he waved him off.
"It's alright Harry it really is," Hermione pulled him into a fierce hug, and then looked up into his eyes. "I have had more than I could have dreamed of. Your love will never leave me I will carry it in my heart for ever, and I know that mum and dad will understand when you tell them. You must go back Harry there are so many people who need you… need you to make their world a safer place."
But Harry was not going to be so easily put off. "You're wrong you know, there is no one out there that needs me, but there is someone here that I need, and if this is for last time then I am going to put Harry Potter first. If I let you go on your own I could never face your parents, I could never face Ron, I could never face Ginny or any of the others, and I could certainly never face myself. If this is the only way, then there is nothing in this world, or any other that can stop me from going with you." Harry glared at Baiame daring him to contradict him, but the Deity merely shrugged his shoulders and gave a small shake of his head.
Harry bent down and retrieved their clothes from the floor, "Here it might be cold on the other side," he said, as if to explain his actions, and he slipped Hermione's robe over her head. As she reappeared he gazed longingly into her dark eyes shimmering with unshed tears then leaned forward and kissed her. She in turn helped him into his robe and then they faced Baiame hand in hand. He stared back at two young people, determined to face their fate together, the image of the joined souls shining so clear to him now, it was all the reassurance he needed… the dreamtime would flourish again and the world would continue.
"You are sure this is what you want?" Harry asked the tall dark man, who held an inscrutable expression on his face, he said nothing but simply nodded in reply.
Harry and Hermione turned to face the veil, "I love you," said Harry unable to mask the emotion in his voice.
Hermione drew him close to her, "And I love you to, I think I always have, and I know I always will." She caught her breath determined not to dissolve into floods of tears. "Come on let's get this over with."
And with her slightly in the lead, Hermione and Harry walked to the very threshold of the arch. The veil billowed out to pull them in but they brushed it aside and together they stepped through the arch and left the dreamtime for ever.
* * *
a/n For those of you who are not Australian, the term Blue is often used to describe a red headed friend, thus blue can mean red, but red does not mean blue. Confusing isn't it. Curious to think that had JKR originated from down under, Harry could have called poor old Ron 'Blue' all the way through, but perhaps she would have changed the colour of his hair instead.
Probably no new chapter until after the festive period, for those of you that celebrate Christmas have a happy one, for those that don't I wish you well.
Solomon Aegis
Wiltshire, England