Hellfire in New York

Hellfire in New York

Chapter 11: Ginny Weasley Swings in the City

"...ily. Oh, crap!" exclaimed Ginny. There had been a split-second of darkness, and now she found herself hanging several hundred feet above the street, and beginning an uncomfortably rapid descent!

Whipping out her wand, she cast a Hover Charm that held her level with the highest rooftops. Now what do I do? Despite centuries of research, wizards had been unable to perfect a spell that allowed flight without some kind of device, a broom or carpet or whatever. Ginny was currently hovering pretty much at the mercy of the wind, which was fortunately light at the moment. The charm wouldn't last forever, so she had to get onto something solid soon.

Apparation was the logical choice, but where to? New York was a big, confusing city, and she was by no means sure where the Hellfire Club was exactly. She could Apparate back to Xavier's, but that would mean leaving Harry and the others in the lurch. The street was too far below even for her keen eyes to make out enough detail for a safe arrival. Her best bet was to Apparate to the nearest rooftop, then call Banshee on the mobile phone to get her back to the Club.

Just as Ginny was about to execute her plan, she felt a presence approaching from behind. Before she could turn, something slammed into her, knocking the wind from her. A sinewy arm wrapped round Ginny. She heard a yell of delight, and a dizzying moment later, she was being set down on a nearby rooftop.

Ginny reacted without thinking, whirling round and loosing a Stun spell at the figure behind her. But whoever it was bounded lightly out of the way, ending up clinging to the side of a small hut-like structure. He hung there like an insect, shouting, "Hey!" Frustrated, Ginny flung another hex, but almost before she pointed her wand, her target moved again, springing halfway across the roof. Her temper boiling over, the young witch prepared herself to cast yet another spell, but this time her opponent made a peculiar gesture with one hand, calling, "Enough already!"

A line of silver-grey, sticky material burst from his wrist and wrapped itself around her wand, which was wrenched from her hand to land several feet away. The stranger leapt across to her, and Ginny responded by launching a powerful mule-kick. This was a mistake, as a steely grip closed on her ankle, and she was suddenly hanging upside down, effortlessly held by her opponent.

"Take it easy," he said evenly. "I'm one of the good guys. Are you gonna calm down, or do I hafta find a water barrel to dunk that hot head in?"

Ginny suddenly realised that this was just what Logan had warned her against. Feeling foolish about stepping into a magical trap, worried about her friends and anxious to get back into action, she had reacted to what might well have been a rescue as if it were an attack, and followed up by losing her rag!

She took a deep breath and examined her captor. He seemed to be a man of medium height, lithe, wiry and well muscled. The timbre of his voice suggested that he was not so very much older than Ginny herself. He was wearing a red and blue outfit that fit him like a second skin; in fact, it was rather embarrassing for Ginny, as her current position kept her staring at his...

Concentrate on the face, Ginny! Unfortunately, that was difficult, as the man was wearing a mask that completely concealed his features. Even the eyeholes were covered with some silvery material. How can he see? Ginny wondered. There was an emblem on his chest, a stylised spider. Oh, well, she supposed she'd better apologise.

"Erm," she said, "we seem to have got off on the wrong foot here. Can we start again, maybe with you putting me down? I must be getting heavy for you."

The man shrugged. "I could hold you like this all night if I had to. But if you promise no more high jinx, I'll set you down."

Strong as well as agile, Ginny noted. "I promise," she replied. The man lowered her until she could place her hands on the rooftop, then let go of her ankle. Ginny flipped gracefully upright and turned to face him, only to find he had gone over to retrieve her wand.

As he handed it over, he considered her, head on one side. "OK, you're an X-Man. That much the uniform tells me, though the lion badges are something new. I don't recognize you, even though I know most of the X-Men. You're a Brit - that accent is weird, but definitely English - and you used this thing like some kinda magic wand. I thought the X-Men were all Mutants?"

"Not all of us," she told him. "I'm an X-Man and a witch. They call me Firebird. Who are you?"

"Firebird? That fits! As for me, you musta heard of me!"

"'Fraid not."

"That settles it," the young man groused. "I'm getting a press agent. Firebird, you have just been saved from certain, um, floating by your one and only friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!" He executed an elaborate bow and Ginny laughed.

"Spider-Man? My brother would love to meet you!"

"She has a brother." Spider-Man shook his head. "Of course she has a brother! All the hot ones have brothers. He's not your little brother by any chance?" he asked hopefully.

Ginny shook her head. "My big brother - one of five big brothers - all wizards, like my boyfriend."

"A boyfriend, too?" Spider-Man threw up his hands. "Sheesh! Just my luck. " He suddenly somersaulted over to the hut structure again, clinging to the wall like one of his namesakes. The lad seemed to vibrate with restless energy, a little like Harry when he was fired up about something. "So, why's a nice, young X-Person with brothers and a boyfriend floating over the city all alone like the prettiest angel that never found a Christmas tree?"

Ginny giggled. This Spider-Man was as outrageous as Roberto! Then she sobered and said, "I'm not sure. I was in the middle of a job, and I must have stood on some kind of magical trap - a Disapparation Rune or something that sent me right up over the city."

"A dis-a-what ruin?" he asked, then held up a hand. "No, don't explain! Some kinda magical Transporter thing, right? Not so much 'Beam me up, Scotty' as 'Beam me up, Gandalf'?"

"I don't," said Ginny, "have the slightest idea what you're talking about! Is this some Muggle thing?"

"Might be, if I knew what a Muggle was."

"Someone who isn't a wizard or a Mutant. Are you a Mutant?"

"Nope." Spider-Man shook his head. "I'm sort of an accident, you might say."

"Oh, like the Hulk, you mean?"

"Kinda. You know about the Hulk?"

"I've seen him - big bloke, green, doesn't say a lot, and he breaks things. You're much nicer."

"Thanks! Look, is there anything I can do to help you out? I must've given you a scare back there, so it was really my fault you attacked me. Can I make it up to you?"

Ginny nodded. "You can tell me the quickest and safest way to get to the Hellfire Club. My friends are still in there. I'm worried about them, and they'll be fretting about me. My boyfriend gets awfully vexed when I do things like this! He had to go into a girl's toilet to rescue me once."

Spider-Man laughed. "Now that's true love. Look, the Club's way uptown from here. Do you get airsick?"

It was Ginny's turn to laugh. "I'm a Quidditch player! Of course I don't get airsick."

"Kwid what? Never mind. Thing is, I can get you to the Club quicker and safer than any other way, but you'll have to hang on, 'cause it'll be a wild ride."

"Wild I like! Just let me tell my people what's happening." Ginny took out her phone, and quickly explained the situation to Beast, who said he'd pass the message on and asked her to say 'hi' to Spider-Man.

That done, Spider-Man jumped off the wall and said, "I'll have to carry you on my back, and you'll hafta hold on because I need both my hands free."

"Fair enough," Ginny replied. "I promise not to throttle you."

Spider-Man chuckled. "Oh, well, I wouldn't want to be 'throttled'. Love the way you talk, by the way." Then he bent his knees so Ginny could climb onto his back.

To her surprise, he applied some strands of the sticky fibre he produced to strategic spots. They must work like a Sticking charm, she realised. "That should hold you," he said. "Ready?"

"Uh-huh."

"OK!"

Spider-Man loped to the edge of the building and leaped off into space. Ginny bit her lip to stop from screaming as they plummeted downwards. Then, suddenly, a line shot from Spider-Man's wrist to stick to a nearby building, and their fall turned to a graceful swing. With a yell of joy, he reached the apex, hung in the air for a second, then shot another line, and so it went on. It was a wild, exhilarating ride, and by the end of it, Ginny was whooping as loudly as her companion!

Finally, they stopped on the roof of a building next door to the Hellfire Club. On Ginny's instructions, Spider-Man scuttled down the wall and dropped into the alley. There was Hermione! But who was the bare-chested, devastatingly handsome chap with the wings?

The two girls rushed to each other, hugging tightly, inspecting each other for harm, and talking simultaneously. Angel raised an eyebrow at Spider-Man. "Hi, Web-slinger! How's it hangin'?"

"Hey, Wings! This a convention or something?"

"No, a job. Something fishy going on in this Club."

"Uh huh. Need a hand?"

"Not right now, but it's good to know you're around, Spidey."

"Sure thing, homey."

Ginny came over to Spider-Man and introduced Hermione, before clasping his hand warmly and saying, "It was awfully nice to meet you, Spider-Man. Thanks for all your help, and I'm sorry I was such a cow at first!"

"No problem, Firebird. You take care, now, and if you're ever in New York again, look me up!"

"How will I find you?"

"Just whistle. You know how to whistle? You just pucker your lips and blow?" With that, he was gone, up the wall and away.

Angel grinned at the girls. "I'd better go get my clothes back on!"

"What's the rush?" murmured Ginny, and Hermione dug her in the ribs.

Warren explained, "They'll soon notice in there if they're a chaperone short. You two better sit tight here; you've been identified now, so you can't go back in. Emma Frost will have let the guys know to meet you here. Just stay low and quiet."

With a final wave, Angel soared up towards the roof. As he vanished, the side door of the Club opened and a shaft of light shone into the alley. Hermione and Ginny shrank into the shadows. Two figures appeared in the doorway. One was a tall young woman with waist-length blonde hair and a low-cut, white evening dress - the other was Harry!

As the two witches watched, the blonde looked up at Harry with a mischievous grin. "Are you OK from here, Simon? I could get my uncle's driver to take you back if you want."

Harry shook his head. "It's OK, Mandy, it's only a couple of blocks to the hotel. Thanks for your help."

The girl laughed. "Hey, buddy, I've been there! Stay away from matchmaking moms."

"You too!"

"You bet! One for the good guys tonight, Simon Templar!"

"A definite result!" said Harry with a grin.

They high-fived each other, and the blonde winked at Harry, then went back in.

Harry looked around, then saw the girls. He sagged theatrically against the wall, and wiped imaginary sweat from his brow as they dashed over.

*****

Harry and Ron had made it as far as the wine cellar by means of a Disillusionment Charm and a Reveal Spell that showed up the infrared and laser traps. Now they stood in front of the door Remus and his friends had used.

"So, how do we get through this one?" asked Ron. "Remus said alohomora doesn't work on these fancy locks."

Harry nodded. "I know, but I had a word with Bill. He told me a spell that will open almost any door. It's an ancient one, much more powerful."

He pointed his wand at the lock and said, "Ahamkara!" The lock buzzed a little, then the door opened. Ron stepped forward and Harry grabbed him. "Look before you leap, you pillock!"

Ron looked down the lift shaft and gulped. "Oof! Could've done myself a mischief, there! The lift's at the bottom."

Harry exhaled resignedly. "Well, let's get down there, then!"

Ron cast an illusion of closed doors to prevent pursuit. Then the two young men Apparated to the top of the lift carriage, retransfigured their evening suits into uniform, and used magic to remove the inspection hatch on the top of the lift. Harry's spell opened the door at the bottom, and they went on.

"I don't like it," muttered Ron as they reached the wooden door Remus had told them about. "It's too quiet."

"I know," Harry replied. "Just stay loose, mate, OK? Watch the sign on the floor!"

Once past that trap, they proceeded along the ancient-looking passage until they came to a Y-junction. On the left, a bright, modern corridor led away. On the right, a dark stone passage seemed to lead downwards.

"Which way?" asked Ron.

Harry considered for a moment. "We'd best split up. You go left; I'll go right. Meet back here in thirty minutes?"

"OK," Ron agreed. "That way, one of us should find something. Watch yourself, Hawk!"

"You, too."

*****

Sirius had been a little held up by an unexpected encounter with a Club security man. By the time he'd rearranged the fellow's memory, he'd lost sight of Harry and Ron. Moving swiftly, he reached the wine cellar, but was further delayed while he unravelled Ron's illusion. He reached the bottom of the shaft the same way they had, and met a puzzle.

There were doors on either side of the corridor, and the lads could have entered any of them. Sirius had no way of knowing which one, if any, they had gone through. Oh, well, more than one way to skin a cat, he thought, and changed into Snuffles.

Picking up the familiar scents of his two young friends, Sirius was able to follow them as far as the junction. There, he was in a quandary. Harry's scent led into a passage that reeked of old, dark magic. Ron's led to a modern corridor that smelt of Muggle weapons. Of the two, Harry was the better wizard, Ron the better fighter, so that made a kind of sense. But whom should Snuffles follow? Family came first, he decided, and was about to turn right when he caught the sounds of a fight from the left!

If there's any trouble to be found, trust a Weasley to find it! Sirius smirked, as he turned left and began to run.

*****

Harry considered the archway ahead of him. The passage he was in opened into a moderate-sized chamber with the archway at its end. Guarding it were two Hellfire mercenaries holding weapons that looked much more serious than the usual stun projectors. Harry lurked in the shadows and considered. He could take them both down, he was sure, but that would put him at risk of discovery and pursuit.

Time to be sneaky, he thought. He had recently had his Invisibility Cloak lengthened in Diagon Alley. Apparently, he was now taller than his father had been, and the cloak had stopped covering him completely. Time to see if his Galleons had been well spent! He pulled out the cloak and wrapped himself in it before moving silently out of the passage and heading for the arch. He passed the guards without incident, and carried on down another, wider passage.

There were no more guards, but at regular intervals along the passage, there were doors, and beside each door stood a statue. The statues were of tall, emaciated things with skull-faces, wearing ragged cloaks and holding scythes. They had rubies for eyes, and Harry felt that they were watching for something. If they were, his cloak was deceiving them, at any rate!

He knew he should turn aside and search some of the rooms, but something seemed to be drawing him toward the end of the passage. Finally, he saw yet another door flanked this time by statues of goat-headed, goat-footed, bat-winged demons. Harry considered the door. It had no lock or handle. It must open to a magical password like some of the doors at Hogwarts, but what word?

He examined the portal more thoroughly. The intricately carved designs had a common theme - they were all snakes! Harry remembered that the Black Queen boasted of being Salazar Slytherin's daughter. His eyes widened. Could it be that simple? Of course it could! If Selene was Slytherin's daughter, she might be a Parselmouth, as Voldemort had been. What she could not know was that Harry himself was, thanks to the late and unlamented Dark Lord, also able to speak the language of snakes.

It took him a little time to remember, but finally Harry hissed "Open!" in Parseltongue. The door swung aside, and Harry sighed with relief. Clearly, with so few speakers of the serpent language around, Selene had felt no need for a more abstruse password.

The room beyond the door was octagonal, just as Salazar's study in his ancient Keep had been. Like father, like daughter, Harry thought. One facet of the room was taken up by the door, of course. Harry slipped off his cloak, to examine the others better. The objects around the room were certainly unusual. There was a staff of ebony, around which a carved snake twined, raising its cobra-head at the tip - Harry could guess who had owned that!

Set into the floor against another wall there was a metal rod with a crystal set in its clawed end. It was a green stone of remarkable clarity, but as Harry looked closer, he felt the prickling of static electricity against his skin. Odd. There was also a silver sarcophagus with an inscription Kha-Khan, Dei Potestis in Terra. There was a huge, black-iron broadsword, the blade carved with unfamiliar runes, which Harry was somehow reluctant to approach. Then there was the elaborately carved stand supporting a Pensieve, which had to be Selene's own. There's no way, thought Harry, that I'm sticking my head in there! One thousand years of unwanted memories were too awful to contemplate.

The next wall had a desk against it, on which a book lay open. Harry leaned over to read the graceful Italic script.

The Seeing Stone continues to be of great use, but employing it is draining. It resists me, and I must feed after each use. I cannot continue to prey on Sebastian's soldiers; they are too valuable. I send the Msira out to find sustenance, but even they must exercise care. I need victims who are healthy yet who are unlikely to be missed, and such are rare even in this great, cold, uncaring city.

I need a Scryer to use the Stone. The lore says that only those of certain ancient bloodlines may use the thing freely. What bloodline is more ancient than mine, I wonder?

Harry shrugged, then went to the final wall. There was a wooden table and, resting in a depression in the middle of it, an object that exerted an uncanny attraction on him. It seemed to be a globe of black glass or crystal, smooth and unfaceted, but as he approached, a red fire ignited in its core. He looked closer, and saw...

...two trees on a low hill, silver and gold, radiant with their own light. A darkness out of the North came and extinguished them. He saw a mighty fortress, with three grim towers, a desperate battle being fought before it. He saw a woman, tall and slender, with raven hair - the most beautiful creature he had ever seen - and a man beside her, a man with one hand. The woman wore a necklace containing a brilliant jewel. A ship with a glowing light at the prow passed into a darkened horizon. Then there was an island, green and fair under the sun, until the seas opened to swallow it, and a ship with ragged sails loomed out of a black-and-crimson wrack. There was a city of seven rings, and a great crowd before the gates, where a wizard in a white robe placed a jewelled crown on the head of a tall, dark-haired man. The man stood and looked up at Harry, and except that the eyes were grey, the face was Harry's - older, but unmistakably his own.

Harry blinked, and the scene changed. He saw Hermione in a desperate fight with some mercs, a fight she was clearly winning, even though she seemed to have lost her wand. He saw Ginny, upside down, being held from one ankle by a figure in red and blue who seemed to be remonstrating with her. He saw Ron and Sirius, surrounded by computer consoles, and apparently eating pizza?

The stone went blank. Harry stepped back, astonished. This must be the Seeing Stone Selene had written about, the one that so exhausted her to use. Harry didn't feel exhausted; on the contrary, he felt refreshed, his thinking somehow sharpened.

His memory went back to the Labyrinth, where the djinn Amagor had dropped cryptic hints about Harry's bloodline. He remembered Dumbledore (he still couldn't think of his old Headmaster without a keen pang) speculating about his descent from a line of ancient tribal chieftains. If they had been correct, then this Seeing Stone might well be Harry's birthright, in which case he had a claim to it. Taking it would also remove an important weapon from the Black Queen's arsenal!

His mind made up, Harry shrank the Stone to the size of a pebble and put it in his pocket. Then he wrapped himself in his cloak and slipped back the way he had come.

As Harry reached the Y-junction, he felt a presence in his mind.

Harry?

What is it, Emma?

I've just had a message from Ginny. She's safe, and with a friend. Meet her and Hermione in the alley beside the building. Ron and Sirius will make their own way out. Be careful, Harry!

I will. Thanks, Emma luv!

He felt a pang of joy from her as she withdrew. What a life she must have had, to get so much happiness from a scrap of affection! he thought. Remus was being an idiot! Emma obviously adored him, and he clearly cared deeply for her, so why was Lupin so hesitant? Huh! I should talk! he chided himself. All those years mucking about, and poor Ginny eating her heart out!

As Harry got into the lift, preparing to Apparate back up into the cellar, a figure melted out of the wall in the corridor. Jason Wyngarde watched the boy vanish, and relaxed with a sigh. He'd done all he could. His illusion-spinning powers had convinced the young X-Man that the demon guardians were statues, while also persuading the demons that Hawk had never been there. Mastermind nodded to himself. Erik would be pleased. Selene had lost her most powerful method of magical spying. An ordinary scrying glass had limitations, and Magneto's late wife, a witch, had taught him all about them!

Jason shook his head. There was something hauntingly familiar about the Potter boy. He felt he almost knew him, had been on friendly terms with him at one time. Perhaps it was in his dreams, those odd dreams he'd been having ever since his stepmother had left his father, taking his baby half-sister with her. Jason had searched, but he'd never found a trace of little Jess. One day, I'll find you, he promised for the thousandth time. I love you, little sister, and I'm gonna make sure you're OK!

Luckily, Harry remembered to change his uniform back to the evening suit before he reached the public levels of the Club. Even so, as he re-entered the ballroom, he felt eyes on him. Quickly, he darted into the crowd of young people and made his way to the bar, ordering a ginger ale. In the mirrors at the back of the bar, he scanned the area behind him and saw a tall, rather familiar figure moving through the crowd as if looking for someone.

Augustus Rookwood looked distinctly uncomfortable in Muggle evening garb. Harry only recognised the Ministry wizard turned Death Eater from numerous photos that had blighted the pages of the Prophet over past months. Harry was pretty sure that Rookwood had never got a really good look at him, but it was possible that he'd seen Harry's photos in the same paper.

Rockwood abandoned his fruitless search and took up a position near the main entrance. Unless Harry could find another exit, he'd have to walk right past Rookwood, and he didn't think he'd get away with that. To give himself time to think, Harry finished his drink, then moved away from the bar, almost immediately colliding with someone. "Sorry!" he apologised, reaching out a hand to steady the young woman.

She shook her head. "My bad," she replied, smiling. "Should have been watching where I was going."

"No harm done," Harry said, and made to move off, but she caught his hand.

"Hey, there--got a train to catch?" she teased.

Harry looked at her properly. She was about the same age as he, and stood only a few inches short of his own six feet. The girl had an appealing figure, which the white dress she wore did little to conceal, very long blonde hair she wore in a mass of loose curls, and a fine-boned face out of which sparkling blue eyes regarded him quizzically.

Thinking fast, he grinned down at her. "Actually, I'm trying to avoid somebody," he confided. "There's this mother who's got an eye on me for her daughter..."

"And you have a problem with that?" she asked curiously.

"Just a bit!" Harry said. "Violet's a nice girl, but she's got a face like a horse and a laugh to match. Then, of course, there are those crossed eyes."

"Ouch!" The young woman laughed. "No wonder you're in a rush. Need somewhere to hide?"

"The crowd will do for a bit," Harry allowed, then grinned again. "Care to dance?"

"Thought you'd never ask!" She led him into the centre of the dance floor and determinedly snuggled herself into him, before asking, "You're English, right? What's your name?"

Harry plucked one out of the air. "Simon," he told her. "Simon Templar." It had been the name of a tall, distinguished Muggle with iron-grey hair who had, surprisingly, been McGonagall's escort at the Victory Ball early in the summer. "And with whom am I having the pleasure?"

"Amanda Perkington," she replied. "My friends call me Mandy, and before you ask, that includes you, Simon!"

Harry and Mandy danced and chatted for a while. Mandy was funny and a good dancer, but Harry was still tense, keeping an eye out for Rookwood.

After a while, Mandy's eyes sharpened. "You're still looking hunted, Simon. Want to get out of here?"

Harry managed a rueful smile. "Despite present charming company, I think I'll have to! The old girl's a bloodhound, I'm afraid; she'll find me sooner or later. On top of that, she's probably got one of her minions watching the door in case I do a runner!"

Mandy giggled, then said, "I know how you feel! There's this friend of Mom's, got a real dork of a son, about my age. She's always trying to get us together. Look, my Uncle Sebastian's a big shot at this club. I come here a lot. I know the building like the back of my hand, so I can get you out if you really have to go."

Harry stared at her. "Uncle Sebastian? You're Sebastian Shaw's niece?"

Mandy nodded. "Yeah. You know him?"

"My Dad does business with him from time to time, so I've seen him. Wouldn't say I knew him, though."

"You'd like him. He's kinda cool, for an old guy. C'mon Simon, I'll show you a way out."

Mandy led Harry off into some less-frequented parts of the club, chattering about Uncle Sebastian and his girlfriends. "Emma was polite, but one chilly lady. That Lena tried to be nice, but she looked at me the same way a guy would - gave me the creeps. Think she might be bi? The new one, Bella, she's pretty cool, and nearer his age, but she looks real good. She's English, too."

By now, they'd reached a door marked "Employees Only". "It opens into an alley beside the Club," Mandy explained. "I've used it to sneak out of boring formals sometimes."

She opened the door and led him through, before turning to him with a grin "Are you OK from here, Simon? I could get my uncle's driver to take you back if you want."

Harry shook his head. "It's OK, Mandy, it's only a couple of blocks to the hotel. Thanks for your help."

The girl laughed. "Hey, buddy, I've been there! Stay away from matchmaking moms."

"You too!"

"You bet! One for the good guys tonight, Simon Templar!"

"A definite result!" said Harry with a grin.

They high-fived each other, and Mandy winked at Harry, then went back in.

Harry looked around, spotting the girls. He sagged theatrically against the wall, and wiped imaginary sweat from his brow as they dashed over.

"What was all that about?" Ginny wanted to know, "Match-making Mums? You've been spinning yarns, Harry Potter!"

Harry pulled her to him and kissed her, then, keeping his arms round her, began to tell them both what had happened. "So," he concluded, "we just have to wait here for Ron and Sirius."

At that point a high-pitched humming filled the alley. Two globes of shimmering light appeared a few yards away. As the three friends watched, the globes grew and reshaped themselves into human forms before gradually solidifying into two men.

*****

Sirius, in the form of Snuffles, padded down the corridor towards the sound of the fight. However, he reached Ron long before he reached the fracas. The brawny young wizard was leaning on the corridor wall, watching something through a glass panel and chuckling to himself.

Sirius changed back into himself and crept up to Ron. Quiet as he tried to be, Hunter heard him and spun round, wand raised, then relaxed, held a finger to his lips and pointed to the panel. It was clearly designed to give the people on the other side a view of the corridor. Beyond it was a kind of guardroom, currently occupied by four wizards and five mercs, all busily knocking lumps out of each other!

The mercs were having the best of it until one of the wizards finally pulled out his wand. He made short work of the opposition after that, but by then he was the only one standing. As he stood there panting, Ron winked at Sirius, then transfigured his X-Man uniform into a Hellfire Club one, before stepping through a door beside the observation panel.

The American wizard was muttering, "Gods-damned Muggles!" when Ron tapped him on the shoulder. He turned round, straight into a pile-driving right from the powerful youth that stretched him out cold on the floor.

Ron turned to Sirius. "Quick, transfigure your clothes into gear like this!"

As Sirius did so, Ron picked up some packages from a nearby table, explaining, "I followed a merc along here. Seems he was delivering some food to a lab at the end of this passage. This is a checkpoint, and he had to stop here. I was listening in, trying to work out a way to follow him in, when a bunch of Yank wizards turned up.

"Looks like Remus was right when he said the wizards and mercs don't get on. The bloke in charge here ordered the wizards back into 'their' section; they didn't like his tone, and that's when the fur started to fly!"

"Lucky for us," Sirius commented, "but now what do we do?"

"We deliver supper!" replied Ron, handing him a paper sack and a large flat box from which a tempting aroma rose.

The boy's as mad as a coot, thought Sirius, but occasionally there's method to it! He followed Ron down the passage to a set of double doors. Beside the door was an intercom device. Ron jabbed the button with his elbow and yelled in a reasonable facsimile of an American accent, "Pizza's here!"

After a moment, there was a buzz and one door opened a crack. Ron shouldered his way in, grumbling, "Thought you'd never move your fat asses! Where d'ya want this slop?"

There were three men in the room. Two were standing by some kind of workbench, one was about five feet two and grossly fat, the other closer to six foot seven and skeletally thin. The third man was sitting at a computer workstation, and spun his chair to glare at Ron through steel-rimmed glasses. He was a medium-sized fellow, with blond hair and cold blue eyes in an unremarkable face.

"Leave it on the table!" he snapped. "Then clear out. I'm sure you have some important loafing to do while we work!"

"Geez!" said Ron, "A 'thanks' woulda been nice, dude!"

He set the packages he'd been carrying down, then whipped out his wand and used a Binding Charm to tie the blond scientist into his chair, before remarking in his normal voice, "It pisses me off when people act like that!"

Sirius, following Ron's lead, had Petrified the other two. Now the wizards shed their disguises, Ron for his uniform, Sirius for the 'urban camouflage' gear Wolverine had issued him. Ron addressed Sirius in a tone of crisp command that surprised the older man.

"Padfoot, you check the computer those two were using. I'm going to have a natter with laughing-boy here!"

"All right R-Hunter." Sirius caught himself just in time.

Ron picked up some packages from the table, went over, shoved his prisoner to one side and pulled up another of the castor-mounted chairs.

"This yours?" The man nodded. Ron opened one bag and pulled out a burger. "Mind if I...?" The unfortunate scientist shook his head mutely and stared as Ron took a mighty bite, chewed reflectively and swallowed before saying, "Now that's a tasty burger! Homemade, if I'm any judge. Where's it come from?"

"K...Kowalski's, two blocks down," the prisoner stammered. "All natural, no artificial ingredients."

"Mm, you can tell." Ron finished the burger in three more bites, then sampled the cup of drink he'd also found. "Blech! What's this?"

"Iced herbal tea."

"Tastes like one of Madame Pomfrey's concoctions! Padfoot, is there some Coke over there?"

Sirius examined the other cups. "Pepsi," he reported.

Ron grunted. "Have to make do. Not diet, is it?"

"No." Sirius examined the flat box with the tantalising scent. It contained a dish he'd not encountered before, a flat circle of some kind of dough, topped with a red sauce and melted cheese, scattered with slices of some kind of sausage. The thing was pre-cut into wedge-shaped slices, and Sirius sampled one; it was delicious.

"Hunter, what is this?"

Ron looked over. "Pepperoni pizza, looks like. Pass us a slice or two!"

"Jupiter, you've already inhaled a bloody great burger!"

"Can't help it if I'm a growing lad!"

"If you grow much more, Charm's going to need a step-ladder to box your ears!"

Sirius passed one of the drinks and a few slices of pizza to Ron, then took the rest and the other drink over to 'his' workstation.

Ron turned to the helpless scientist, "What's your name, mate?"

"Cedric." He pronounced it 'Seedric', which didn't surprise Ron, as most of their American friends insisted on calling Neville 'Kneeville'.

"Right, Cedric. Now I'm an easy-going sort of bloke, you see, but I've got this girlfriend. She's a real clever-clogs, and she hates unanswered questions. So if I go back to her, and tell her you didn't answer any questions I have, she's going to be giving me GBH of the earhole for days. On top of that, I won't get my nookie. That means I'll get irritated, and when I get irritated..."

There was a desk toy nearby. Hermione's Dad had one like it - 'Newton's Cradle' it was called - and it was quite a sturdy object. Now Ron closed his big hand over this one, there was a brief screech of tortured metal, and when Ron moved his hand, the thing was an unrecognisable lump of scrap.

"...that could be your head, Cedric. So if I ask you something, you should probably answer me, shouldn't you?"

Cedric gulped and nodded, Ron flashed him a big, amiable grin, and turned to the computer. Humming snatches of songs to himself, the young wizard searched through the files on the PC in front of him. He was a little clumsy in his use of mouse and keyboard, and he had to concentrate intensely to do it, but his perseverance was rewarded.

"Hum! 'The Hell-Gate and it's application for SIDIP'. What's SIDIP, Cedric?"

"Stable Inter-Dimensional Interface Project," mumbled Cedric. To Ron's enquiring look, he explained, "We're researching a way to move between the different dimensions that constitute the multiverse. It would allow us to travel between various realities and cherry-pick technology or people useful to us.

"Look," he continued, warming to his subject, "there are occasional 'rips' in the dimensional barriers at special places or times. The Air Force has a Star-Gate project that can open wormholes between distant planets, and UNIT records talk about the 'Time Lords', who can travel in time, so we know the technology exists.

"This Hell-Gate spell is a similar thing, but like all your magic," he practically spat the word, "it's too intuitive and unstable - imprecise and fuzzy. I'm analyzing the thing to try and find a scientific way to replicate the phenomenon without all the fancy artefacts and mumbo-jumbo."

"Oh, right," replied Ron. "Didn't understand a word of that, but it doesn't matter. What this file does do is tell me exactly how Selene is opening this Hell-Gate, so I'd better make a copy. Now then, disc, disc....Aha!"

Ron began downloading the file onto a CD, then turned to Sirius, "Got anything, Padfoot?"

Sirius had been searching as Ron had, using a surprisingly quick hunt-and-peck style on the keyboard. Now he looked up and said, "It's mostly techno-what-have-you on this one. There're plans for weapons, vehicles and those big metal Golems, what do you call them - Sentinels? I'm copying as much as I can."

Just then, both men received a mental message from Emma Frost, who told them where to meet up with their friends.

"Y'know," said Sirius, "there should be another way out of here, so we don't have to risk going back how we came, just in case."

They began to look around, then Ron spotted an odd-looking piece of equipment. It seemed to be a platform of some kind, linked by several thick cables to a control panel that had a video screen mounted in it. There was a joystick under the screen, and Ron, curious, played with it a little. The joystick seemed to switch the view on the screen to various locations in and around the club, and by chance Ron found himself looking at a view of the alley just as Harry and Mandy came out of the side door. He called Sirius over and they watched for a moment.

"Well, they all look safe," Sirius remarked.

"Thank the gods!" replied Ron gratefully. "Cedric, what is this thing?"

"Experimental TransMat platform."

"What's that when it's at home?"

"A matter transporter - a way of getting instantly from one place to another. It's only short range right now."

"Oh, like a Portkey! So, how do you use it?"

Clearly terrified of Ron, Cedric eagerly told him how to set the targeting grid to the desired location, how to use the device, and how to set a delay on activation so both wizards could leave at once. The two men took their places on the platform. "See you, Cedric!" said Ron.

Cedric's obscene reply was lost in the odd shimmering effect that suddenly covered the room. Seconds later, it cleared, but this time Ron and Sirius were in the alley, with their friends staring open-mouthed at them.

"Well, that was...different," said Ron.