The Labyrinth of Amagor

The Labyrinth of Amagor

Chapter 6: Merging Paths

I'm not really cut out for this kind of thing, Seamus Finnigan thought. He was Irish to the core, and as such quite at home in a fight, but mazes, puzzles, quests and so forth were not his cup of tea.

He had appeared in a well-lit corridor, which seemed to lead from nowhere in particular to nowhere special. He had only gone a few metres when a trapdoor in the floor opened beneath him and he fell through onto a kind of mattress. Muttering a few choice phrases, he picked himself up, dusted himself off and took stock of his surroundings.

He was in yet another corridor, but this one wasn't empty. Directly ahead of him were two rapidly rotating columns. There would have been space enough to step between them but for the scimitar-like blades that sprouted from each column. Seamus was considering trying to Apparate past, dubious because he couldn't see clearly what was beyond them, when the situation changed.

There was a bang, followed by a distinctly female squawk. He spun around to see a figure in black land on the mattress he had just vacated. He went over at once, reaching down a hand to the young woman who had arrived so unexpectedly. His hand was taken in a set of strong, slender fingers and the girl rose gracefully to her feet. She was tall, with a good figure, and very pretty, with long, reddish-blonde hair; she was wearing a black leather uniform that Seamus recognised.

"Hello, there!" he said, "Now you'll be after being an X-Man, will you not?" Under stress, Seamus sounded more Irish than usual. "I recognise the uniform, but not yourself. You're not in the photos they brought back with them."

The girl responded with a warm smile. "That's right." She squeezed the hand she was still holding. "I'm Alison Blair. You can call me Dazzler if you like. You're a wizard, of course--one of Ron's friends?"

"Seamus Finnigan," he introduced himself, adding, "and I'm pleased to meet you. Dazzler, is it? A fine name for such a pretty colleen!"

Alison, a clever mimic, adopted a thick brogue. "Now you mind, me gran was a Kelly, and she warned me off young Irish lads and their silver tongues, so she did!"

Seamus burst out laughing, and Alison joined him. It was clear from the start that these two were destined to be good friends, at the very least. When they finished chuckling, they considered the obstacle in front of them.

"I was thinking of Apparating through, but I can't really see past them well enough," Seamus explained.

"Apparating?"

"You disappear in one place and reappear in another."

"Oh! You mean teleporting like Nightcrawler does."

"I think so. He's the one that looks like he belongs on a castle wall, right?"

Dazzler giggled again. "That's him. But don't say that to his face!"

"Wouldn't dream of it. Thing is, now you're here, I can't do it, anyway. I've all I can do to Apparate myself, much less take someone else with me. So," Seamus shrugged, "we'll have to try something else."

He raised his wand, and transfigured the lethal pillars into a pair of red and white barbershop poles. They still spun rapidly, but now harmlessly.

Dazzler applauded. "Cool! Ten points for effectiveness, but like, four out of ten for style. Those things are seriously tacky!" She eyed them, allowing, "At least they're not lava lights."

"Do you mind?" Seamus protested. "I'm a wizard, not an interior designer! Were you thinking of setting up household here? Come on."

Beyond the pillars was a series of three large pendulums, tipped with crescent-shaped blades that swung swiftly back and forth across the corridor. In front of them an iron rod was set upright into the floor. In its clawed end was set a crystal. There was golden writing on the floor in front of the rod.

Seamus read: To find your path, you must find the light. "Well, that seems simple enough." He pointed his wand at the crystal and said, "Lumos!"

The tip of his wand glowed, but nothing else happened. "Ah. Looks like it's going to be more complicated than that," he said. "Just plain light won't do. I might have known. There are spells to produce different kinds of light, but I'm blowed if I can remember more than a few!"

Dazzler put a hand on his arm. "My turn, then. Light is my strong suit, Seamus."

As she bent to the crystal, Seamus noticed that the swishing, clanking sounds of the pendulums became muted, then faded entirely. He was not aware that Alison was drawing on these sounds to activate her Mutant power. Then he started, as light began to flash from her eyes onto the crystal. With the quickness of a kaleidoscope, the light cycled through the colours of the spectrum. Seamus was never entirely sure which particular colour of light did the trick, but suddenly the pendulums stopped and withdrew up into the ceiling.

"Ta daaaa!" exclaimed Alison, then curtsied as Seamus clapped politely.

The next obstacle was more formidable. A series of spiked barriers were set into the walls, floor and ceiling, slamming across their path in a complex rhythm.

"Extreme hopscotch, anyone?" quipped Alison.

"Shh!" said Seamus. "I know this. Damn! I only did one year of Arithmancy; it all but made my brain leak out of my ears. Hermione would have this in a second."

He watched the barriers and seemed to be counting to himself. "There!" he turned to Dazzler. "It's Macrobius' Sequence!"

"That's clear as mud."

Seamus shook his head. "Of course, you've no idea what I'm on about. Macrobius was a Roman wizard in what Muggles call the First Century. He based all his charms on a certain sequence of numbers. It's not used anymore, but we had to learn it in Arithmancy. These barriers move to the Sequence."

He reached out to her. "You'd better hold my hand, Alison."

"Shocking--and on a first date, too! Kitty told me you Brits were slow workers."

"Oh, give over!" Seamus moaned. "Harry's hardly typical. 'Spect he's a right plodder." Seamus returned his attention to the obstacle course. "We have to move together because I don't want to get across and find I've only brought half of you with me! Wait for my cue and move when I say."

It was actually easier than it looked, once they knew the trick. They proceeded through the barrier in a series of timed dashes. Once they were clear, the spikes withdrew into the walls.

Seamus let go of Alison's hand and grinned at her. "You dance divinely, Miss Blair!"

"Thank you, kind sir! What's next?"

Seamus squinted ahead. "Nothing between us and that door that I can see. But watch where you're treading; there might be another trapdoor."

It wasn't a trapdoor. Instead, a steel cage dropped from the ceiling, neatly ensnaring both of them. "Oh, crap!" said Alison. "Now what?"

"Well," Seamus mused, "the cage has a door with a lock in it, and where there's a lock, there should be....Aha!" He pointed to a small alcove in a nearby wall. Hanging in it was a large, ancient-looking key.

"Great! But it's out there and we're in here," Alison pointed out. "Fat lotta good that does us."

"You give up too easily," Seamus chided. "Accio key!"

The key left its hook and floated toward him. Seamus carefully guided it through the bars of the cage into his hand. It fit the lock perfectly, but as Seamus turned it, the key snapped off in his hand. "Oh, bloody Hell and damnation!"

They examined the key. It had rusted through. "I don't think that was supposed to happen," said Seamus.

"Hmm," Alison replied. "Sloppy maintenance. OK, it's up to me, again." She stared ruefully at her companion. "Look, Seamus, I'm not very practiced at this stunt, so stand back and let me concentrate."

Dazzler made some adjustments to the control unit on her wrist. Then she pointed her finger at the lock. A narrow beam of intense white light shot from her fingertip and, to Seamus' amazement, began to chew into the metal of the lock. Within moments, there was a clatter as a chunk of metal dropped to the floor and the door swung open. Alison heaved a deep sigh, and began to tremble slightly as she relaxed. Seamus took her gently by the shoulders, guided her out of the cage and sat her down against the wall. He settled beside her and let her pull herself together.

They sat in silence for a while, then, when he sensed she was feeling more herself, he asked her, "Just how did you do that? I've never seen anything like it, and we wizards see a lot of odd things."

Dazzler smiled at him. "My body metabolizes sound and turns it into light. Does that make sense to you?"

"Sort of. That's why the pendulums went quiet when you did the crystal thing with your eyes, is it?" Seamus asked.

"Yeah. Well, for that last stunt, I used the sound generator built into my uniform to produce enough energy to make a laser beam."

"What's a laser beam?"

"Light Amplification by Stimulation of Emitted Radiation-L, A, S, E, R-laser," Dazzler intoned with mock solemnity. "Normal humans, er, Muggles have been using them for years for all sorts of stuff. It's basically a very intense, focused beam of light that can cut through other materials. Most people need complicated projectors to produce it, but if I focus, I can generate the same type of light. I'm getting better at it all the time."

"You did well enough for me this time!" said Seamus heartily, and gave Alison a friendly, little squeeze. "Now, there's the door. With any luck, we'll find our friends somewhere on the other side of it. Are you ready?"

"Sure. Let's get going."

***

Neville ducked, dove and rolled, coming up onto his feet as neatly as Harry could have done it. "Stupefy!" he barked. It had the same effect as before--the giant, armoured figure facing him staggered, grunted, then came on, brandishing its broadsword. Neville darted away again, feeling the wind as the great blade whistled past him.

"Stand and face me, thou craven enchanter! Take up a weapon of manhood and prove thyself in combat!" roared the eight-foot tall warrior.

"Not on your nelly," muttered Neville as he launched another fireball. It wasn't entirely true to say that his spells were ineffective; they just weren't effective enough. The giant had slowed and its armour was looking distinctly the worse for wear. It had also gone through three weapons since Neville had appeared in this barn-like room. Neville had transfigured the double-bladed battleaxe into a feather duster, melted the heavy war-hammer and managed to stick the pike immovably into the wall. The trouble was, the room was lined with racks of weapons, and the warrior clearly wanted Neville to take up one. Not a chance in Hell!

Neville had a shrewd idea that any Unforgivable Curse would stop the warrior in its tracks, but there was no way he would sink to the level of a Death Eater. He had no intention of so dishonouring his family! So all that was left was for him to keep dodging and to wear the creature down before he himself collapsed from exhaustion. Looking back, Neville was suddenly grateful for those gruelling hours spent working out under Ron Weasley's unforgiving eye.

A Time-Slow spell gave him a needed breather, but again the warrior shrugged off the spell too quickly for comfort. Again it lunged at him and Neville dodged, but this time, the warrior's shoulder caught him and sent him to the floor winded. The giant towered over him, raising its blade for the final blow.

"Hah!" it bellowed in triumph. "Let all men know that the warrior's arm is ever more doughty than the wizard's wand. Full two score of your craven kind have I defeated in combats past. Your head shall join theirs!"

It lifted the blade for the killing stroke but suddenly screamed! The sword fell from nerveless fingers, and the warrior staggered away from Neville, yelling and swiping at the empty air. Neville didn't know what had happened and didn't stop to ask. He raised his wand to sink the flailing figure into the floor up to its knees.

Then Neville got up, dusted himself off, and looked around just as a voice called, "Hi, there!" A girl in a familiar black leather uniform was coming across the room toward him. He looked her over. She was not Marie-too short and with rather more curves, he noted appreciatively (Lavender had never said he couldn't look). This girl's hair was jet black and worn in a long plait. She had a round, pretty face, dark eyes and copper-coloured skin. He'd seen her before in a dozen wizard photographs, waving and blowing kisses.

She trotted up to him, smiling. "Well hi, handsome! Don't tell me; I've seen your picture. You're....Neville?

"Right." Neville nodded. "And you must be Danielle--or do you prefer Psyche?"

"Dani will do when we're alone, Neville." She squeezed his outstretched hand warmly.

Neville flushed a little. Harry had told him Dani was a flirt. Neville envisioned Lavender's scowling face. "Er, I should say--"

"I know, I know. Marie told me you're so taken! But that was months ago, and things change. You can't blame a girl for trying, especially with a hunk like you."

By this time, Neville was as red as a beetroot. "Dani--"

Neville was saved from further embarrassment by a crash that shook the room. The giant was pounding at the floor, which continued to hold it, though the stone was beginning to crack. Neville sighed, selected a mace from one of the racks, and proceeded to apply a hefty thump to the base of the warrior's skull. The creature slumped over, out cold-at least Neville hoped so.

"Subtle," Dani teased. "I like it!"

Neville shook his head and grinned. "You remind me of Ginny Weasley. Do you know her?"

"Ginny would be Harry's new girlfriend, right? And she's Ron's little sister?" Dani turned serious for a moment. "Is she being good to him? 'Cause if she isn't--"

"As far as I can tell, everything's going fine," Neville reassured Dani. He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Why are you so interested?"

She caught his look and returned it squarely. "Harry's a good friend. A lot of us would get pissed if his feelings were hurt."

Neville left it alone. "I take it I've got you to thank for scaring the daylights out of old tin-trousers there? You projected something into its mind, if I understand what the others told me about you."

"That about covers it," Dani told him. "You're lucky, you know. I turned up in this room just as he knocked you down. If he'd taken your head right away, I couldn't have helped; I need time to get a 'read' on people. But he started talking, instead, so I had time to get to him. Why do these bad guys always stop to make cornball speeches when they've got you cornered?"

"Dunno. It's the Villain's Monologue thing, I suppose. They all have to do it." Neville's gaze swept the room. "Aha! That door wasn't there before. D'you suppose it's the way out?"

"The way out of this room, anyway," Dani noted. "But we might be in a frying-pan-and-fire situation."

Neville rubbed his chin. "We might, but I'd rather be somewhere-anywhere-else when his lordship over there wakes up."

"Point taken!" Dani agreed. "Lead on, big guy! I don't mind guarding your backside. You've got a nice ass."

"Dani! You're incorrigible!"

"I know. I get that all the time."

Neville laughed, but he waited for Dani to go through the door with him.

***

In a way, Lavender was glad she'd been separated from her friends. With any luck, they'd forget about last night by the time they met up again. Sharing a bed with Neville had seemed so natural; it wasn't as if they hadn't done it before. Family commitments had meant they hadn't seen each other for a week or so, and they'd wanted a little intimate talk and a proper cuddle. But then they'd got a bit carried away, and though they'd done their best to be quiet about it, they hadn't been able to help themselves. It seemed that only those in the adjacent beds had heard anything, though, and Seamus, bless his heart, had said nothing. Luna, however, had asked Lavender about her night, and made some pointed remark about letting things get on top of her!

Lavender sighed. She'd live it down, she supposed, and truth be told, the chance of being overheard had sort of made things more exciting than usual. At least Neville was scrupulous about taking his potion every week, so there'd be no little surprise in a few months' time.

Now, where was she? This part of the Labyrinth looked a little run-down in Lavender's opinion. Like Muggle mines, wooden props supported the rough walls, but the props looked none too sturdy. Lavender ventured forward, looking to left and right as she went.

She was still taken by surprise, however, when a figure emerged from the shadows and seized her arm. She shrieked; the thing let go and staggered back as if struck. Lavender studied her assailant: It was about five feet tall and covered in shaggy, matted fur. The thing had a face like a bat, with huge ears but tiny eyes, and it smelt really rank. As she stood there, the creature bared a set of vicious-looking fangs and snarled at her before charging again.

"Stupefy!" The creature dropped like a stone, but suddenly there were more--lots more--of them, far too many to Stun. Lavender stood unsure of what to do. A fireball would not be wise in this narrow tunnel; she would set herself alight. She could trap them in the floor, but that would leave their arms free to grab her as she tried to get past, and they were shoulder to shoulder.

Then rough arms clutched at her from behind and she screamed. The grip dropped away and she spun to see one of the creatures lying on the floor, clutching at its head. She whirled to see that the front rank of the creatures had fallen back. Why?

Lavender suddenly made the leap--those ears! The things must be sensitive to sound. Lavender held her wand to her throat, muttering, "Sonorous!"

Then she began to yell her head off. She screamed and shouted and sang at the top of her magically amplified lungs, all the time advancing on her opponents. The things retreated, clutching their heads, and melted back into the shadows. Finally, they were all gone, and Lavender stopped shouting, only to hear an ominous rumbling!

She jumped back as a large part of the roof caved in, smothering her in choking dust. After a deal of coughing and spluttering, Lavender was able to take stock of her surroundings again. They had changed for the worst. The way ahead was completely blocked by the rock fall. Water was trickling into the tunnel from some unknown source. Now what do I do?

Lavender tried transfiguring a few rocks in front of her into Bludgers that smacked into the rubble, but it became obvious that the fall was too thick and deep. The water was rising; she would be engulfed before long. The water pressure could move the barrier only to sweep her into a flow of crushing, sharp rocks. She was a strong swimmer, but even so!

Hmm. The fall might be thinner at the top. Yes! She could see a gap up there. Lavender began to scramble up, thankful that she had worn Muggle-style jeans and a T-shirt to Harry's supposed meeting in deference to Neville, who liked seeing her figure in the tighter Muggle clothing. She reached the top, but the gap was too small for her. Hermione would have wriggled through it like an eel, Lavender thought, but her shoulders were too broad. Then she heard a low whistle, and an unfamiliar male voice with a familiar accent said, "Jeez! Somebody sure brought down the house!"

"Hello?" Lavender called through the gap, craning her neck to see. "Who's that? Can you help me? I'm trapped up here!"

She heard footsteps, then a gangly figure in black stepped into view, calling up into the gap. "Who's there? Are you one of Harry's friends?"

"Yes. Are you an X-Man?"

"Damned straight. Need some help?"

"Yes! There's water pouring in here, too!"

"Then let's get moving. Is there anywhere up there you can get out of the way?"

"There are a few scooped out places in the rock..."

"OK, get into one. I'll count to twenty, then I'm comin' through, and it'll be messy."

"Right." As Lavender shrank into a niche, she heard the counting. She had just settled back when the rockfall exploded outwards with a deafening racket. The X-Man crashed through it. Lavender caught a fleeting glimpse of the young man, or at least his lower half, which was a column of smoke and flame--as he shot past her.

The next she saw through yet more flying dust was his lanky figure drop to the ground and run or stagger a few steps till he regained his balance. He turned at once and dashed to her. He said, "I'm getting better at that. Used to land on my butt every time!"

The roof was creaking ominously, so he reached up for her hand. "The whole place will be coming down around our ears. Let's go!"

However he had done it, Lavender's rescuer had cleared a broad path through the fall. The pair of them ran for it, finally reaching a point where a broad corridor of dressed stone crossed the tunnel they were in. They darted up this new corridor a little way, until they heard a rumble and crash that had a distinct sound of finality to it. They doubled back to see that the tunnel behind them was irrevocably blocked. They both sighed and relaxed.

The lanky X-Man suddenly realized he was holding the pretty, young witch's hand. He released his fingers, but Lavender held on. She turned to look at him. He was tall, around six feet, with limbs that seemed to go on forever. His face was honest and open, not handsome as such, but very likeable. His hair was fair and cropped short. Lavender recognised him from the photographs she had seen. "Sam Guthrie, isn't it? Hello, I'm Lavender Brown. Thanks!"

"You're welcome," he mumbled, looking at his feet and still trying to let go of her hand. Lavender gave his hand one more gentle squeeze, then let go, shaking her head.

"Hermione told me you were shy around girls, but I don't bite, Sam."

He looked her in the eye and shrugged. "I'm OK when the others are around. It's just we're alone and...and--"

"And Rahne isn't around to protect you?"

This time he laughed out loud, and Lavender joined in. "Don't worry, Sam, I've got a lovely boyfriend of my own, so I'm not after your virtue."

"Roberto would make some crack about that being a damned shame!"

"Roberto? He's...Sunspot? And you're Cannonball. I've heard about you, but I wouldn't have believed what you just did if I'd not seen it."

"All part of the package," Sam said simply. He was obviously more at ease now, so Lavender relaxed. She'd never expected to have to be motherly to a great, lanky lad like this. Well, not for a few years, anyway.

"Are all of you here?" she asked.

"All of us from Rogue's team. Cyclops and the senior X-Men went up to your school. Something big's going down. Nobody'll tell us what."

"Oh. Well, I daresay they'll tell us when they're ready. Either that or Harry will find out somehow."

Sam chuckled. "He's one of a kind, that Harry. But right now, we're on our own. What should we do?"

"What were you doing before you found me?"

"I was just following this corridor. I passed the tunnel mouth and heard the fall, so I went to see if anyone was hurt."

"Thank Merlin you did! Well, Sam, I think we'd better just carry on as you were, OK?"

"Yeah, sounds right to me, Lavender. Let's go."

***

Wolfsbane had transformed into her semi-human shape to negotiate the corridor where she'd been sent. After a few steps, she learned there were blowpipes in the walls that shot darts. She assumed the darts were poisoned. Using her Mutant powers, her Danger Room training and a dedication to Tomb Raider games, she got through unscathed.

Changing back to Rahne, she read a plaque set into the wall above an archway: The shortest route is not the straightest. What did that mean? It meant, she soon found, that she had to make her way through a vast, decidedly surreal, chamber whose numerous ramps, stairs and ladders managed to defy the laws of geometry and physics. This was real migraine-inducing stuff, and Rahne was at her wit's end, when she caught a whiff of something in the air.

Rahne seldom wore perfume and confined herself to unscented toiletries. Wolverine had taught her that heavy chemical smells would confuse and mask her wolf senses. Now she sniffed the air, another girl had been through here-someone she knew! The perfume was that expensive stuff Bobby had given Marie for her birthday, Tommy Something or other. Well, that made things easier!

Rahne took off her communicator, popping it into a pouch that hung on a short chain around her neck, then shifted to wolf. The adaptive polymer of her uniform shifted to accommodate her, and became invisible. Wolfsbane quested around for a second, found Rogue's scent, and began to follow it.

Wolfsbane followed Rogue's painstaking explorations in half the time it had taken Rogue, since Wolfsbane's animal instincts were not so easily led astray by the maze's optical illusions. The scent eventually led to the top of a steep slope, with a gaping hole at the bottom of it. Across the way, an equally steep slope also led down to the gap, and another scent wafted over, male and familiar, but she couldn't place it.

Wolfsbane half-trotted, half-slithered down the slope, dropping into the gap to land lightly on the cushioning surface below. Both scents were strong here, and she finally recognized the male one- Hawk! There was also a whiff of something else. Wolfsbane knew the smell of sex, she'd caught it often enough on Dani and Roberto, and more recently on Bobby and Marie, since they got that potion. This wasn't actual sex, but it was close-attractant pheromones, Professor McCoy called them. Her mind split two ways for a moment: Rahne thought that was a close one; Wolfsbane merely wondered why this magnificent Alpha pair were not mates. Wolves mated for life, unlike most humans.

Wolfsbane shook herself, and then followed the trail through the open door and down a long passage. Her keen ears caught sounds--two voices shouting amid hissing and yowling. Her hackles rose. Wolfsbane sprinted down the corridor, barking loudly.

Harry and Marie had followed the corridor, talking easily. They had only met briefly in person twice, though they'd become acquainted through a regular email correspondence. Now, however, as Marie let go of Harry's hand and took his arm in a familiar fashion, they seemed quite at home together. If anything, the moment that had passed between them had removed any kind of awkwardness there might have been.

Being who they were, they filled each other in on developments. Harry told her about the puzzle in the first room, and then had to laugh as Marie told him how the X-Men had completely sidestepped it. They pieced together what they knew of the mysterious Amagor and speculated that, because the tests in the Labyrinth were intended for wizards, the presence of the young Mutants might well throw a considerable spanner into Amagor's works.

Then the corridor opened out onto a- garden! It was a large, well-kept English garden on a summer afternoon.

"Now what in Merlin's name...?" began Harry, then Marie yelled and shoved him to one side as a huge paw came down where they had been standing.

The paw belonged to a black and white cat the size of an elephant! The cat gazed hungrily at the two young people, and set about stalking them with typically feline ruthlessness and efficiency. Harry knew that Rogue's power would be of no help here, so tackling the brute was up to him.

By staying wide apart, the two teenagers were able to divide the animal's attention. If it got too close to one of them, the other could distract it; however, finding a suitable spell was proving difficult. For all its size, the thing had cat-like reflexes and agility and showed an uncanny knack for dodging Harry's spells. Those that did strike home gave rise to only one effect. The cat was wearing a collar, from which hung a clear green stone; if a spell struck at or near the cat, the stone lit up for a second. The stone must be absorbing the magic, thought Harry. I have to get the collar off.

The next instant, they all heard a menacing baying from the entrance. For all its size and magical enhancement, the cat was still a cat. At the sound of a traditional opponent, the animal swivelled to face the newcomer with back arched, fur on end, tail stiff.

Harry saw his chance. "Diffindo!" he shouted, making a slashing motion with his wand. The collar parted and the green stone fell to the ground, where it shattered. The cat promptly shrank to a normal size while turning tail and running for the nearest tree as the sleek, red-furred young wolf charged into the garden.

It took Rogue and Harry quite some time to get Wolfsbane's attention. She jumped at the trunk of the tree, baring her teeth at the cat crouching on upper branches. Finally, Rahne managed to restrain her animal self's excitement, changing back to human form and turning to greet her friends.

She and Marie hugged warmly before Rahne put out a shy hand to Harry. "Hello, Harry. It's nice to see you, again."

Harry looked at the hand for a moment, then at Rogue, who winked and nodded. He grinned and said, "Oh, give over, Rahne!" and pulled her into a hug, kissing her firmly on the cheek before releasing her, saying, "It's been too long since I saw you for a handshake to do, you know."

Rahne had hugged him back, but now she shook her head in mock disapproval. "Och, ye've spent far too much time with that Dani! What would Ginny have to say aboot this, now?"

Harry laughed. "She'd be too busy hugging Bob or Peter to say much. My Ginny's a cuddly girl."

"He's a terrible man, did I not tell ye?" said Rahne to Marie.

"Well, sugah, he'll surely suit Ginny, then," Marie returned.

"Hey!" expostulated Harry. "If you two are going to start ganging up on me--"

At that, they converged on him, one of them taking each of his arms. "There's safety in numbers, Harry," said Rahne. "The only woman who can cope with you single-handedly is Hermione."

"She's known you so long she's developed an immunity," added Marie.

"Immunity to what?" asked Harry.

"Oh, the movie-star looks, the dazzling smile, the innocent charm, that tight little butt..." Marie said airily.

"And dinna forget the expertise in love potions!" added Rahne.

"Do you two mind? Besides, I hope I haven't learned a single thing about potions," Harry said wholeheartedly. Nonetheless, he was going crimson.

"Get over it," said Marie, giving him a little peck on the cheek. "We're just teasing. C'mon, there's a gate over there. Let's go find some more trouble to get into."

***

"Oh, yuck!" yelled Ginny as she released yet another fireball. The ten-foot earthworm shrivelled and died as the others had done, but more of them were wriggling out of the humus walls of the damp tunnel.

"Shake it," said Ariel. "Our best chance is to keep moving until we find stone or rock!"

"It's all right for you; they can't touch you. If one of them touches my skin, I'll puke!"

"What's up?" asked Ariel as they moved on. They had been walking along when they noticed that the tunnel walls had changed from dry rock to moist earth. Then the giant worms had begun squirming out of the walls and making for them with obviously unfriendly intentions. In Kitty's view, Ginny had rather overreacted, responding with a fusillade of fireballs and Dessicatum spells. It had taken a few tries before Ariel had convinced her uneasy ally to keep moving.

Ginny reluctantly explained, "I've got a thing about creepy-crawlies. We all have, in our family. With Ron, it's spiders that freak him out. Bill doesn't like ants and--Take that, you slimy bastard! - Mum's terrified of maggots. I don't like worms and slugs or anything slimy and squishy."

"Hmm. I wonder if that's why we're in this part of the Labyrinth?" Kitty said.

"Do you have a phobia, too?" Ginny inquired.

"Not about bugs, no. But then I'm not a witch, am I?"

"You managed to charm Harry," Ginny said acidly.

"Don't start! All I meant was that maybe the Labyrinth doesn't know what to do with me."

"I've got some ideas," muttered Ginny, incinerating yet another worm.

Ariel chose to ignore that last comment. "Ginny, it's opening out ahead."

There was indeed a large chamber at the end of the tunnel. Directly opposite the entrance was a nearly identical exit. As the two girls came to the centre of the chamber, they realised that the worms were no longer emerging from the soil.

Ginny heaved a sigh of relief and turned to Kitty. "Look, I got a bit snappy in there. I'm sorry."

"Forget it. We can claw each other's eyes out later, OK? Right now, we have to concentrate on finding the others and a way out of here."

"How about that tunnel over there? I can't see another way, can you? I'll just bet there's more worms and things through there, though."

"Hold on--There's a gallery or something up there."

A kind of balcony or gallery circled the chamber some ten feet above the girls' heads. There was no apparent way to reach it, no staircase or ladder or slope. Kitty wondered if it had once been a space for an audience to watch what went on in this chamber. Then she heard a wholly unpleasant sound coming from the tunnel she and Ginny were about to enter.

Ginny's face went from white to green to grey. "Jupiter! Now I am going to throw up!"

"I think I'll join you," moaned Kitty.

The other worms had been big, but this one was colossal. As it squeezed its bulk though the tunnel's mouth, it swelled even more. It advanced across the chamber toward them, huge blunt head questing blindly, surrounded by a reek of damp decay.

Kitty asked Ginny, "Can you use those spells you were using before?"

"Yes... no...I'm not sure. The spells might work on bits of it, but it's so bloody big!" Ginny was fighting down panic, and doing, Kitty thought, a heckuva job. Maybe her successor was good enough for Harry, after all.

"I can phase us both through it..."

"Gods, no! I'd go screaming mad. You go. I'll just...take my chances."

"No way! I'm not leaving without you." I couldn't face Harry, Kitty didn't add.

Ginny reassessed the girl she still thought of as a rival. Brave and loyal, even though she has good reason to wish me dead. Maybe she isn't so bad.

"Try your spells, anyway," Ariel urged.

Ginny steeled herself to summon the biggest fireball she could manage. "I'll do my best."

Kitty closed her eyes. The darkness went red, and she felt a massive surge of heat followed by the acrid stench of burning. She opened her eyes to see the blackened hulk of the worm giving its last twitches. "Wow!" she marvelled. "That was awesome, Ginny!"

"It wasn't me," admitted the little redhead, as she lowered her wand. "It came from the gallery behind us." Both girls peered toward the balcony, from which an X-Man swooped gracefully to land near by.

"Sunfire!" Kitty cried with relief.

Shiro bowed. "Konnicihi wa, Ariel-san. You are well?"

"I am now!" Kitty wanted to hug Shiro, but knew that the formally raised young samurai would only be embarrassed. A flick of his eyes towards Ginny indicated that he wanted an introduction. Kitty took Ginny's arm and brought her forward. "Ginevra Weasley, this is Shiro Yoshida-Sunfire of the X-Men."

Shiro bowed again. "I am honoured. You are the sister, yes, of Ronald-san? Yours must be an ancient and honourable family if one measures by the courage of its youngest members."

Ginny blushed prettily and returned the bow with natural grace. "Thank you, er, Sunfire. The Weasleys are an old Wizarding family, and we've always done our best."

"Many a hero might say no more, Ginevra-san."

"Oh, call me Ginny, or...or Firebird, if you like that better."

"Firebird, then. It is, I think, suitable." Sunfire nodded approvingly. "If you will excuse me? I must ensure that your erstwhile opponent offers no further threat." He bowed once more and went over to inspect the carcass of the worm.

Kitty looked curiously at Ginny. "Firebird?"

"It's my call-sign. Harry chose it for me. Which reminds me..." Ginny pulled her communicator out of her pocket, and slipped it over her ear. "What channel are you all on?"

"Tac One," Ariel said automatically. "How do you know--?"

"Harry taught me how to use this thing."

"Harry's taught you a lot!"

"Well, I've taught him a few things--some things you never got round to," Ginny said archly. Kitty went pink, and Ginny immediately felt sorry. She realised she'd pushed too far, so she changed the subject, jerking her head at Shiro. "Is he always like that-so uptight?"

Kitty shrugged. "It's his way. He comes from a Japanese samurai family, and he was taught to be formal. You won't find a more loyal friend, though." She called to Shiro, "We have to figure out a way to get out of here or set up camp. I, for one, don't fancy dining on Japanese-style fried worm-even if it is extra crispy!"

"Blech!" groaned Ginny. "Did you have to say that?"

Kitty smirked, observing that Shiro, as always, was mildly puzzled by the by-play. He focused on the matter at hand. "I heard you shouting as I passed along a side passage that brought me to the gallery. We can leave that way."

"Excellent!" said Kitty. She held out a hand to Ginny. "C'mon, I can air-walk us up there."

"Er, I'd really rather not," Ginny refused, grimacing. "I was queasy before, what with giant worms and your sick jokes. My stomach can't handle any more."

"Allow me, Firebird," said Sunfire.

He scooped Ginny up in his arms-she was surprised by his strength-and sprang lightly into the air, rising smoothly to land gently on the balcony. He set Ginny down just as Ariel trotted easily up and over the rail and down to the floor.

"I entered through this door," said Shiro. "Perhaps we should leave that way, and continue in the direction I was pursuing?"

"Why not?" Ginny reasoned, "I think whoever or whatever runs this place will make sure we end up where they want us to be. Let's hope we can find some of the others while we're at it."

As they left, both Ginny and Kitty realised that they were grateful for Shiro's presence. A third person in the group stopped them from sniping at each other.

***

"And isn't it always the daftest thing that'll catch you out?" huffed Seamus.

"What's the problem?" Dazzler asked. She was perched prettily on the arm of a wing chair in a room that resembled a Victorian gentleman's study. The entrance had vanished, leaving them only one exit, the door by which Seamus now stood, pulling at his lip in frustration.

"It's these Wizarding locks, Alison. They're simple enough to open one at a time, but the Devil's in it, for both need to be open at the same time, and for that we need another wizard. Whichever way round I do it, as soon as I start on the second lock, the first one closes!"

Seamus blew out his cheeks. He was getting terribly frustrated. Alison jumped to her feet ready to assist the wizard she now felt was a friend. Seamus was upbeat and funny and nice enough looking. They might not get as far as a romance, Alison thought, but nothing was wrong with a little flirting, and her new friend needed encouragement. "Seamus, leave that a minute and come here!" she urged.

He lowered his wand, smiling tiredly. "I'm sorry, Alison, I just can't see a way round these bloody locks!"

"Then stop trying so hard," she chided. "Seamus, my special friends call me Ali. Now you come here!"

She put her arms around him and held him tightly. After a moment, his arms came round her and returned the hug. Alison continued to hold Seamus until she felt him relax and heard him sigh, and then she kissed him firmly on the cheek. "There! Isn't that better?"

Seamus stepped back when she released him. "That it is! Thanks, Ali. But I've got to take another stab at the door." Before he reached it, he stopped, nonplussed, at the sound of a knock on the other side.

A voice came through the barrier. "Hello? Is there anyone in there?"

"Padma?" called Seamus. "Is it yourself?"

"It was last time I looked! Are you OK?"

"We're stuck in here, me and one of the X-Men. Can you see the locks?"

"No locks this side. Why?"

"There's two in here that have to be opened at the same time and I can't manage it. Can you Apparate in?"

"Er, I might be able to...."

Just then, Padma was interrupted by another voice, a bass rumble Seamus recognised. "No need for that. Seamus, stand back, pal."

Seamus jumped back from the door. There was the sound of a thunderous blow, and the door fell into the room; a giant figure loomed beyond it.

"Peter! Merlin, but you're a sight for sore eyes!"

Colossus transformed into his human form and grasped Seamus' hand. "Still getting in over your head, I see. Is that Alison?"

"Hiya, Petey! How's tricks?"

"Magical, unfortunately," Peter said sourly.

"Tell me about it! Now, who's that with you? You been making conquests again, Petey?"

While he rolled his eyes, Padma and Alison introduced themselves, promptly beginning to chatter nineteen to the dozen. Peter filled Seamus in on what had happened to him, how he had appeared in the Water Room to be rescued by Padma, and how they had travelled on together.

The next room Padma and Peter encountered had been filled with impassable curtains of fire. Padma had noticed a channel worn into the floor. With considerable effort, she had summoned the waters from the tunnel they had just left to provide a safe, if somewhat steamy, path through this trial. The final room represented earth. As they entered it, rocks came alive, forming into manlike shapes that advanced on them.

At this point, Padma broke away from her conversation with Dazzler to take up the tale. She told Seamus and Alison that she'd been too weary to dispel the Earth Elementals; instead, Colossus had hammered a path with his pile-driving fists through the menacing rocks.

The four left the gentleman's study and walked until they found a blank wall into which was set a simple, wooden door.

"I know this place," Padma realised. "Seamus, it's the room where we slept last night. Have we been in this Labyrinth another whole day?"

"Feels like longer," replied Seamus. "I hope there's food!" He pushed open the door. The warm yellow light of Sanctuary flooded out along with a chorus of enthusiastic, welcoming voices.