Life on the edge

Harry swallowed hard when they entered the infirmary - and then let out a small cry of surprise: Sitting on a bed, visibly exhausted, but otherwise unharmed, was Remus Lupin.

Harry run towards him, and the former teacher smiled at the sight of him.

"Remus! Are you ok? They didn't hurt you, did they? Why were they after you? Are you sure you're alright?"

Remus laughed and pulled Harry in an embrace.

"Yes, don't worry, I'm fine. Although they really gave me a run for my money... And you? Were you able to get back inside in time?"

Harry nodded and sat down next to Remus with a broad smile. Dumbledore had taken a seat at the end of the bed and watched them both with amusement. But it was time for him to get more information.

"Remus, would you please tell us what has happened that you had to leave your cover? I hope you didn't put yourself in more danger than you are already in?"

Remus became serious.

"No, Albus, that wasn't it. I stayed under cover the whole time, as you told me, and tried to get information from the other dark creatures in the area."

He ignored Harry's shocked stare when he mentioned the "other" dark creatures; the boy had to get used to the fact that he, Remus, was one as well, even if he tried to supress it as far as he could.

"I'd got the news that a lot of the kind had disappeared in the last few weeks; not only animalic dark creatures, but harpyies, werewolves, and vampires as well. I tried to follow their tracks where they had vanished, in my wolf-form of course, but three weeks ago I was captured, too."

Dumbledore nodded. "I've recieved the message that you were missing, and we did everything to find you; but without success."

Remus nodded grimly. "That doesn't surprise me. I was caught by Death Eaters, Rosier and his lot, to be precise. But luckily they didn't recignised me in my other form, they thought they had just caught another werewolf - of the non-human kind, you know. They put me into a large cage with four other wolves, and in the following days I could find out a bit about their plans. They thought we all were "normal" werewolves, so they didn't mind speaking freely in front of us."

Remus' eyes glittered with amusement at that, but Harry could imagine how terrible it must had been for him, being caged with wild creatures which had, despite himself, no scruples to kill. Remus had always fought the werewolf inside him, and now he had been surrounded by exactly those violent creatures which remembered him of the beast he was once in a month himself. And only his werewolf-form had kept him alive; quite ironic... Harry shuddered briefly and kept listening.

"It appears that Voldemort is catching all dark creatures he can get his hands on. Rosier mentioned something according to that I understood that Voldemort's recent plans include to somehow suck the magical power out of the dark creatures, focus them on himself and increase his own magic in this way. I know it sounds weird, but that is what I heard back in that cage."

Harry didn't know what to think about that. It sounded too similar to one of those science-fiction movies his cousin was so fond of, but Dumbledore looked very garve and didn't talk for a long time. Then he looked up, and Harry flinched: he had never seen the headmaster with such a steely gaze.

Dumbledore mustered Remus grimly.

"It seems that Voldemort tries to create a manifestation of Dark Magic; he searches the Essence of Magic."

Hermione had burried herself in research, but for the first time in her life she was following four different tracks at the same time. She had racked her brain for a possible explanation of her recent dream, and had spent more time than she was willing to admit in the Divination Section of the library. She also had dug out a small Finnish grammar book, which included some basic vocabulary, and additionally she had tried to find as much information as possible about the "Essence of Magic" Dumbledore had mentioned to her. One name had appeared again and again in the literature concerning the latter one: Sinikka Lahtinen. It seemed that Snape's mother had made a discovery of some sort in that matter; but what exactly that had been, or where to find it, the books kept silent about.

Hermione threw her quill across the library table. She was extremely frustrated. Everything seemed circulating around everything, and she couldn't find a way to break into the circle. She leaned back into her chair and rubbed her eyes. Lahtinen was famous for her discoveries and developments in the field of Elementary Magic. That meant she had studied the powers of the elements, not only for their importance in potion brewing, but their very individual powers. Hermione glanced down on her last book, which bore a silvery septagon on its cover, each corner ornamented with the sign of one element. "Elemental Elementary Studies" read the title, but apart from the promising headline it had merely been a waste of time. The author had obviously disliked the idea of using the elements isolated from potions, and his introduction to this field he made very clear of that in an airy, ironic voice.

Hermione traced a silvery outline with her index. Ice... Ron had told her that Lahtinen's preference had been that element. She traced another one. Fire; Earth; Air; Water; Ice; Soil; Ore... Hermione's hand hovered above the last symbol, and she frowned. What was the seventh element? She had never come across it in potions, or in her own research about various topics as well. She regarded the symbols closer; yes, they were the old alchemical signs for the elements... A thrilling wave washed over her as she felt herself close at unlocking something - well, unknown and important. The alchemical signs were symbols, and symbols were stylized pictures, and also were - runes!

Hermione concentrated on the Fire sign. A triangle, tip on bottom, included a sign similar to the tip of an arrow... Remembering the fact that these were indeed very old runes, the entire symbol could be translated with... Hermione fetched her quill hastily and grabbed a new parchment.

"...as flame (or fire) in corporal manifestation; no, better, in mental and physical manifestation; or..."

The realisation sent a new wave of excitement through her body.

"...or, in human manifestation!"

The triangle was traditionally linked, according to uncountable magical rune-alphabets, to the idea of a living being with body, breath and soul - humans. A piece of her last wicked dream dwelled up in Hermione's memory: Snape's posture... the posture of a praying Germanic warrior... Germanic!

She dashed out of her corner and grabbed some well chosen books from the shelves: "Introduction to Germanic Religion, mythology and Rituals", "The Germanic Rune-Divination Guide", "Dictionary of Germanic Runes". Yes, that would do.

Half an hour later Hermione had cracked down the specific meaning of the triangle in the Fire sign. The corners - not the sides, as she had always thought - held indeed the meanings of 1. body: that excluded ghosts, evil spirits and a few demons. 2. breath: that excluded the whole section of the Undead, as well as water creatures. And 3., soul: This last one excluded, following Germanic believes, children, animals, giants and other magical creatures. Together the three corners founded the pictogram of the human being. The conditions "body, breath and soul" were additionally related to the elements, Body to Earth, Breath to Air, and Soul to... Hermione stared at the last, unknown rune-pictogram. This had to be the link to Soul.

The symbol was formed out of three small circles, each parted in itself by a single-waved line. The three circles sat on the corners of yet another triangle, only the linking lines in between were missing. In the centre of the triangle hovered a diamond-shaped rune which Hermione didn't know. She looked it up in the dictionary, and found herself dumbstruck with glee: The meaning of the little diamond was 'Magic'!

She took a closer look at the pictogram, now that she was sure it meant "Element of Magic". She noticed that the two circles at the bottom weren't entirely closed; each had a tiny break in its outline, exactly facing each other. Hermione held a ruler to the book-cover. Yes, the breaks were opposite, and she would be able to connect them with a thin drawn line. She looked at the third circle on the tip: This one was closed. She frowned in irritation, what was this supposed to mean?! Or was she over-interpreting things?

She decided to investigate the signs on the background of the wavy, parting line. In a way it remembered her of the Chinese Yin/Yang symbol... In a flash Hermione grabbed the dictionary. Indeed, the according rune symbolized "Human Mind". She took a closer look on each circle. She noticed that the left one was nearly blackened with crossed, thin lines; the one on top was darkened with single thin lines, but lighter than the left one. The last one, on the right, was unmarked and white. Black, less black and white... The image of her dream-Snape dwelled back upon her, looking like the negative of a Muggle photography, her own mirror-image in his eyes...

Hermione jumped when she understood. She trembled violently, dreaded screaming out loud or running to Dumbledore at top speed, but she forced herself to take a new, large scroll of parchment and a new quill, and carefully she started to write.