Ynunlle

Chapter VIII

Day Three

Harry and Neville took the lead with Remus the next morning, while Charlie dropped back to the rear with Edward. They left a half hour after sunrise. This was the day they hoped to make better time, although they still weren't going to push it very hard.

"I guess I should thank you," Neville muttered after nearly an hour of walking.

"For what?" Harry asked.

"For last night."

Harry shook his head. "I meant it last night, Neville. You're a good friend, and I do feel protective of you, Remus, Edward, Carole, and all the Weasleys. Even Hagrid. But I do feel especially responsible for, well. . . ."

"I know." Neville walked a little faster, so that they could speak more privately. "Harry, you do know Ginny still loves you?"

"Neville, she got over that crush a long time ago. . . ."

"I know," Neville said simply. "And I even know she loves me more than she loves you. But she does love you."

Harry blushed.

"Now, I'm not too worried about being hurt here," Neville went on, "but something could happen later. It's nice knowing you'll always look out for Ginny, especially if something ever does happen to me." He glanced at Harry. "I care for you more than I can ever say, Harry. You've been like a brother to me. You, Hermione, and Ron helped me become the wizard I am, but Ginny is the center of my life."

"I know, Neville."

"Keep alert, you two!" Tonks told them. Harry and Neville split apart.

As Harry and Neville stopped their conversation, Edward stepped closer to Charlie. "What do you think they were talking about?"

"I don't think I want to know," Charlie almost snarled.

"Still angry with Harry?"

Charlie shrugged and sighed. "Not really. More angry with Ginny. I mean, look at her! She's a beautiful teen; most heterosexual males would drool at a glance at her! So I can't blame Neville, but I do blame her. Ron looked for glory; Ginny looks for affection from peers."

"I understand," Edward told him. "I worry about Harry and his relationships, but there's nothing I can do about them. And he'll always be news. The publicity will hurt them all when it comes out."

"If they see him like I did last night, they won't let out a peep!" Charlie said fervently.

"I love Charlie, but I really wish Hagrid had come," Ginny grumbled to Tonks as the group took a break that afternoon. They were just on the sunny side of the crest of a small mountain that rose high both to their north and south. The rest of the group was back about thirty yards, on the shady side. The pair was acting as lookouts, looking down the next narrow valley they were going to enter.

Tonks shrugged. "They both have useful skills. Just be grateful we haven't needed any so far!"

"You know what I mean, Tonks! Everyone must, the way you have all been walking on egg-shells."

Tonks smiled, and her hair went from blonde to Weasley red.

"Very funny!"

Tonks shrugged again. "I never had the opportunities any of you have had, and none of the family life you've had. I was treated badly when I wasn't being ignored by everyone except my Mum and Dad and Sirius until his conviction. It took me a long time to partially get over Sirius' conviction, and a while to be accepted into auror training."

Tonks looked at Ginny. "My aunt killed my father and tried to kill my mother. Try growing up knowing that! I never really had any happiness from the time my father was killed until I got together with Remus. So, be glad Charlie cares, Ginny. Be glad Neville loves you. Be glad you have friends like Hermione and Luna. And, of course. . . ."

"Be glad the most dangerous teen in the wizarding world is on my side?"

Tonks smiled. "Exact. . . ."

"What?"

Tonks pointed. About a mile or so away, the road crested a smaller hill, and there were two trolls facing each other down. Ginny scrambled over the hill to get the others.

Staying low, the nine watched the two trolls out-staring each other.

"This could go on for days," Remus muttered.

"Too dumb to blink?" Ginny asked.

"Something like that," Edward acknowledged. "Remus, Charlie, come on. We'll have to stun them. Tonks, Harry, you stay here. The rest of you can come about twenty yards down to that switch-back. If you see blue sparks, Tonks, hurry everyone along. If you see red sparks, Harry gathers the group and you all go into the habitat immediately, Tonks bringing up the rear just in case the trolls back-track us. Understood?"

The six nodded.

They had to wait nearly thirty minutes, but finally they saw the two trolls collapse. Blue sparks went up almost immediately.

It took just a few minutes to reach the site on the jog. The stench was only bad as they came within twenty feet of the fallen beings. The group had been hurrying along, but they now went from a slow jog to nearly a run to get past the trolls as fast as possible.

Edward pointed to the start of the next small mountain, some two hundred yards ahead. "Let's jog to where the road goes around the mountain." He, Remus, and Charlie broke into a jog. "We've been going slightly more up than down since we left the river. Around the foot of the mountain we should be going down a hundred and fifty feet over a two mile walk. That should get us far enough away from those two."

Everyone saved their breath and merely nodded. Once around the bend, they walked slowly down the hill. Another mile brought the road to the edge of a marshy area.

"This should be a safe place to camp," Edward said as they approached the top of a slight hill. It was only 75 minutes before sunset. "The road skirts the marsh for about three and a half miles. If we stay on the road, and the road is intact, there shouldn't be many problems."

"And what problems might we encounter, Mister Potter?" Remus asked in his 'professorial' voice.

"Huh?"

"Think, Mister Potter. Not all Dark Arts are concerned with Dark Wizards."

"Oh, hinkypunks, and perhaps grindylows or kappas if the water is deep enough," Harry answered.

"Very good," Remus said, but then he frowned. "And there might be boggarts, which means no one must go off on their own from here to the far side of the swamp. If there have been vampires near the cave, we should really keep an eye out there as well."

Tonks had opened the habitat. Ginny, Neville, Hermione, Luna, Harry, Tonks, Charlie, Edward, and Remus went in in order.

"How far did we go today?" Harry asked.

"About eighteen miles," Edward. "Not bad, although I'd hoped we would make it to the far side of the marsh. The trolls slowed us down."

"So we should make the cave tomorrow afternoon?" Neville asked.

"Maybe," Edward said firmly. "It's thirteen miles. The cave is on the far side of a valley, across a small river. We'll climb a small mount on the near side of the valley and survey the situation. There almost certainly will be at least one vampire, possibly with servants. Obviously, a quick in-and-out would be best, but we have lots of time if we need it."

A little before dawn, a cringing, stunted man approached his master. "Your Darkness summonsed me?"

"Yes," the Vampire hissed. "I smelt healthy flesh as I checked the area just past the swamp. However, I found no one. Do you know what that means, meat?"

"Old Ones? Or perhaps Outsiders?"

"Most likely Outsiders. They will likely be on the mount by this afternoon. Take five servants. Hide yourselves well just before noon, wherever you can see parts of the road. I want to know how many there are."

"Yes, Master." The servant hesitated.

"What?" the cold voice demanded.

"And the others that come, Master?"

"It shall be . . . interesting."

Day 4

Emerging the next morning half an hour after dawn, the group was confronted by a light fog around the campsite, but it was obviously thicker down around the marsh itself.

Remus transformed, while Edward addressed the travelers. "We'll go single file today, except for Harry and myself at the end. Until the fog lifts, stick close; three to five yards!"

"As long as we stick to the north-side of the road, the only dangers from the marsh should be boggarts," Charlie reminded everyone. "Remus will alert us of trouble ahead, and trolls shouldn't approach once they catch sight or smell of us, unless there's another stand-off like yesterday. We need to move through this quickly, if possible."

The group had not really exerted themselves until late the previous afternoon. They didn't overly push themselves this morning, but went faster than they had the previous two days. The fact that the road was much more level helped. They made the near-side of the cavern's valley well-before noon. The mount they were heading for rose steeply more than a hundred and fifty above them.

"How do we do this?" Hermione asked.

Remus popped back into human form. "There's a path a little further around the curve of the mount that should lead to the top," Remus said softly. "However, there are at least three people watching us from the far hill. And one of them has had contact with a vampire recently."

Edward stopped twirling his wand in his left hand. "Shit," he said softly. "I was afraid things were going to easily."

"Do we still go up this mount?" Harry asked. "If we know the path, then they probably expect us to go up that path."

"True," Edward admitted. "But that's the only close look-out on the bridge."

Neville gestured towards the stream that was running near the road. "A bridge across this? If so, it should easily enough to ford."

"No," Charlie told him, "this runs into a small river in about a mile. It's narrow but too deep to ford."

"We have plenty of time to get to the cavern," Ginny pointed out.

"But not a lot of time to get away," Edward reminded her.

"It might be best to be on the other side of that river by nightfall, since they know we're here," Harry said strongly. "And, if worse comes to worst, we blow it today and hide in the habitat. We'll have bad visions, but nothing I see can be as bad as what I've lived."

Edward and Remus exchanged a glance. "Why not?" Remus finally said.

Charlie and Edward both grinned. "No voice of reason?" Edward asked.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" Hermione demanded, stamping her boot.

"Because you're the only sensible person here besides me." Luna's soft, dreamy voice came from a distance. The group turned towards her.

Luna's eyes were closed, and there was a soft glow around her. "What?" Harry asked of no one in particular. He took a step towards her, but Remus stopped him.

"She's Seeing, Harry," Remus said. "We don't normally observe the aura, but she's drawing impressions of the magic around us. She's not predicting, of course, but she can see the currents of magic and probability."

"The Dead are in crypts on the north hill and in the cavern," Luna said. "Some servants are watching us and some are to the south. Most are to the west. Others are coming; two other groups are coming to the cavern. I can't See who they are, but the nearest will be as close as we are by nightfall."

The aura faded, and Harry and Hermione went to hug their lover, who was very unsteady on her feet. "Are you alright, Luna?" Edward asked gently.

"It's never been anywhere this powerful at home," she said, amazed. "Seeing has always been much more . . . subliminal and impressionistic." She frowned. "I didn't like this. It's too strong." Harry and Hermione kissed either side of her pout. Luna smiled.

"Let's go," Edward said.

"Excelsior!" Hermione said, turning to head around the curve.

"O Hermione!" Luna exclaimed, "I love that poem! Do you know it by heart, too?"

Hermione nodded, and Edward and Remus laughed. Harry then added, "I had to recite the damn thing by memory my last year before coming to Hogwarts."

"Stanzas One, Four, and Five?" Luna suggested.

Harry and Hermione thought about it, and nodded. "Of course," Hermione agreed. "The servants know we're here, so let's make a lot of noise. Why be afraid?"

"You three go ahead," Edward said with a smile. "We'll keep watch." He knew the vampire servants were always the weakest of the natives, and a show of bravado might impress their masters a little. And, if not, it probably wouldn't hurt at this point. Luna linked her right arm with Harry's left, while Hermione did the same on his right side. They set off quickly down the road, while the others followed, bemused.

Luna started off:

"The shades of night were falling fast,
As through an Alpine village passed
A youth, who bore, 'mid snow and ice,
A banner with the strange device,"
And Harry shouted, "Excelsior!"

Hermione took up the fourth verse:
"'Try not the Pass!' the old man said;
'Dark lowers the tempest overhead,
The roaring torrent is deep and wide!'
And loud that clarion voice replied,"
"EXCELSIOR!" Harry repeated.

Hermione and Luna then chanted together:
"'Oh stay,'" the maidens said, 'and rest
'Thy weary head upon this breast!'"
Harry then added, "A tear stood in his bright blue, err, green eye,
But still he answered, with a sigh,
"Excelsior!"

The trio laughed. "Laughing while strolling into danger," Charlie said to Edward, slightly disapproving and slightly in admiration.

"The danger will come if any vampire can stay alert deep in the cavern, or from whomever is coming. If the vampires can't stay alert, which should be the way it works, then the dangers will come after we leave this valley. The vampires are keeping all the other dangers far away from this place. Our trio's power is the power of love, Charlie. It's the most powerful source of magic there is. No evil can stand up to it." Edward looked at the trio in admiration. "Harry loves, Charlie. He loves with more power than I have ever seen. I was almost surprised it failed to bring Ron back. As long as Harry loves, and is loved, we will prevail, in this world and our own."

"Is that why you're not putting any breaks on him?"

"Dumbledore took care of that," Edward growled. "Harry can't be controlled by anything other than himself. Right now, the only two beings he trusts enough to really listen to, who can make him stop and think, are Hermione and Luna. The Dursleys ruined Harry's ability to easily trust. Dumbledore ruined Harry's capacity to trust in superiors. Be glad Luna and Hermione were there for Harry, along with Ron and Ginny, and Neville. Without them, Harry might have become a more terrible presence than Voldemort ever thought of becoming."

"I can't see Harry as a Dark wizard," Charlie said.

"Harry wouldn't have been Dark; Harry would have been more terrible, because he would have ruled through a perverted love for the world, and he would have been just as oppressive and ruthless, if not as vile."

Less than an hour later, the group was standing in front of the cavern opening. Sweeping the meadowy valley behind them with his omnioculars, Edward commented, "Three of the servants are still trying to crawl after us."

"One doesn't disappoint a vampire master," Remus reminded his friend.

"True," Edward admitted, "they were no doubt told to keep an eye on us, and of course don't have binoculars, let alone omnioculars."

"Plan One?" Remus asked.

"What's Plan One?" Harry asked, suspiciously.

"Charlie, Remus, and myself go in, Remus with his shotgun taking the lead. I'll have my wand out as well, and I have the charge ready. Charlie follows, wand out. You come to near the first tunnel split. Neville goes in half way to the split. The rest of you makes certain no one more dangerous than those servants threaten the outside, unless Neville calls you in. Neville, you don't call them in unless Harry is in trouble or he relays our call. Everyone got it?"

They all nodded.

In less than thirty minutes, the trio was back. "That didn't take long," Harry remarked as they approached.

"No active vampires, no servants, and no small gems," Charlie, who was in the lead, told him. They had planned on collecting the small flake gems that fell near the spout at the very least. "They'd all been collected, and the pool sheets had smashed and collected, too." The liquid gem material also welled up in a few places other than the spout, although not in any large way.

Harry turned and hurried behind the trio. Neville turned as they approached, and in a few seconds, they were all outside.

"So you didn't get any?" Harry asked.

Edward smiled and pulled an iron mallet from the back of his belt. "Oh, yeah; knocked about a third of the spout mass, but we didn't get greedy."

Remus was looking at his watch. "Ten seconds."

A loud 'THRUMP' was heard, followed by other noises -- small rocks falling from the ceiling and other similar sounds.

"Do we check?" Neville asked.

"No," Edward said firmly. "We know it went off on schedule, and it would take someone fairly powerful, and with a knowledge of the charms and the Muggle technology, to have had any chance of interfering with the charges. It doesn't matter if the natives can restart the flow or not; it should take a number of years for them to arrange any way to get the flow going in such a way to create a mass that can be used to control people in our world."

"Shall we get going, or have lunch?" Hermione asked.

"We have sandwiches," Edward said. "We can take turns to eat as we go. We want to get ahead of whatever other groups are coming here."

"The same route back, or the north route?" Charlie asked. As they had come to the bridge crossing the small river, they had also crossed a north-south road. "Or doesn't that lead where we have to go?"

"In a sense it does," Remus told them. "It's a forty-mile hike to a small village that's up-river from our arch, but the road then goes north. To get to the arch, we'd either have to hike through virgin forest or boat some fifteen or eighteen miles to get to the arch."

"The vampires can always catch up," Charlie reminded them. "And they can go due east to the vampire nest below the rapids." The road to that village met their route at the start of the swamp.

"It's quickest to go back the way we came," Edward said. "We have a good three and a half hours to walk."

"I think we should walk back east," Tonks said. She looked at Luna and Harry.

"What do you think?" Luna asked Harry.

"Quicker is better," Harry said. He looked at his girlfriends. "What do you two think?"

"I'd like to keep the visions unsullied," Luna said, "but you were right before. If we have to, we can hide out."

"I agree," Hermione said. Neville nodded his agreement.

"Then let's go!" Ginny said. They made eight miles before going into their habitat.

A few hours after dark, a torchlight procession stopped in front of the mouth of the cave. A figure stepped out from the group. "Come forth, Dark One!" the voice commanded.

A vampire appeared. "You are brave, mortal."

"Silence! Kneel before the Lord of the Day!"

The vampire sneered. "Old Ones! Well, Old Ones, you're too late."

"Too late for what?" a less bombastic voice asked. The wizards standing between this voice and the vampire moved out of the way, and the speaker's pure white garments seemed dazzling even in torchlight. The vampire lord shivered in fear. This was indeed the Lord of the Day, the leader of the Old Ones, the small group of wizards who were as powerful as the Outsiders, although none knew how they preserved the magic of the Other World or had mastered the powers of this one. The Old Ones rarely traveled from their distant large island, and the Lords of the Day had not left it for hundreds of years.

"A group of Outsiders came today. They destroyed the Sacred Spout!"

Most of the group shouted in anger and horror.

"Silence!" the Lord's voice commanded. "How?"

"Our servants can not tell us. Another group arrived before dusk. They were led by another Outsider, but they were People of the West."

"The Unclean," the bombastic wizard spat.

"They tortured our servants, killing the one who might have told us anything! The leader of the second group killed the High Master when he would not bow in obedience! He claims to be the Lord of Night."

"Blasphemy!" many voices screamed in protest.

"How many Outsiders are in the first group?" the Lord asked.

"A full group of nine, Lord. Three adult males, one a wolf, and an adult female. Five near-adults, two males."

"And the Unclean?"

"The one Outsider, and twenty warriors."

"Is the Chamber destroyed?"

"No, Lord, but the Spout is. The pipe that flowed to it also seems somewhat . . . clogged. However, the rate of flow is so slow, it will be at least a year before we can know for certain."

"How far ahead of us are the Unclean and the Outsiders?"

"The Outsiders are some eight miles to the east, although we cannot see their camp. The Westerners just stopped, nearly three miles to the east."

"Scribe!" the Lord commanded.

"Lord?"

"Give me parchment." The Lord wrote a short note. He then turned to the vampire. "You will take this to the campsite of the Outsiders. You can smell where their scent disappears. Walk slowly around the area, even slower than human speed. Then place this, unopened, under a rock a few feet away from the place where the scent disappeared. Take the rock with you. Do this, and we will have no complaint against you."

The vampire nodded, turned into a bat, and took the note away.