Harry Potter and the Heir of Gryffindor

Chapter Fourteen: Into The Woods

The boat ride from Bermuda to the Scotland hadn't been a smooth one. As a result of the tossing sea, most of the students were either sick or in a very bad mood. Which meant that tensions were especially high between the Slytherins and Gryffindors. Especially when Neville, who was perhaps the most sea sick of all the students, made the mistake of throwing up all over a Slytherin. And not just any Slytherin, no.

Malfoy.

Draco was convinced that Neville had done it deliberately and by the time Harry and Ron reached the commotion, Draco had Neville in a headlock. It took Harry, Ron and Seamus to pry Neville away from Draco and when Ron shoved Draco in the chest, calling him a 'bloody bastard', a massive brawl broke out right there on the deck.

(Harry's glasses ended up being snapped yet again during the fray.)

Hagrid appeared, his face angry at the students' behavior.

"All of yers just need to calm down, y'hear? Thar'll be none of 'at otherwise I'm tellin' Cap'n Peel to turn this boat straight around and we'll head straight back to Hogwarts! I mean it! Act yer ages, all of yer!"

Now, Hagrid was the most physically daunting fellow any of the students knew, so you can imagine how little arguing there was against his words.

They reached Scotland's' shores and Harry was somewhat saddened by it: they had been to such wonderful, tropical climates, and now they were right back to shivering inside their robes again. It took the students a good hour to reach their destination by bus, and Hagrid and Professor Gray went about the business of setting up camp.

Their campsite rested in a spacious clearing, surrounded by the towering, majestic Evergreens belonging to the Caledonian. The Gryffindor tents were dark orange and the Slytherins were deep green. It was most obvious that the tents had been set up to avoid as much inter-house meddling as possible: there was a good one hundred feet between either side of the campsite.

Hagrid was in jovial spirits.

"T'ain't nothin' like the outdoors," he said as he made an enormous pit for the fire. "The fresh air, the nature wild an' free--" he took a deep breath. "Nothin' else like it!"

Harry smiled at his friend. "You don't need help with anything, do you Hagrid?"

"Nah, thanks Harry. Best go and get yerself ready-- we're gonna be havin' supper soon and then it'll be out into the woods."

It was very exciting. By 11:00 pm exactly, the fifth years had finished dinner, relaxed a bit, and were now standing in the center of the campsite, Hagrid's fire emanating warmth and towering high into the crisp night air. Harry pulled his robes around him tightly-- the lovely tropical temperatures of the week had obviously been spoiling.

Professor Snape stood before them all, his usual cross countenance firmly in place.

"It is imperative that every last one of you demonstrate your awareness of the importance of what we are about to see. That means, of course, there is to be no tom-foolery of any kind on our journey."

He walked along the straight lines of students, his black eyes meeting each student with a threatening glare. "Anyone, and I do mean anyone--" his gaze lingered on Harry, to no one's surprise, "who so much as speaks out of turn, will most assuredly pay dearly for their actions." He spun around and marched forward. "Follow."

The prefects led the students, Harry, Ron and Hermione trying desperately not to laugh as Seamus did his flawless imitation of Snape behind his back. Professor Warwick appeared from behind and smacked Seamus on the back of the head.

That really set everyone off laughing. Snape wheeled around and sneered vehemently. "What is--"

"Oh calm yourself, Professor," said Professor Warwick joining his side. "It was just me, that's all."

They reached a clearing after what seemed an eternity of walking. The full moon overhead seemed exceptionally bright, making it quite easy for Harry to see the faces of the other students. The world around him seemed to simply glow white. Snape's usual pallor, amplified by this moonlight made him appear ghostly.

"This ordinary looking clearing is indeed the birthplace of our kinds' greatest wizard. He was born here, nearly two thousand years ago. It appears to be nothing of immediate importance, this place. But at midnight only on the night of a full moon such as this, a spell that Morgan Le Fay cast here after Merlin's death comes to life." He paused. "It starts even now."

Harry could see brief, but very bright streaks of blue begin to fly past him. Within moments, it seemed that beams of blue light were raining from the sky. Then yellow, then red until a huge burst of light shot out of the middle of the clearing, forcing Harry to shield his eyes from the intensity. And then there it was-- the face of Merlin himself, glinting silver and motionless. It was somewhat translucent-- Harry could see the forest behind it, but just barely. The face, so large and magnificent and oddly life-like sent a shiver down his spine.

No one dared to even breathe.

And then a white, silver-ish steam seemed to rise from the face and it began to disintegrate. The students stood in awed silence. Even the Slytherins, for the first time ever appeared impressed. Snape's solemnity was somehow appropriate.

"Le Fay wanted an eternal memorial to Merlin. She wanted his face to be remembered for all time, here in the place where he was born."

The awesome sight had rendered Harry speechless. The journey home was thus spent in near silence-- the students all still stunned to the core by what they'd seen.

They arrived back at the campsite, fatigue creeping upon Harry rapidly. Ron told Harry he'd catch up with him and the others in the tent-- apparently a loo was in order. So Harry joined the other lads and collapsed inside the toasty warm tent, his sleeping bag feeling every bit as comfortable as the unbearable softness back at the Oleander House.

Neville, Dean and Seamus had already fallen fast asleep and Harry was just starting to nod off when he heard voices from outside his tent. Two voices that he knew very well-- Ron and Hermione's. He slipped his glasses back on and rolled out of his sleeping bag, tip-toeing carefully so as not to wake the others. He crept outside and around to the back of the tent, the voices getting clearer. It was Ron and Hermione without a shadow of a doubt. Harry strained his ear desperately to listen.

"I'm sorry Herimone," Ron was saying. "I'm sorry for having been such a jerk all this time. I honestly just didn't know how to act."

"Please don't apologize. All that is in the past now-- it doesn't matter. What does matter is the here and now."

"I know, and you're right of course, but I can't help it. I feel so guilty-- all the time I've wasted."

Harry shook his head, barely daring to believe his ears! He had to throw his hand around his mouth to keep from shouting out loud in celebration! He edged further along the tent, bubbling up in excitement, when he heard a snap. It sounded like a twig snapping beneath someone's feet, only it hadn't come from Ron and Hermione's direction. It had come from behind him, back towards the entrance of their tent. Harry turned and crept slowly back towards the direction of the noise.

It looked odd at first: three figures disappearing into the tent, dressed in what looked to be a funny sort of costume. He top-toed closely behind them. trying to understand, and then the smallest of the three spoke up.

"There's Longbottom! Right, you two ready?"

Harry knew Draco's voice anywhere. He also knew that sneaking into a tent, dressed as a monster to scare Neville was precisely the sort of thing he would do. Harry pulled out his wand, ready to give all three of them exactly what was coming to them.

But he didn't have time.

Within moments, the screams of Neville Longbottom were filling the tent, soon joined by the screams of Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan. Harry looked on helplessly as all three jumped to their feet, wands extracted and pointed at their assailants. Harry could hear shouts from the other tents and could see lights pop on around them.

Face to face with three wands must have frightened Crabbe, Goyle and Draco because they stumbled backwards, knocking Harry to the ground. Harry grabbed hold of one of their legs (judging by its' thickness, it must have been Crabbe) and wrestled on the floor with him.

"Get OFF!" Crabbe was shouting and his elbow went flying and hit Harry right on the head.

"Ouch!" Harry bellowed, releasing Crabbe to rub his forehead. Crabbe scrambled to his feet and made a break for it. And then--

"Ouch!"

Harry winced again. Only this time the pain was a much sharper one-- a throbbing on his scar. It was a pain he hadn't felt in quite some time-- not since the night that Cedric had died. . .

"WHAT IS THE MEANIN' OF ALL THIS?"

Harry didn't have time to worry about his scar, because Hagrid had appeared, his face very upset. The screaming and shouting stopped and in the blink of an eye, Hagrid was ushering everyone outside. The entire camp was now awake, all of them looking worried-- even a few of the Slytherins looked disturbed.

"What happened," Professor Snape demanded, marching up to Hagrid, still in his black robes, his eyes glued on Harry.

"Hagrid," Seamus began, "I dunno! I was woken by Neville screamin' bloody murder and then I saw this huge, ugly beast in front of me so I screamed too and then Dean woke up--"

"Beast?" Snape sneered.

"Yes! Tall and black--"

"It was your Slytherins," Harry snapped angrily.

"My Slytherins--"

"Yes," Harry shouted. "Draco, Crabbe and Goyle snuck into our tent to scare Neville-- probably to get back at him for what happened today on the boat."

That sparked Professor McGonagall's interest. "And what were you doing outside this hour of the night, Mr. Potter?"

"I . . ." Harry blinked. "Couldn't sleep. I . . . have a headache." It was true, after all. His scar was positively throbbing. He looked around for Sirius, wanting to let him know that his scar was starting up again-- something was about to happen.

"That is a very serious accusation you've made," said Professor Snape, "especially without any proof--"

"There's your proof," Ron spoke up, pointing towards the Slytherin side of the camp. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were approaching them dressed in their robes. "There they are! What, they just happen to be the only ones in the whole camp who slept through all this commotion? Even the other Slytherins are out here!"

"Mr. Malfoy," said Professor Warwick, "is it true what Mr. Potter has just claimed? This is all your doing?"

Draco folded his arms. "Me? Never, Professor."

In a flurry of movement, Hagrid had bent down and extracted something big and black from underneath Crabbe's robes.

"Oh really? What's this, then? I'm sure it ain't yer nightie!"

Hagrid dangled the ugly black costume in front of them, triumphantly. The Professors' faces all grew red with anger-- even Snape's. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a deep, low rumbling noise.

Everyone turned towards the direction of the noise-- it was coming from within the forest. Suddenly, bursting out of the brush, galloped a Unicorn-- beautiful and brilliant white. It walked slowly towards the camp, everyone gasping at its unexpected appearance. The unicorn stood perfectly still for a moment, its black eyes studying the scene, and then it bowed deeply.

From out of the Professors, it was Ariah Warwick who approached it, her head high and voice soft.

"Hello Morad."

"Hello, Ariah. It has been much too long."

"Indeed it has. Why have you come here tonight?"

"To tell you that you must get these children away from here, Ariah. This is a safe place no longer."

Harry was too stunned to ask questions--such as how this Unicorn was speaking.

"Why is that?"

"There is news. Terrible news . . . Azkaban has been liberated."

A shudder tore through the students.

"When?"

"Only just. Even now the Dark Lord is gathering his long banished supporters. . . we fear much bloodshed, Ariah."

Professor Warwick remained perfectly poised.

"Thank you, Morad."

The gorgeous beast bowed again and galloped away, leaving the entire crowd speechless: mesmerized by Morad's brilliance and terrified by his message. Harry put his hand to his forehead-- he was extremely worried over the fact that his scar still burned. He found Sirius standing beside him.

Sirius looked down at Harry, then at his scar, then back at Harry questioningly. Harry nodded-- Yes, Sirius. My scar is burning again.

Sirius must have understood this because his

expression darkened. "Hagrid," he said sternly, "You heard what Morad said."

"Aye," he said immediately, "Let's pack up the children, now!"

The students looked at each other and kicked their feet around before heading towards their tents.

"Best hurry," said Professor Warwick in a strangely distant voice. "I don't like the feeling in the air . . . it's much too . . ."

". . . quiet," finished Snape. He pointed his finger at the students. "Prefects, round up your houses. Hagrid? Loading the bus are you?"

"Aye, just finishing up."

"Excellent. Professors McGonagall and Gray, tend to the Gryffindors. Slytherin house, follow me--"

But Snape's words were still on the tip of his lips when the ground began to quake below their feet. And in then in the very next instant, the trees surrounding them seemed to sway, branches went snapping and flying in every which direction, and an enormous pack of fierce beasts the like of which Harry had never seen before came tearing down onto the campsite.

They ran on all fours and at first Harry thought them to be werewolves until they got closer: they had murky brown fur, horribly mangled faces, and teeth that sharpened to lethal points--a whole mouthful of them. And the noise--oh, their high-pitched squeal was just as terrifying as their nightmarish faces!

Professor Warwick had already pulled out her wand. "Impossible--it can't be! Syads! GET THOSE KIDS INTO THE BUS NOW!"

She pointed her wand at the monsters and shouted a curse Harry couldn't recognize-Snape and Sirius had done the same thing.

"Come ON," Hermione was ordering, her face wrenched in horror. She pulled Harry and Ron's sleeves, and Draco following them closely at a break-neck pace.

One of the beasts cut in between Herimone and Harry and she screamed. The monster lunged for Harry's leg, but Ron had pulled out his wand and shouted "Stupefy!" just as the horrific teeth made contact with Harry's leg.

Harry hadn't anytime to thank Ron, because four more of the animals had surrounded them, forcing them to make a run for it--in the opposite direction.

"We-have-to-get-on-the-bus," Draco was shouting.

"GEE, YOU THINK?" Harry snapped.

They could hear Hermione screaming for them to come back, but there was no way they could fight their way through the pack of beasts. A mighty scream rang through Harry's ears and he turned his head to see a beast, from another direction, careening straight for Draco! Draco's face went white and he tried to run, but tripped over his feet and stumbled, still screaming the desperate scream of someone sure they are about to die.

Sirius saw this and threw his body against the creature, knocking it to the ground, wrestling it with his own bare hands.

"RUN, MALFOYM!" Sirius shouted, "Harry! GO!"

Draco stumbled to his feet, shaken, and made a break for it. Mortified, Harry pointed his wand at the frothing beast wrestling with Sirius and shouted "Stupefy!" The beast froze, but not before Sirius let out an earth-shattering scream of pain-- the Syad's horrific mouthful of teeth had sunk into his leg!

"SIRIUS!" Harry shouted, running for him.

"HARRY, WATCH OUT," Ron pointed to a new slew of the monsters which were bearing down on them from the opposite direction.

He wanted to help his beloved Sirius, but instead found himself running for his own life-- he could feel the scalding hot breath of the beasts at his feet. Then suddenly, Harry was met face to face with one of the Syads who had appeared out of nowhere-- his ravenous jaws opened. Harry braced for the pain--and then a blue light shot past him.

Snape had appeared, his face contorted with anger. "POTTER," he said, grabbing Harry's arm, "All three of you! This way, NOW!"

Harry had never run so quickly in his life.

The images were blurred as they ran after Snape-all he knew was that the bus was the other direction. They seemed to be running into the forest. Away from the rest of the students-but at least away from the Syads!

Darkness shrouded them, the ground getting softer, their feet crunching on brush and branches. Draco and Ron were wheezing, gasping for breath and Harry too felt he was about to collapse when Snape's pace finally slowed, then stopped, and he shouted, "Ariah!"

"Here!" She answered, apparating. "Hurry!"

She pressed her palm into the nook of a large rock and to Harry's shock, there was a deep rumbling noise and then the rock appeared to split in half!

"Inside!" She ordered, sliding into the opening. The rest followed.

And then it was dark.

Only heavy breathing was heard for a very long time.