|
Hunters and Prey | ||||||
|
Category: Post-Hogwarts, Post-DH/AB Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance Warnings: Mild Language, Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 295 Summary: February 2000 Newly Qualified (in record time) Auror Harry Potter remains obsessed with “The List.” The ten people still wanted for their part in the Battle of Hogwarts. Their capture is essential. It will bring closure to the events of the past few years. Harry has set himself a target. He wants to see “The Last Death Eater” and the other nine captured before the second Anniversary of the battle. His attempts to meet his target will bring heartbreak, danger, and pain. Hitcount: Story Total: 112109; Chapter Total: 7193 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: Thanks to Amelíe for her comments, corrections and input. Please review. Constructive criticism is always gratefully received. |
Previous Next |
|
||||
|
13. The Hunt: Tooth and Claw ‘Wait!’ Doxine Gray shouted. ‘That’s Harry Potter.’ Verulf Lowell peered curiously at the person on the ground in front of him. ‘Harry Potter?’ he asked incredulously. ‘That’s me,’ Harry grunted. He ignored Lowell and instead looked around the village. Payne and Youen were still unconscious. He had put a lot of power behind his Stunning Spells, so they would probably be out for hours. Doxine Gray was examining Youen’s wife. Dacia’s daughters had been released. Ruby and Jade were being comforted by their mother; they were safe. Amber, however, was nowhere to be seen. ‘Yvonne’s dead,’ Doxine announced. ‘Crucio,’ Lowell shouted. Harry felt his broken ribs twist as his body arched in pain. When the spell ended he feigned unconsciousness. Opening one eye a fraction, he tried to find his mokeskin pouch. He was fairly sure that neither Lowell nor Doxine had picked it up. The Skoll girls were out of immediate danger. If he could just find his wand! He risked moving his head. ‘Stupefy,’ Lowell shouted. Harry felt the spell hit him. Unconsciousness would at least mean relief from pain he thought, as everything went black. When he awoke, Harry was dangling by his arms in the air. His wrists were bound tightly and his fingers felt stiff and bloated. His almost immobile fingers were the least of his worries; his shoulders, ribs and chest wound were competing to see which could be most painful. His shoulders were losing the fight, but if he was left hanging for a few more hours that might change. Harry didn’t move and didn’t open his eyes; instead, he tried to determine where he was and whether he was being watched. It was bitterly cold, and he could feel a breeze; so he was almost certainly outdoors. He was hanging by his arms, but his back was resting on rough stone; so he was probably hanging from the outer wall of the bastle, it was the only two storey stone building in the area. He could smell the trees and the sickly sweet smell of cow manure. This convinced him that he was correct. It was dark, but not completely dark because the night was bright with moonlight. He wondered when, or if, help would arrive. In his last report, he’d told Ron and Neville that he’d definitely miss the 9:00 p.m. report. For that reason they would count the 9:00 a.m. one as the first one he had actually missed. Tomorrow’s 9:00 p.m. report would be the second, and then they would come looking. But by then, the full moon would have risen, and he’d have failed everyone. He had to escape. He lifted his head and opened his eyes. He had correctly guessed his location, but he was being watched by Zachary Youen. ‘You killed my wife!’ Youen shouted, ‘Crucio.’ ‘Stop it!’ he heard Ruby Skoll shout. ‘Silence your whelp, Dacia,’ snarled Youen, his voice high and wild. ‘If you don’t, she’ll get the same treatment!’ As the pain subsided, Harry kept his head down and tried to surreptitiously focus on his surroundings. He was right. He’d been hung on the outer wall of the Bastle. He wore his ripped and bloody t-shirt and his jeans, but he was barefoot. His head still hanging, he looked as far forwards as he dared. An iron cage thirty feet in front of him contained Dacia Skoll and her daughters. The cage was simple and basic, a six foot, barred cube. Youen was standing on top of it. After some time, Harry risked looking up and around. One glimpse of the night sky told him that it was already after midnight. He’d been unconscious for hours. ‘What did you do with Scabior?’ Youen shouted. Harry said nothing. ‘Crucio!’ Harry remembered his torture at Tom Riddle’s hands. In the Forbidden Forest he’d successfully feigned death. He tried to relax, to remove himself from the pain, but this time, it wasn’t so easy. Youen waited for Harry’s muscles to stop twitching and cramping before ordering, ‘Tell me. Now!’ ‘Sigbert Scabior was wanted for questioning by the Auror Office,’ Harry began, desperately trying to buy himself some time to recover, time to try to plan his escape. ‘I arrested him, using Portkey handcuffs; he was immediately transported to an Auror cell in the Ministry in London.’ Youen swore. ‘You are Zachary Youen,’ Harry continued, ‘you, together with Gordon Payne, are also wanted for questioning by the Auror Office. I am placing you under arrest. If you will accompany me to London we’ll say no more about this little incident.’ Youen snarled, and laughed wildly, Harry gritted his teeth. ‘Crucio,’ Youen shouted again. ‘If the Auror Office knew where you were, Potter, they’d be here now,’ Youen snapped. ‘I wanted to kill you, but Lowell and Doxy had a better idea. Tomorrow is the hunt. You, the butcher’s boy, and Dacia’s eldest brat will be fine sport for us. If you’re killed, good! If you’re bitten and survive, even better! Because then we’re going to sell you to Rabastan Lestrange. Lowell thinks that you’re tough enough to survive the hunt, and he reckons that Lestrange will give us the entire contents of his vault to get his hands on you. That money will get us a long way from this Merlin-forsaken dump. If you found us here, then others will, so we’re going to have to leave.’ Through half-closed eyes, Harry carefully observed Youen and tried to decide on his next move. The crazed grief and tension was obvious in the man’s stance. Youen could explode any moment, Harry realised. This short, fat, bald, middle-aged man had, it seemed, cared deeply about his wife, and Wulfric Skoll had killed her. It would be difficult to reason with Zachary Youen, and almost impossible to predict his reactions. Feigning unconsciousness, Harry considered his options. Youen was not completely correct about the Auror Office. They did know where he was. But the copy quill was inefficient. An Auror should be able to summon help instantly. Even as he hung from the wall, Harry began to plan. The Portkey cards were untried; he and Ron had proposed them simply as a method of springing a trap, but they could be so much more. The suggestion had originally been Ron’s. The Deluminator had been his inspiration. Unfortunately, even with Hermione’s help, they still did not fully understand the Deluminator’s magic. It was essential that they did. If they could make the Portkey cards work in the way that mentioning Ron’s name had activated the Deluminator, then they could create something really useful. A card which was activated by a codeword or words, something which meant “an Auror is in trouble, help,” would be invaluable, especially now. Another curse from Youen brought him painfully back to the present. Now wasn’t the time to think of improvements to the Auror Office. If he could not find a way to escape, then he would have failed everyone. He’d have failed Dacia and her family, he’d have failed Lavender, and worst of all, he’d have failed Ginny. One way or another, once the werewolves found that bloodstained piece of clothing, they had found him, Harry realised. Lowell would have threatened the girls, and although Harry liked Dacia, he had no doubt that she would have betrayed him to keep her children safe. He didn’t blame her; he knew how she felt, he would do anything to protect Ginny. He should not have attacked when he did. His charge to help Dacia and her family had failed spectacularly. He should have called for help, called in the Aurors and arrested the wanted Snatchers. His desperation to catch Lestrange at all costs had, once again, led him to ignore the more immediate threat. He was hanging, bound and helpless, against a wall. There was the real possibility that he would be killed, or at least bitten. Would Ginny want to be with a werewolf? Did she want him anyway? Harry hung his head despondently. ‘Lestrange will pay us very well for the opportunity to torture Harry Potter to death,’ Youen shouted. ‘There’s plenty of wizards will be glad to see you dead. Even some you think of as your friends. Especially if it’s only a stinking werewolf Lestrange kills. No-one mourns a dead werewolf, Potter. Oh, you’ll suffer! You’ll be begging him for death, eventually, unless he Crucios you into insanity first.’ Harry ignored Youen’s ranting and looked around surreptitiously, trying to find something to help him. He needed an edge, an opportunity. He saw nothing he could use. He looked up. His bound wrists were hooked over a long spike driven into the wall. If he could pull himself up, and push with his legs, he’d be able to pull himself from the wall and drop six feet to the ground. ‘Crucio,’ Youen shouted again. ‘You’re as good as dead, Potter,’ Youen gloated. ‘We have your wand; we took it from Dacia’s eldest, though I don’t know what she thought she could do with it.’ Harry’s heart sank. He had hoped that his wand was somewhere safe. Amber must have taken it, tried to hide it from her grandfather, but been caught. ‘You tried your best, Amber,’ Harry called. ‘I took it out of that bag, and then they caught me; sorry, Mr Potter,’ Amber shouted. Harry slumped, apparently defeated, but in reality trying to hide the gleam in his eye. No-one could take his wand from the Mokeskin pouch. Amber Skoll had fooled them somehow. He wondered how he could continue the conversation with Amber, he must find out what she’d done, and where she’d hidden his wand. ‘Shut up, whelp. Crucio!’ said Youen. Harry felt nothing, but Amber screamed. ‘Leave her alone,’ Harry shouted angrily, raising his head and glaring at Youen. He obliged. The night passed slowly and painfully for Harry. He was never left alone. At about two in the morning, Gordon Payne took over from Youen. For a while, Payne amused himself by calling Harry names, but Payne was nervous, almost frightened. He was not as vicious as Youen, and was a lot less talkative. When Harry ignored his taunts the skinny and greasy-haired man simply sat leaning against a wheelbarrow. Harry watched him warily, but soon, to Harry’s joy, Payne fell asleep. Harry took the opportunity to try to lever himself off the wall, but after several failed attempts and a careful look upwards he realised that what he’d initially thought was a hook was in fact a loop. He’d need to cut the rope to escape. He needed his wand. ‘Amber,’ Harry hissed. ‘The girls are finally sleeping, Harry,’ Dacia whispered. Payne grunted, opened one eye and grumbled, ‘Shut up, or I’ll shut you up.’ Harry lapsed into silence, he could not risk Payne overhearing. He closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep, but had little success. Some time before dawn, Doxine Gray relieved Payne. She did not torture Harry; she simply watched him carefully. Whenever she thought that he’d fallen asleep she grabbed his leg, which was at her eye height, and pulled. He knew what she was doing, she was trying to make sure that he was tired and weak before they started the hunt, and she was succeeding. Harry could not think straight. On the few occasions he dozed off, he dreamed of a drunken Ginny throwing herself into the eager arms of half-a-dozen male Harpies fans. He was happy to leave that nightmare every time that Doxine woke him. At eight, about half an hour after dawn, the villagers were summoned in front of the bastle. The crowd were on edge. Tension hung in the air like a cloying, poisonous fog. ‘Tonight, we hunt,’ Lowell told them. ‘Tonight, we hunt Harry Potter.’ ‘Then leave my son for next month,’ the butcher pleaded. ‘Potter and Amber will be enough.’ ‘Crucio,’ Lowell snarled. The butcher fell to the ground, screaming in agony. ‘For weeks you’ve lied and begged and schemed to try to save your son,’ Lowell told him. ‘Master,’ the butcher whimpered. ‘If I hadn’t told Scabior about the bathing pool, he would not have overheard Dacia and Wulfric. You would not have known that Wulfric had betrayed us and brought Potter through the Stone.’ ‘Scabior watched the Stone, not you. And he told us that nothing had happened. If it weren’t for the fact that he was inexplicably covered in bruises, we’d never have realised that his memory had been altered,’ said Lowell dismissively. Bruises? Harry wondered. He had stunned them and bound them. They should have been unmarked. He had left Wulfric Skoll alone with Scabior and Youen’s wife, two people he had every reason to hate. Wulfric could easily have kicked and beaten the stunned Scabior. From his Auror training, Harry knew how foolish it was to modify a memory but leave unremembered bruises, which would inevitably arouse suspicion. A vindictive widower wouldn’t care. ‘I realised that something was wrong, not you,’ Lowell snarled. ‘I checked the Stone and sniffed out traces of blood nearby. Scabior must have injured Potter when he arrived.’ Lavender’s blood! Harry realised. He thought quickly. They didn’t know about Lavender; they had mistaken her arrival for his. They were assuming that he had only been here for one day. That, at least, meant that they would probably not be looking for a hide-out. For the moment, Lavender was safe. However, she was bed-bound and crippled; what could he do to help her? How could he get her, and Dacia’s family, safely out of this mess? First, he would have to escape himself. ‘Tonight, we get our revenge. Tonight, we hunt Potter and the two brats,’ announced Lowell. ‘Lykaon, cut down the prisoner,’ Lowell ordered. The butcher scuttled away and returned with a ladder which he leaned against the wall. Cleaver in hand, Ross’s father clambered unsteadily up the ladder until he was above Harry. The man’s hands were shaking. ‘We can afford to lose a couple of fingers,’ Lowell joked. Youen was the only one who laughed. Steadying himself on the ladder, the butcher raised his cleaver, ‘Can you save my son?’ he murmured. ‘I can try,’ Harry said. Lykaon nodded and brought down his cleaver heavily. Harry felt all of the knots part, not merely the ones attaching him to the wall. His hands were free. He tumbled earthwards, landing heavily, but on his feet. Springing forwards, he charged towards Lowell. Harry was only inches away from grabbing the astonished man’s wand when he was hit by three stunning spells, and a Cruciatus Curse from Youen. When Harry recovered consciousness again he realised that his head was resting on someone’s lap. He opened his eyes in the vain hope that he’d see Ginny. He was disappointed. Tangled tawny tresses tumbled over the shoulders of Amber Skoll as she peered down at him in concern. Above her, he saw iron bars. He was inside the cage with Amber and her family and the sun was high in the sky. It was already after noon. ‘Mum,’ Amber hissed. Harry tried to look around, but Amber held his head and urgently whispered, ‘Don’t move.’ ‘Everyone’s in the fields,’ Amber continued in an undertone, barely moving her lips. ‘But Youen’s on guard here. He’ll torture you again when he realises you’re awake, so stay still.’ ‘Wand?’ Harry whispered urgently. ‘I grabbed your cloak from where we’d hidden it and managed to sneak back into the village and grab that moleskin bag,’ said Amber. ‘Mokeskin,’ Harry corrected. ‘The cloak, the bag and those handcuff things are hidden on a ledge behind the waterfall at our pool,’ the tawny-haired girl continued. ‘Why didn’t you use the ‘cuffs to escape?’ asked Harry. ‘And leave the great Harry Potter here to die?’ Dacia Skoll murmured from beside him. ‘That’s what you expect from werewolves, is it?’ ‘Dacia,’ protested Harry. ‘I gave the ‘cuffs to Amber to give you a chance to escape. You didn’t take it, why?’ ‘My daughters wouldn’t let me,’ whispered Dacia in annoyance. ‘Not without you!’ ‘You could have escaped and brought help!’ Harry murmured. ‘Had we gone, Harry, they would have killed you and gone on the run,’ said Dacia. ‘My father isn’t stupid. He knows that if I managed to get away, I’d be back.’ There was a look of lupine aggression in her eyes as she spoke. ‘Shh,’ Ruby hissed. Harry closed his eyes. He heard Youen approach. ‘He can’t still be unconscious,’ Youen growled. ‘Three stunning spells,’ Dacia said. ‘You would be, so would I. You can kill someone with enough stunning spells, you know.’ Youen spat through the bars. Harry felt the phlegm land on his face, but didn’t move. He was weak and hungry; he’d eaten nothing since Lavender’s decidedly below-average omelette. If he was to survive and get everyone out, he needed to conserve his strength, not suffer more Cruciatus Curses. He felt someone wipe the spit from his cheek. ‘Hoping that he’s finally finished with that drunken, redheaded tart, are you, Amber?’ Youen scoffed. Harry clenched his fists but, fortunately, Youen did not notice. ‘Youen,’ a female voice shouted–Doxine. ‘I’m taking over. Lowell wants you in the fields.’ Grumbling, the short and overweight man left. ‘You should be okay now, Harry,’ said Dacia softly. Harry groaned and sat up. He was no longer wearing his t-shirt, he realised. He looked down at his ribs. His t-shirt had been torn into a long bandage and it, along with the remains of some other items of clothing, was wrapped around the claw marks. ‘That’s my vest,’ Jade Skoll pointed out proudly, ‘Mummy tore it up to use as a bandage.’ ‘Thanks, Jade,’ Harry said, wondering why the little girl wasn’t more worried. He looked at Dacia Skoll questioningly. ‘My daughters think that you are some sort of superman, Harry,’ Dacia Skoll explained. ‘They think they’re perfectly safe, so long as you’re around.’ Harry sighed. It was not often that he wished that the famous “Chosen One,” Harry Potter, really existed, but this was one of those rare occasions. His escape would be a lot easier if he could really do all of the amazing things he was supposed to be capable of. Though, he thought ruefully, if he was really as good as his publicity, he’d never have been captured in the first place. ‘I had help,’ Harry told the girls. ‘I’ve always had help from my friends. I’m not the greatest wizard in the world. Albus Dumbledore was much better. Hermione Granger is much better. We’ve got until dusk, five or six hours, to come up with a plan.’ Dacia sighed. ‘You know nothing, do you?’ she said. She proceeded to lecture him. ‘It’s the full moon, not the darkness, which affects the change. Today moonrise is an hour before dusk. That is ideal for my father and his friends, because we can change the moment the moon rises, if we choose to. My father and his friends certainly will. They like to catch their pray before dusk, because with practice we can retain some limited control over our wolf-form during daylight. But we must change at sunset. Even if we’ve taken the Wolfsbane potion, we must change when we are exposed to full moonlight.’ Dacia lowered her head close to Harry’s ear. ‘My new potion doesn’t work quite like that. I’ve come to the conclusion that hiding from direct moonlight weakens us. That’s what makes us constantly ill when we take the potion. So my experimental potion is simply one intense dose to be taken within twenty four hours of moonrise, it won’t prevent the change at all, but it will stop the beast from taking over, I hope! It’s untried, but I … borrowed … some wolfsbane from your potion stocks while I was working on Miss Brown. I made up a test sample last night and took it. It’s my last desperate hope, Harry. If it works, I will change physically, but I believe that, like my mother’s potion, the beast will not take control. I should be able to control wolf-me. I hope that it will work. If it does I will try to defend my daughter from the rest of the pack.’ ‘When are they likely to release us?’ Harry asked. ‘An hour before moonrise, if you’re lucky,’ Dacia told him. That should be long enough for you to get to your wand and keep my daughter safe.’ ‘We’ve still got Lavender to worry about, too.’ Harry reminded her. ‘She won’t be going anywhere,’ Dacia replied. ‘She won’t wake for hours.’ ‘She’s still got her wand!’ Harry remembered. An idea began to form. Amber Skoll sobbed and shook her head. ‘We hid your cloak in the barn. They didn’t find it, so Amber took it, hid your stuff and then took Lavender’s wand from the table in your tent. She realised that, if we’re going to escape, you would need your equipment, so she hid it. She was clever enough to know that her grandfather would look for your wand, and allowed herself to be caught with Lavender’s,’ said Dacia. ‘She took a beating from her grandfather for that. For you!’ Harry looked at the girl’s downcast face and smiled at her. ‘Thank you, Amber. You did the only thing you could to keep my wand safe.’ But now, he thought grimly, I’ve got to make sure that Lavender remains safe, too. ‘Where did Lowell put Lavender’s wand?’ he asked. ‘He thinks that it’s yours, he’s carrying it around with him, as a trophy,’ Dacia told him. Harry smiled. ‘Shh,’ ever watchful Ruby hissed. Doxine Gray was approaching. The tall, dark-haired witch was escorting Ross Lykaon, who carried a loaf of bread, a round of cheese, and a bucket. Payne was with her. ‘Keep back, or I’ll stun the lot of you,’ Doxine ordered. ‘Get to the back of the cage, away from the door. Now!’ Doxine waited for them to comply, ensuring that Harry and Dacia were right at the back of the cage and then lining up the three girls in front of them. Finally satisfied, she used her wand to open the door, keeping her distance and ensuring that Ross remained between her and the door. Harry weighed up his chances, but Payne, too, was nervously alert and watching him carefully. He decided to wait. When Ross stepped into the cage Doxine used her wand to slam the door closed and lock it. ‘Are you related to Abraxus Gray?’ Harry asked Doxine. She was startled by the question. ‘Why?’ she glowered suspiciously. ‘You look a little like his daughter, Fenella; she’s on temporary secondment to the Auror Office,’ said Harry. ‘Fenella!’ Doxine laughed disbelievingly. ‘She’s scared of her own shadow.’ ‘Is she? She supplied equipment to the Resistance during the war,’ Harry told her. Doxine Gray stared at him in silence. ‘I haven’t seen you curse anyone, or kill anyone and you’re not on any wanted list I’ve seen. So why are you here?’ Harry asked. ‘I’m a werewolf, Potter. I have nowhere else to go. And if I’m going to be stuck in this dump, I might as well be top of the pile, rather than scrabbling around in the dirt with the others,’ She told him, then turned and stormed off, leaving Payne to watch them. ‘Bread, cheese and water,’ Ross Lykaon stammered. He was uncertain whether to address Dacia or Harry, so he satisfied himself with staring into the space between them. ‘Thanks, Ross,’ Harry said. Dacia tore the loaf into six equal pieces and handed it out to her daughters, Harry, and Ross. ‘I’ve eaten, thanks,’ Ross stammered. ‘Give it to Amber; she needs to keep her strength up.’ ‘Have mine, too,’ Ruby offered Harry. ‘I can go hungry for today.’ ‘No,’ Harry protested. Dacia Skoll rolled her eyes and gave him a derisive look. ‘In some circumstances, that would be gallant, Harry,’ scolded Dacia. ‘But right now, it’s stupid. I’m relying on you to save my daughter’s life, so you should eat.’ She took the bread from Ruby and Ross, halved each piece and gave one piece each to Ruby, Amber and Harry. ‘You need to eat something, Ruby. And you need to eat more, Amber, and so do you, Harry,’ she said. She kept the final piece herself. ‘I’m keeping this for myself, because I do not want to be hungry tonight. And if my potion doesn’t work properly, you don’t want me to be hungry tonight, either.’ She then divided the hard cheese into five pieces and gave Harry the biggest. Harry took the bread and cheese. They ate in silence, and drank lukewarm, sour tasting water from the bucket. The afternoon passed slowly. By subtle glances Dacia made it obvious that she did not trust Ross. Harry was less certain, but they only had one chance to escape, so he held his tongue. There were no more discussions about an escape plan. At four o’clock, the beasts were driven in from the fields and secured. At half past four, according to Harry’s battered old pocket watch, the village children were all herded together and taken into the Bastle. Ruby and Jade Skoll were very carefully removed from the cage to join them. Once the two younger girls were outside, Payne again locked the cage, while Youen and Lowell roughly manhandled the two young girls and threw them into the Bastle. Once the children were inside, Lowell locked the door. This was obviously a regular occurrence. As they were sent inside the solid stone structure the older children were ordered to look after their siblings, and their mothers gave dire, and frighteningly accurate, warnings about what would happen if they tried to leave. The cage door was reopened. Harry, Amber, and Ross looked at each other, then at Dacia. Lowell laughed. ‘What are you waiting for?’ he asked, ‘Run!’ The villagers cleared a path for their prey. Harry watched the ringleaders, the wand-carriers carefully. Lowell was excited, almost uncontrollably so. Doxine looked concerned, wary, as did most of the villagers. Payne was licking his lips. Youen, Harry realised, was nowhere to be seen. The villagers watched Harry and the two children as they raced from the village. He, Amber and Ross headed straight for the glen. ‘That’s right, stick together. Make it easy for us,’ Lowell taunted. Harry used Lowell’s mocking words as an opportunity to take one last look back at the village before they were out of sight. Everyone was watching their flight. No one had noticed Dacia, who had slipped behind her cottage and was crossing the stream towards his camp. As they ran into the glen and splashed across the beck, Harry slowed. His roughly bandaged chest was still bleeding, his broken ribs made breathing laborious and his bare feet made running painful. Behind him, he heard pebbles moving. The two children had slowed when he did. He motioned them forwards. ‘We’re being followed,’ Harry told them. ‘I think that it’s Youen, and he’s probably invisible. If he attacks, he’ll attack me, so you two just run, okay?’ For a second Amber looked like she would argue. ‘We might not make it to the pool if we stick together, Amber, but you will,’ he told her. Amber nodded grimly. As they ran towards the next bend in the twisting glen, Harry heard a splash behind him. He looked round in time to see a second splash. Squinting, he made out a wet footprint on the rocks. ‘Go,’ he shouted to Ross and Amber. He picked up a rock and threw it in the direction of the footprint, hitting an invisible someone. It was only a glancing blow, but it was enough to make Youen swear. Harry turned and dived around the corner into the water as Youen’s shouted Cruciatus Curse whistled over his head. The stream was icy cold and his sudden immersion in the fresh spring water helped clear Harry’s head. He looked up to see Amber and Ross disappearing around the next bend. Pulling himself to his feet, he picked up a fist-sized rock and hefted it experimentally. Even that simple act reminded him of Ginny. He really needed her now. She was the Chaser, the thrower. If anyone could throw a rock and hit an invisible opponent, he thought proudly, it was his girl. She could literally curve a Quaffle around a Keeper, she could… He brought himself up sharply; he needed to concentrate. He held his breath and waited and watched. He heard pebbles scrunching and rattling as Youen approached. He couldn’t risk a head shot, he’d have to aim for the body and hope. He squinted at the ground and saw pebbles slide. He threw, and at the same instant Youen cast a spell. ‘Crucio,’ gasped the invisible werewolf. Harry had dived sideways the moment he’d thrown the stone and Youen’s curse once again missed. He saw the stone bounce off his invisible stalker and heard the man’s cry of pain. Youen did not, however, fall. There was no telltale movement of pebbles. Harry again chose flight. Weaving and dodging he had almost reached the safety of the next curve in the glen when Youen spoke again. ‘Locomotor Mortis!’ panted Youen and Harry tumbled to the ground. The bald, fat man pulled off a ragged invisibility cloak and smiled triumphantly at Harry. Youen was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. Despite the danger, Harry found himself wondering whether the wolf-Youen would also be overweight and unfit. ‘You can’t … run … now, Potter,’ Youen panted gloatingly, wiping perspiration from his head. He cautiously crept forwards while he regained his breath. ‘I can feel the moon, Potter, you have a matter of minutes before I tear you, rend you, bite you! My wife is dead, her brother’s in a cell, but I will have my revenge. You will die by my hand. But before that, I think I’ll soften you up a bit more.’ Youen was dribbling, licking his puffy red lips in anticipation. ‘Crucio,’ he muttered. Pain once again coursed through Harry’s frame. He heard shouts in the distance. ‘Does Lowell know you’re doing this?’ Harry asked. ‘Perhaps he actually wants the hunt, perhaps he wants the money.’ ‘How much pain can you take, Potter?’ Youen asked, raising his wand. Harry looked into the air directly over Youen’s shoulder and his eyes widened in astonishment. ‘I’m not going to fall for that old trick, Potter,’ Youen snarled. ‘Oh, good,’ shouted Lavender gleefully. Youen turned and raised his wand, just as Lavender threw what appeared to be a paper bag at him. It hit the bald man squarely in the face, and he screamed. ‘You keep your potions cupboard well stocked, Harry,’ Lavender called. ‘But that was your entire supply of Bulbadox Powder. Harry looked up at Lavender and Dacia, they hovered about fifteen feet in the air, Dacia was flying Lavender’s broom, while Lavender carried a bulging satchel. Youen was swearing at the top of his lungs, but his words were becoming more and more unintelligible as his face sprouted dozens of painful looking and rapidly growing boils. Soon his eyes were closed and he could hardly speak. ‘Where’s my daughter? Where’s Amber?’ asked Dacia urgently. ‘Here, Mum,’ Amber announced. Harry felt a presence alongside him. Amber Skoll shook off his invisibility cloak and presented him with his mokeskin pouch. His grasping fingers scrabbled for his wand. He could hear other people running towards him. ‘Finite Incantatem,’ he shouted, freeing himself from Youen’s spell. ‘Stupefy!’ Still lying flat on his back, Harry fired off a stunning spell. Youen was blasted backwards into the stone side of the glen by the force of it. While he struggled to his feet, Dacia and Lavender landed alongside Youen. Dacia dismounted, picked up Youen’s wand and smiled vengefully. There was a commotion further down the valley. Harry ignored the warning shouts from Dacia and Lavender. Instead, he concentrated on Lavender’s wand, remembering those few moments the previous day when he had held it, examined it. ‘Accio Lavender’s wand,’ he shouted. He heard a curse from further down the glen. The wand flew up the valley and into his hand. He threw it across to Lavender, who whooped like a banshee and kicked off into the air. Lowell ran around the corner. He only just had time to take in the scene before he was hit by three Stunning Spells, one each from Lavender, Dacia and Harry. The werewolf leader was sent cartwheeling backwards into the stream and Harry heard Payne, who was apparently some distance behind Lowell, swearing loudly. Harry sprinted back downstream towards the sound. Only Payne and Doxine remained free. Dacia followed him, but they were both overtaken by Lavender, who was flying low. ‘Stupefy,’ Lavender shouted again. By the time he rounded the corner, Lavender was hovering in the air on her broom and using the Incarcerous spell on Payne. Now, only Doxine Gray remained. Dacia Skoll arrived alongside him, looking very edgy. ‘Moonrise,’ she hissed, ‘I have an hour before dusk. We don’t have much time, Harry. You two! This way, hurry!’ Ross and Amber were dragging the unconscious Youen towards Lowell, Amber screaming orders and Ross obeying reluctantly. ‘Just a minute, Mum,’ Amber shouted. She waved one of the two sets of Portcuffs at her mother. ‘We’ll need the other pair for Payne and for Doxine, if we can find her,’ Amber explained. The tawny-haired girl’s gaze suddenly moved to a point somewhere above Harry, she screamed and pointed into the forest. Harry looked around and up. There was a growl from the undergrowth above the glen and Harry saw a dark, almost black, she-wolf launch herself at him from the rocky glen side about ten feet above. Harry raised his wand instantly, but before he could use it Lavender had dived between him and the wolf. She intercepted the snarling black beast in mid-leap. The impact knocked her from her broom, and the wolf sank its teeth into her shoulder. ‘Stupefy,’ Harry shouted, the spell bounced off the werewolf and ricocheted off the steep stone side of the glen. The she-wolf released Lavender, growled, and turned to face Harry. Lavender was still conscious, a fact evidenced by the surprisingly foul expletives she was using. Harry vaguely registered the fact that he’d never heard Lavender swear before as he stepped slowly backwards, away from the wolf. The black beast padded cautiously forwards, preparing to spring. Fortunately, Harry’s Auror training had taught him what to do. ‘Defodio,’ Harry shouted, pointing his wand at the ground under the wolf. The beast tumbled into the magically created pit. Harry looked down. The pit was almost twelve feet deep, but it was rapidly filling with water. ‘Dacia, take Lavender back to the tent, I’ll bring Amber and Ross,’ Harry ordered. ‘Go, before Doxine can get herself out of the pit. I will bring the kids, go! Now!’ Dacia reluctantly helped Lavender onto the broom and flew off down the valley. ‘They will transform, soon,’ Amber shouted urgently, pointing at Lowell and Youen. Harry levitated the stunned Lowell towards the two children. Amber handcuffed Youen to Lowell, and watched them both vanish. ‘We’re going to my tent, Amber. You know where it is. Run! Leave Payne to me,’ he ordered. He watched the two children as they edged past the rapidly filling pit. The she-wolf was now swimming, and trying to scramble up the edge, so Harry lengthened and deepened the pit, giving them more time. Amber handed Harry his cloak and his last pair of Portcuffs and smiled. She took a confused looking Ross by the hand and ran, dragging the bewildered butcher’s boy behind her. Gasping with the effort, he struggled to run after the youngsters. He stopped briefly, handcuffed Payne and watched as he, too, vanished. That was all of them, at least, all but Doxine Gray. The Auror cells were built to hold worse things than werewolves. The wanted Snatchers were all in jail; at least his mission wasn’t a total failure. Jogging down the glen as quickly as he could, Harry kept a close eye on Ross and Amber who were sprinting ahead. Had any of the other villagers transformed? Or were they, like Dacia, holding back until sunset forced the change? They were soon out of the glen and approaching his hideout. Amber was still holding Ross’s hand. She was dragging him towards the invisible tent when Dacia flew from it on Lavender’s broom and hurriedly collected the two children. Harry ran painfully after them. He could see the tent. Because of Dacia’s hasty exit, the flap was open, and he could see into the large interior. His tent was hanging like a strange rip in the air as he approached. Scrambling up the tree, he almost ran into Amber, who had cautiously stepped out onto the invisible platform. ‘’I’m fine, Mum,’ Amber was shouting over her shoulder. ‘He’s here!’ Amber pulled Harry’s arm over her shoulder and helped him into the tent. Dacia Skoll was busily preparing bandages and reheating the cauldron containing the remains of the golden potion she’d used on Lavender’s wounds. Inside the tent, Lavender had pulled off the ripped and bloodied Harpies t-shirt which she’d been wearing. It was another one of his, he realised, and it had been one of his favourites, a present from Ginny. He had no time to regret its loss. Lavender stood in front of the sink bathing her torn and bloody shoulder. Harry undid the makeshift bandages around his waist and joined her at the sink. The lacy pink bra Lavender wore didn’t cover much, but they were both more concerned about the impending sunset than about their modesty. ‘Well,’ Lavender said cheerfully, as she tried to staunch the bleeding. ‘The choice has been made for me, hasn’t it?’ Looking at the shoulder wound Harry was amazed that she was able to ignore the pain. Dacia Skoll assessed them both with a Healer’s eye. ‘I know your Healers have you on powerful painkillers, but I’ve never seen anyone stay conscious after a bite like that,’ she told Lavender, ‘ ‘Will I turn tonight?’ Lavender asked anxiously. ‘No, not until next month,’ Dacia reassured her. ‘I’ll treat your wound first, Lavender, then Harry’s. And then I will have to leave you, for your own safety. I need to get out of here before sunset, in case my new Wolfsbane potion doesn’t work. I have less than half an hour to treat you both.’ Amber’s mother was anxious and on edge. ‘Amber, you can help me. And Ross! If you don’t stop staring at Miss Brown’s chest, I swear that I will blindfold you.’ Dacia sat Lavender on the upright kitchen chair and insisted that Harry lie on the bed. She ordered Amber to search through her bag for two vials, one marked “Doxine” and the other “Father”. While her daughter was doing that, she fixed Harry’s broken ribs with a wave of her wand. It did not take her long to spread moss on Harry’s abdomen and Lavender’s shoulder, to carefully ladle on the potion, and to complete the wound-binding poultices with the addition of a hair from the person who’d inflicted the wound. Once satisfied that she’d done everything she could, and that the bandages were firm, Dacia prepared to leave. Harry rifled through his wardrobe and found himself a clean Auror uniform. Lavender reached past him and plucked out a clean white shirt for herself. ‘Auror shirt, it’s hex resistant, like the coat, isn’t it?’ Lavender asked. Harry nodded, surprised. ‘Suzy-B told me,’ Lavender explained. She looked down at her bandaged shoulder, her bra, and the wet, ripped and dirty jeans she was wearing. The jeans were his too, Harry realised. ‘I seem to be wearing, and tearing, a lot of your clothes, Harry,’ said Lavender. ‘Look on the bright side, you’re hopelessly conservative and this will give you the opportunity to buy something more fashionable.’ ‘That’s what Ginny says too,’ Harry said sadly. Lavender giggled as she buttoned up the shirt, to the obvious disappointment of Ross. She looked past Harry and nodded worriedly. Dacia was beginning to twitch and shake. They turned to face her. ‘I need to leave! Now! But you’ll be safe here,’ Dacia reassured the two children. ‘Wolves can’t climb trees, but stay inside, please.’ Harry and Lavender followed Dacia outside and helped her descend. ‘Keep them safe,’ Dacia ordered. ‘I will stay here. If my potion works, I will stay on guard. If it doesn’t, you will know immediately.’ Lavender lay down on the invisible platform and patted the space at her side. Rather reluctantly, Harry lay down alongside her. In silence they watched as the sun set. Lavender gazed up at the bright full moon and shivered. ‘The next time I see that…’ she said. Harry stared sorrowfully at her. He was moved to hug her, but remembered her bandaged torso. Instead he simply patted her uninjured shoulder. Below them, under the moonlight, Dacia Skoll was transforming. As they listened to her screams and the grinding of her bones, Lavender squeezed Harry’s arm tightly. ‘It sounds painful,’ she observed. ‘Sorry,’ Harry began. ‘Oh, bloody hell, Harry, don’t apologise,’ Lavender snapped. ‘You didn’t bite me, and you didn’t attack me at Hogwarts either: that was Greyback. You’re distracted and you have been ever since I got here. I’d like to think that it’s my irresistibly gorgeous good looks and all-round sexiness, but it’s not. You’re worried about Ginny, aren’t you?’ Harry looked into her violet eyes, contemplated denying his worries, and immediately dismissed the thought. He nodded. Below them, a wolf growled. They looked down. ‘Dacia,’ Harry asked, ‘is that still you?’ The wolf looked up at them and nodded. ‘Harry could leave now, couldn’t he?’ Lavender asked the wolf, ‘We’d be safe until morning, and if Lestrange arrives tomorrow, we can let Harry know.’ The wolf nodded again. ‘I can’t,’ Harry protested. ‘This is my mission! Besides, I’m the only one who can send the message. The copy quill won’t work for anyone else.’ Lavender sighed. ‘Could you fetch me my satchel, please, Harry?’ she asked. Harry slithered back inside his tent. The two children looked hopefully at him when he entered. ‘Your Mum’s potion seems to work, Amber,’ said Harry. She’s prowling around below us. If she’d fully transformed she’d be leaping and growling at us by now. He picked up Lavender’s bag and slid back outside. ‘Thanks,’ Lavender said, as she began rifling through her bag. She gave a murmur of success and pulled a mirror from her bag. Harry rolled his eyes despairingly; she was worried about her appearance! He decided that there were some girls he’d never understand. Lavender looked at him contemptuously. ‘Parvati,’ she said quietly. ‘I was starting to get worried.’ Harry heard Lavender’s best friend reply from the mirror a few moments later. He put his head in his hands in embarrassment. He had underestimated Lavender again. ‘Where are you? And what on earth are you wearing?’ he heard Parvati Patil ask. Lavender looked over the mirror at Harry, a wicked look in her eyes. ‘I am lying under the stars, next to Harry Potter,’ she said. ‘And I’m wearing one of his shirts.’ ‘Then I won’t disturb you,’ Parvati giggled. ‘Harry is just about to offer me the chance to apply for a job as an Auror,’ Lavender told her friend seriously. ‘Are you cured?’ Parvati gasped. ‘I will be, so I’m told, but it’s a drastic cure,’ Lavender said. ‘I’ll tell you when I see you. Have you any idea how Ginny is?’ ‘We’ve got the radio on here, listening to the Magpies/Harpies game. Ginny’s playing really badly. The announcer says that the reason is “Weasley’s recent split with her long term boyfriend, Harry Potter”. Have they split up? Are you really with him?’ ‘What?’ Harry snapped, trying to prise the mirror from Lavender. ‘I’m with him, but I’m definitely not “with” him,’ said Lavender. ‘He’s Ginny’s, you know that! And he certainly doesn’t think that they’ve split up. He needs to see her, so I have to take over from him tonight. Can you take your mirror to the Auror office, please, and then I’ll be able to persuade Harry to leave.’ ‘I’ll go right now,’ Parvati promised. ‘Thanks, Parvati,’ Harry called. ‘Right, Harry,’ Lavender said. ‘Tell me what’s going on, I’ll take over here and then you can go and sort things out with Ginny.’ Half an hour later Harry was using the mirror to explain the suddenly changed situation to Neville. When he’d finished he mounted Lavender’s broom and prepared to leave. ‘Thanks, Lavender,’ he muttered. ‘Are you sure that you’ll be all right?’ ‘Certain,’ she told him. ‘Ginny needs you, and so do Ron and Hermione. Go, now, take my broom, leave me here and fly off to see your girlfriend, it’s the sensible thing to do. And more importantly, it’s the romantic thing to do.’ Harry was uncertain whether or not he was being teased but, suddenly overcome, he leaned over and kissed her cheek, ‘Thank you, Lavender.’ ‘Farewell, Prince Harry,’ Lavender declaimed with a tragic sigh, placing the back of her hand on her forehead in the style of a stricken heroine. ‘Leave this poor crippled servant-girl behind and fly off to rescue your princess!’ As he flew over the forest towards the Shivering Stone Harry wondered about Lavender. Not even Luna Lovegood was a less likely candidate for the Auror Office. And now Ron’s silly gossipy ex-girlfriend was also a werewolf. Robards would never, ever, allow her in. He would sort out that problem later. If he could fly out of the Anti-Apparition zone, with any luck he’d be able to get to the Magpies ground before the game was over. |
| Reviews 295 |
Previous Next
|
