Ginny's Gift, Chapter 14
Rated: PG-13
Summary: Ginny gives Harry a special birthday present, but the consequences are unexpected.
Harry had no idea how long he'd been walking. He'd been at it so long it seemed as if he'd never done anything else in his life beyond set one foot doggedly in front of the other. He was tired and cold, but he kept going, one step and then the next and then the next, each one bringing him that much closer to his goal.
Behind him Ron and Hermione were arguing, and he was trying his best to tune it out. The wind had risen, and that helped carry their words away from his ears. He couldn't remember when it had begun, since time was now no more than an endless cycle of steps, but they'd been going round and round with it for a good while now. He thought Ron had started it. They must have gone at least a mile when he'd asked, "Why can't we just turn that book into a Port Key again? It would save us the hike."
"It's no good, Ron," Hermione had answered. "I've been thinking about it, and we're very lucky we landed off the mark."
"By ten miles? Tell that to my feet. Can't we get closer somehow?"
"None of us has ever been where we're going. We have no idea what we'll land in the middle of."
"I still say we could get closer. We'd be less likely to miss the mark this time, wouldn't we?"
"Do you know of a safe place where we could come out? I don't."
"What? Are you actually admitting you don't know something?" Harry had winced at this point, expecting to hear a slap behind him, but all he'd heard was a loud, exasperated sigh. "Come on," Ron went on. "We could at least aim for the village. Wasn't there a village mentioned in the note?"
"We might be seen by Muggles. Or worse, the place could be crawling with Death Eaters. Someone might recognise Harry. That much ought to be obvious to you."
"They're expecting him, aren't they? They sent him a note telling him to come here."
"He still doesn't want to land in the middle of a trap."
"And they're not expecting us. We've got the element of surprise on our side."
"We don't want to land in the middle of a trap either."
"At this rate, we're not going to land in the middle of anything. We'll be crawling if we're lucky. It'll be ages before we get anywhere. The note said to hurry."
"That's something else I've been thinking about. I think we have time. They can't expect us to arrive so soon. They'll have expected Harry to take longer working out that clue for one thing."
"They won't have expected you to help him out? Miss Cleverest-Witch-at-Hogwarts? Anyway, by the time we get there, we'll be too knackered to do more than lie down and go to sleep…"
"You're impossible…"
Harry had stopped trying to follow them at that point, but they'd kept at it on and on. Harry supposed it helped them pass the time. All he wanted to do was focus on getting to Carreg Cennen. Right foot. Left foot. Right. Left. He had to keep going.
They'd left the main road behind them and were taking a less-travelled road. The terrain about them was rugged and no doubt very green in the summer. It was dull and brown now that there'd been a hard frost. The day itself was as sombre as the surrounding farmland.
They couldn't be far now, Harry felt. A castle on a hill, even an apparently ruined one, ought to be visible from miles away, but so far there had been no glimpse of anything remotely resembling what the Reperio spell had revealed to him… Was it only last night he had cast that? Less than twenty-four hours ago? It didn't seem possible. Hogwarts seemed a lifetime away from where he was now, walking along a road between hedgerows, which obscured a great deal of the surrounding countryside. Harry began to worry that they were lost again, that they'd taken a wrong turning somewhere. He was about to ask Hermione if he could have a look at the map again when the road turned sharply, and he saw it.
It looked exactly as it had in the vision. Carreg Cennen. In spite of the fact that he'd had very little sleep the previous night and he'd been walking for what seemed like most of the day, Harry felt invigorated by the sight. He gave a shout and began to run.
He could see a village nestled at the foot of the hill ahead of him as he hurried on. He knew it must be Trapp. A voice called out behind him, causing him to stop and turn.
"Wait, Harry," Hermione said, as she jogged up to him, Ron following. "We can't just rush up there. Ron and I have been discussing this. It's probably best if you aren't seen."
"Discussing?" Harry thought. "Is that what they called it?" But he didn't give voice to this idea. He merely raised his eyebrows at Hermione.
"Harry, the letter said to be careful about walking into a trap, and that's the name of the village," Ron pointed out.
"They'll be expecting you," added Hermione. "The place is probably full of Death Eaters. Didn't you hear Ron and I talking about it?"
"Sorry, I wasn't listening," said Harry. "How am I supposed to get up to the castle, then?"
"Let Ron go."
"No. Don't you think they'll recognise Ron? Or you for that matter?" Harry added, anticipating her next statement. "Listen, we don't know what's waiting for us in the village, but we have to go through it to get up there." He pointed to the crag, which dominated the view.
"We might go around," said Ron.
"They'll be watching for that, won't they?" countered Hermione.
"We have to try some way!"
It looked as if another discussion was imminent. Harry took off his rucksack and opened it. He'd had enough. "While you two are working out what to do, I'll just find my own way." He pulled out the invisibility cloak and put it on.
"Wait, Harry!" screeched Hermione, turning towards him. "Don't just disappear…" Harry pulled the hood from his head. "Don't do that! It's creepy."
"What is?"
"Well, I can't just talk to your head."
Harry sighed and removed the invisibility cloak entirely.
"All right, here's what we're going to do," Hermione went on. "We're dressed as Muggles already. If we cover up a bit more, like this…" She had transfigured her cloak into a parka when they'd first arrived outside Pontardawe, and now she pulled its hood over her conspicuous hair. "…We might pass unnoticed. Harry, you've got your cloak, and if Ron only hid his hair, we might have a chance. From the way the note was worded, I think they're expecting us to avoid the village, so we're going through it. Are we agreed?"
"Yes," said Harry, while Ron nodded. Harry didn't much care what they decided at this point as long as they did something.
"Then let's have a rest and a bite to eat before we go on."
There was no sun to judge by, but it had to be past noon. Harry realised he was quite hungry. Hermione quietly cast a warming charm on the ground, and they sat by the roadside and ate some of Dobby's sandwiches. Before they went on again, Hermione conjured a hat for Ron. Then Harry disappeared under his cloak, and the three set off towards the village.
All was quiet in the grey stone buildings. There was barely a sign of life, wizard or Muggle, but Harry wasn't sure he liked it. It was as if he were being led into a false sense of security.
On the opposite side of the village, the road began to rise even more steeply. It wasn't long before Hermione stopped them again. "Something else I learned back at the petrol station: the castle is on private farmland. We'll have to pay admission."
"Is that a problem?" asked Ron.
"No, I still have some Muggle money, but if the castle belongs to the Malfoy family, I have to wonder whether whoever we pay admission to is a Muggle or a wizard."
"I can't see any Malfoy letting Muggles onto their land."
"It depends, doesn't it? If they can make some money on the deal by charging admission, perhaps they think it's worth it. Plus, it's a way of controlling who comes in and out without it looking too suspicious, isn't it?"
"We're going to have to be careful, then," said Harry.
"Yes, you'd better leave that cloak on," advised Hermione.
They continued to climb until they came to the farm on which the castle stood. It looked like a perfectly ordinary Muggle farm with its main house and outbuildings huddled together and chickens milling in the yard. The castle itself looked quite a bit different now that they were closer to it. From beyond the village of Trapp, Harry had only been able to see the ruins of outer walls with the broken inner walls rising above them, pointing jaggedly against the sky. But now he could see that its walls and turrets were intact, rising hundreds of feet above the outer defences, vast and impregnable. Something told him that the massive structure was charmed to appear as a ruin from a distance, and even from this close a vantage, this was all a Muggle would ever see. Only a witch or wizard would see the whole castle.
They walked up the path towards the farmhouse, and a woman came out to greet Ron and Hermione. Harry could not tell by looking at her if she was a witch or not. She was dressed as a Muggle, but that was to be expected, he supposed.
She looked at Ron and Hermione sharply. "Afternoon. Come to visit Carreg Cennen?"
"Yes, please," replied Hermione briskly, as if she was in a hurry.
"We don't get many visitors this time of year."
Ron and Hermione exchanged an uncomfortable look. "It was a bit of a whim, I suppose," said Hermione. "We were on our way home from school for the Christmas holiday and decided to stop off…"
"Where do you go to school then?"
"Scotland."
The woman seemed very interested in that bit of information, as she looked keenly at Hermione, and Harry had to bite back a groan. Why couldn't Hermione have lied?
"Scotland, eh? You're a ways from there, aren't you? And you don't talk like you come from around here."
"We're spending Christmas with my aunt. I'm actually from St Albans."
The woman looked behind them, craning her neck and reminding Harry of his aunt Petunia. "And you walked all the way up here?"
Hermione's smile became strained. "Had a bit of car trouble actually. We left it in the village, but since we were already here, we decided to walk up and see the place. Now how much is admission?"
The woman immediately became more businesslike. "Three pounds each." Hermione handed over some money. "Now, you want to be sure and visit the caves. They're under the castle. Here, it's all on this map." She pulled a pamphlet out of her pocket and handed it to Hermione. "And there's the history in there, too. Make yourself at home. Normally the farm is open to visitors as well, but there's not a whole lot going on this time of year, I'm afraid. Enjoy your visit."
She walked off towards the house without a backwards glance.
"What did you tell her we went to school in Scotland for?" hissed Harry when he was sure the woman was out of earshot.
"I'm sorry, it was all I could think of."
"Let's go," said Ron. "Doesn't look like there's anyone about. It might be all right."
"Yeah, or she's just gone in to Floo up to the castle and tell them we're coming," said Harry grimly.
Harry, Ron and Hermione climbed the steep path to where the castle rose forbiddingly against the sky. The only sound Harry could hear was the wind, which hissed ceaselessly through the dry grasses and stone. There was no shelter, and he shivered.
"How are we going to do this?" he asked.
Hermione didn't answer right away but continued to pick her way up the path, her eyes on the dark grey rocks in front of her. "I think we're going to have to split up," she said at last. "Ron and I can play the tourist, but that means we'll have to stay in the parts of the castle that Muggle tourists can access. You'll have to go into the wizarding areas, but no one knows you're here, so it ought to be all right."
"So I just look for Ginny?"
"Yes, or anything that will help us locate her."
"And what if I don't find anything?"
"Ron and I will look for a way to sneak back up here. I'd say we have until sunset before we ought to let the woman at the farmhouse see us leave." She looked at her watch. "That doesn't give us long, actually. I think for now we worry about reconnaissance only. There won't be time for anything else. We need to check out that cave under the castle."
"Do you think that's where they're keeping Ginny?" asked Ron.
Hermione frowned. "I doubt it. They won't be keeping her in a spot the public can access, not unless there are several caves there. I read something in that book about the pureblood families about there being a way into the place through the cave. If we can find it and see where it comes out, we might be able to use it later to get back in."
"If it's not guarded, you mean," Ron pointed out.
"Yes, of course." Hermione stopped walking. They were almost to the outer walls now. "Are we all clear on what we're doing?" she asked, looking directly at Ron, as if she was addressing only him.
"I'll find the wizarding parts of the castle and see if I can find Ginny," Harry replied quietly.
"Yes. But just find her. I don't think you'll have time to get her out. We can plan what to do when we know more." Harry didn't like the sound of that, but he didn't make any comment. He knew if he tried to protest, they'd just waste more time arguing about it.
Hermione looked at her watch again. "Let's say we all meet back here in an hour and a half, whether we've got anything on Ginny or not."
"And if we run into any trouble?"
"Cross your fingers and hope for the best," Hermione said dryly. "Listen, if any of us is late for the rendezvous, the others will just leave. No heroics, all right?" Her tone went very firm when she said this. "We leave and find a way to notify Dumbledore."
"Yes, all right," replied Harry, although he knew that if anything happened to either Ron or Hermione, he'd be damned if he'd leave them behind. He wasn't about to leave this place without Ginny, either, but he kept these thoughts to himself. He had a feeling Hermione could tell what was going through his mind in any case and was simply refraining from making any further admonishments.
They continued through the outer walls and the barbican until they found themselves in the inner ward, expecting to be challenged at any moment--Harry was able to draw his wand since he was hidden by the invisibility cloak--but the place looked deserted. Ron and Hermione began to look about as if they were tourists, exclaiming over the view. Harry eased off, looking for the entrance to the inhabited part of the castle. He could look to his right now and see two towers looming over him--a third was directly in front of him--their windows mere slits in the four-foot thick walls. But the windows all looked lifeless. There was nothing to indicate anyone else was here. That thought gave Harry an odd, unsettling feeling. Something was amiss.
He felt his way along the wall until it suddenly gave way, and he passed through an opening. It was a lot like passing through the barrier at Kings Cross. He found himself in a short passage that opened onto a great hall. There he could see a figure or two at the opposite end of the hall. So the place wasn't as deserted as it seemed; yet it wasn't exactly teeming with Voldemort's servants, either. Once more Harry had to wonder what was going on. It hardly looked as if they were expecting any visitors. It didn't even look as if anyone was keeping watch over the public part of the castle. Had he been led on a wild goose chase?
To Harry's left along one of the walls were some steps, and he took them, coming out at a gallery, which overlooked the great hall. He could see passages leading away from the gallery, no doubt to other parts of the castle. He chose one at random and soon found himself ascending into one of the three towers he'd seen from below. There was no sign of anyone else on the stairs. Harry knew that if Ginny was here, she must be under guard of some sort or other, but he climbed to the top of the tower to be sure. The stairs ended at a room, but the door was unlocked, and it was empty. Before he turned back down the stairs, he looked out the window into the inner ward. Ron and Hermione were nowhere in sight, and he hoped they'd found their way to the cave.
Harry was almost back down to the level of the gallery when he heard footsteps. He froze in place just inside the stairwell, dread at being caught taking hold. The stairway was narrow, and if whoever it was decided to come up here, there would be little Harry could do to hide; he might be invisible, but he was still solid.
A figure passed, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief, but he'd also caught a glimpse of a face, one that seemed familiar to him. He followed stealthily, wracking his brains. He thought if he could see the person full on, he'd know who it was.
As it turned out, Harry didn't have to wait long, nor did he have to see the person's face. The figure was heading away from the gallery and the great hall. Harry couldn't be sure, but he thought this corridor must be leading them towards the other towers. He halted, as the person he was trailing paused at a doorway. He could hear a muttered incantation or password, and the door swung open. But someone else emerged almost immediately, and Harry could hear the two speaking in low voices. He crept closer to catch what they were saying.
"How long are you leaving her there?" said one voice.
"Till his Lordship calls for her again. Shouldn't be long."
"She ought to be allowed more time to recover."
"What's it to you, Macnair?"
Macnair! Now Harry knew why the man had seemed familiar. He remembered him from his third year when he'd thought Macnair was simply a Ministry employee sent to execute Buckbeak. He also remembered the following year when Voldemort had returned and summoned his servants. Macnair had been present then, too.
"It's nothing to me," Macnair was saying, "only he's taking too much out of her. She's not going to be able to do what he wants if she's this exhausted."
"She's asleep now. She'd better make the most of it."
A third voice shouted something from further down the passage, and the two men moved on. Harry hurried to the door where they'd just been talking and tried to open it, but it was locked. He was sure it led to where Ginny was, and he swore in frustration. Drawing his wand, he tried, "Alohomora," but that didn't work either. He was certain Hermione would know another spell that would open the door, but there was no time to go looking for her now. Then he thought of the twins teaching him how to pick a lock with a hairpin, but he had something better than that. He'd brought the prototype Lock-picker they'd invented.
He looked around quickly to make sure no one else was about. Although he had on the invisibility cloak, he couldn't be sure it would stay on him properly while he rummaged in his rucksack. The corridor remained empty, and Harry dug out the Lock-picker and made swift work of opening the door.
Another set of stairs wound steeply up another tower. Harry was experiencing another rush of adrenaline, as he was sure his goal was near now, and he had to force himself to climb the stairs quietly. There had been one person up here guarding Ginny. There might be more.
It took a long time to reach the top. This tower was much higher than the other one he'd climbed. Not for the first time today, he wished he'd brought his Firebolt along. He could make a quick escape on that--if there was a large enough window handy at any rate.
When he felt as if his knees were about to turn to rubber the stairs ended, and he was faced with another locked door. The Lock-picker came in handy once more, and Harry burst into the room, his wand at the ready, in case there was another guard, but it, too, seemed empty at first. Harry turned in disappointment, resigned to climbing down yet again.
Then he saw Ginny. She was lying on the stone floor, her body partially obscured by the open door. Her back was turned towards him, and her hair was spread out, covering her face. She lay perfectly still, and Harry thought she couldn't be very comfortable. He shrugged off the invisibility cloak and hurried to her.
"Ginny, wake up," he called softly, relief at having found her at last filling him, as he turned her over. Then his heart caught in his throat as he took in her pallor and the dark purple smudges under her eyes. She looked at least as bad as she had last summer, but that was impossible. She'd been here for twenty-four hours, more or less. They couldn't have forced her to make a protective talisman in that short a time, could they?
He shook her gently and called to her again, and still she lay unresponsive. "Ginny, please wake up!" he cried more desperately, and then he froze, realising what he'd just said. In his mind's eye he could see her, a small, pale twelve-year-old on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets. He shook himself. She was only sleeping; the other wizard had said as much to Macnair.
He sat down on the floor and lifted her partially into his lap. With one shaking hand, he tenderly brushed back her hair before placing that hand against her face and rubbing the pad of his thumb along her cheekbone. Her eyelids fluttered, and he took heart.
"Come on, Ginny, you have to wake up so we can get out of here. You can sleep all you want once we're back at Hogwarts."
She brought up a hand and swatted at him half-heartedly. "Go 'way," she muttered.
Harry wanted to laugh out loud, in spite of everything, when he heard those words. He lifted her limp form and held her to him, pressing his lips to her forehead. He was going to have to find a way to wake her up, though, and soon. There wasn't any way he'd be able to carry her down all those stairs and out of here. He'd probably fall and break both their necks.
He was reaching for his wand, wondering if an "Enervate" spell would work on someone who hadn't been magically stunned, when he heard someone coming up the steps. Heart pounding, he pointed his wand at the invisibility cloak instead.
"Accio!"
He quickly slid Ginny back to the floor, donned the cloak and stood behind the door. Too late, he remembered that this door had been shut and locked. Whoever was about to come in here would know something was up. He tightened his grip on his wand.
In the next instant, Macnair had entered the room looking around suspiciously. Harry knew he couldn't be seen, and he remained motionless, hoping Macnair would go away so he could make good his escape. But then Harry saw that Macnair was holding something in his hand, a goblet, and there was likely some kind of potion in it. Macnair had his wand out and was pointing it at Ginny.
Harry had to do something. Now. But the door was in the way of his getting a clear shot on Macnair. He had to take a step to the side first. Macnair must have had extremely acute hearing, either that or he suspected someone else was in the room already. In any case, when Harry shouted, "Stupefy!" Macnair dodged the spell, spilling the contents of the goblet over his robes. Then he turned towards Harry, wand raised, and looked him straight in the eye, as if he'd not been wearing an invisibility cloak at all.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
Harry pulled off the invisibility cloak, keeping his wand trained on Macnair. The older man's eyes widened slightly, but he otherwise betrayed no sign of surprise. "Potter. Fancy finding you here."
Harry kept his gaze riveted on Macnair. "I'm taking Ginny back to Hogwarts with me," he began, as if he were discussing the weather. Then suddenly he cried, "Expelliarmus!"
Once more, Macnair leapt aside, bat-like, with more agility than expected.
"Petrificus totalis!"
The spell bounced off Harry, causing him to stumble, and Macnair did seem rattled then.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry cried again, as he regained his balance, and he caught the other wizard's wand neatly.
He opened his mouth to stun his opponent, but before he could utter the incantation, Macnair said something completely unexpected. "Dumbledore's still letting you get away with crossing lines, I see."
Harry stared at him as the words sunk in. It was a very strange thing for Macnair to say. In fact, it was oddly reminiscent of something Professor Snape had once said about him.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially to Diana who continues to be a source of great amusement to us all. Also a special thanks to Monique for her astute suggestions.
In response to a couple of questions about what Hermione saw in the Dr Zog book… Well, she didn't see anything dodgy, at least I don't think so. The book is a continual surprise to me. It was never meant to get the amount of screen time it has. But I guess I should clarify one thing: the book shows boys what they're most interested in. If a girl picks it up, it looks like a boring spell book. Of course, the book also has a rather twisted sense of humour, I'm learning, so you never know when it will decide to liven things up by playing a trick on you. ;-) It's definitely got Sirius' sense of humour… although Sirius is not Dr Zog.
Chapter 15
Summary: Ginny gives Harry a special birthday present, but the consequences are unexpected.
Harry had no idea how long he'd been walking. He'd been at it so long it seemed as if he'd never done anything else in his life beyond set one foot doggedly in front of the other. He was tired and cold, but he kept going, one step and then the next and then the next, each one bringing him that much closer to his goal.
Behind him Ron and Hermione were arguing, and he was trying his best to tune it out. The wind had risen, and that helped carry their words away from his ears. He couldn't remember when it had begun, since time was now no more than an endless cycle of steps, but they'd been going round and round with it for a good while now. He thought Ron had started it. They must have gone at least a mile when he'd asked, "Why can't we just turn that book into a Port Key again? It would save us the hike."
"It's no good, Ron," Hermione had answered. "I've been thinking about it, and we're very lucky we landed off the mark."
"By ten miles? Tell that to my feet. Can't we get closer somehow?"
"None of us has ever been where we're going. We have no idea what we'll land in the middle of."
"I still say we could get closer. We'd be less likely to miss the mark this time, wouldn't we?"
"Do you know of a safe place where we could come out? I don't."
"What? Are you actually admitting you don't know something?" Harry had winced at this point, expecting to hear a slap behind him, but all he'd heard was a loud, exasperated sigh. "Come on," Ron went on. "We could at least aim for the village. Wasn't there a village mentioned in the note?"
"We might be seen by Muggles. Or worse, the place could be crawling with Death Eaters. Someone might recognise Harry. That much ought to be obvious to you."
"They're expecting him, aren't they? They sent him a note telling him to come here."
"He still doesn't want to land in the middle of a trap."
"And they're not expecting us. We've got the element of surprise on our side."
"We don't want to land in the middle of a trap either."
"At this rate, we're not going to land in the middle of anything. We'll be crawling if we're lucky. It'll be ages before we get anywhere. The note said to hurry."
"That's something else I've been thinking about. I think we have time. They can't expect us to arrive so soon. They'll have expected Harry to take longer working out that clue for one thing."
"They won't have expected you to help him out? Miss Cleverest-Witch-at-Hogwarts? Anyway, by the time we get there, we'll be too knackered to do more than lie down and go to sleep…"
"You're impossible…"
Harry had stopped trying to follow them at that point, but they'd kept at it on and on. Harry supposed it helped them pass the time. All he wanted to do was focus on getting to Carreg Cennen. Right foot. Left foot. Right. Left. He had to keep going.
They'd left the main road behind them and were taking a less-travelled road. The terrain about them was rugged and no doubt very green in the summer. It was dull and brown now that there'd been a hard frost. The day itself was as sombre as the surrounding farmland.
They couldn't be far now, Harry felt. A castle on a hill, even an apparently ruined one, ought to be visible from miles away, but so far there had been no glimpse of anything remotely resembling what the Reperio spell had revealed to him… Was it only last night he had cast that? Less than twenty-four hours ago? It didn't seem possible. Hogwarts seemed a lifetime away from where he was now, walking along a road between hedgerows, which obscured a great deal of the surrounding countryside. Harry began to worry that they were lost again, that they'd taken a wrong turning somewhere. He was about to ask Hermione if he could have a look at the map again when the road turned sharply, and he saw it.
It looked exactly as it had in the vision. Carreg Cennen. In spite of the fact that he'd had very little sleep the previous night and he'd been walking for what seemed like most of the day, Harry felt invigorated by the sight. He gave a shout and began to run.
He could see a village nestled at the foot of the hill ahead of him as he hurried on. He knew it must be Trapp. A voice called out behind him, causing him to stop and turn.
"Wait, Harry," Hermione said, as she jogged up to him, Ron following. "We can't just rush up there. Ron and I have been discussing this. It's probably best if you aren't seen."
"Discussing?" Harry thought. "Is that what they called it?" But he didn't give voice to this idea. He merely raised his eyebrows at Hermione.
"Harry, the letter said to be careful about walking into a trap, and that's the name of the village," Ron pointed out.
"They'll be expecting you," added Hermione. "The place is probably full of Death Eaters. Didn't you hear Ron and I talking about it?"
"Sorry, I wasn't listening," said Harry. "How am I supposed to get up to the castle, then?"
"Let Ron go."
"No. Don't you think they'll recognise Ron? Or you for that matter?" Harry added, anticipating her next statement. "Listen, we don't know what's waiting for us in the village, but we have to go through it to get up there." He pointed to the crag, which dominated the view.
"We might go around," said Ron.
"They'll be watching for that, won't they?" countered Hermione.
"We have to try some way!"
It looked as if another discussion was imminent. Harry took off his rucksack and opened it. He'd had enough. "While you two are working out what to do, I'll just find my own way." He pulled out the invisibility cloak and put it on.
"Wait, Harry!" screeched Hermione, turning towards him. "Don't just disappear…" Harry pulled the hood from his head. "Don't do that! It's creepy."
"What is?"
"Well, I can't just talk to your head."
Harry sighed and removed the invisibility cloak entirely.
"All right, here's what we're going to do," Hermione went on. "We're dressed as Muggles already. If we cover up a bit more, like this…" She had transfigured her cloak into a parka when they'd first arrived outside Pontardawe, and now she pulled its hood over her conspicuous hair. "…We might pass unnoticed. Harry, you've got your cloak, and if Ron only hid his hair, we might have a chance. From the way the note was worded, I think they're expecting us to avoid the village, so we're going through it. Are we agreed?"
"Yes," said Harry, while Ron nodded. Harry didn't much care what they decided at this point as long as they did something.
"Then let's have a rest and a bite to eat before we go on."
There was no sun to judge by, but it had to be past noon. Harry realised he was quite hungry. Hermione quietly cast a warming charm on the ground, and they sat by the roadside and ate some of Dobby's sandwiches. Before they went on again, Hermione conjured a hat for Ron. Then Harry disappeared under his cloak, and the three set off towards the village.
All was quiet in the grey stone buildings. There was barely a sign of life, wizard or Muggle, but Harry wasn't sure he liked it. It was as if he were being led into a false sense of security.
On the opposite side of the village, the road began to rise even more steeply. It wasn't long before Hermione stopped them again. "Something else I learned back at the petrol station: the castle is on private farmland. We'll have to pay admission."
"Is that a problem?" asked Ron.
"No, I still have some Muggle money, but if the castle belongs to the Malfoy family, I have to wonder whether whoever we pay admission to is a Muggle or a wizard."
"I can't see any Malfoy letting Muggles onto their land."
"It depends, doesn't it? If they can make some money on the deal by charging admission, perhaps they think it's worth it. Plus, it's a way of controlling who comes in and out without it looking too suspicious, isn't it?"
"We're going to have to be careful, then," said Harry.
"Yes, you'd better leave that cloak on," advised Hermione.
They continued to climb until they came to the farm on which the castle stood. It looked like a perfectly ordinary Muggle farm with its main house and outbuildings huddled together and chickens milling in the yard. The castle itself looked quite a bit different now that they were closer to it. From beyond the village of Trapp, Harry had only been able to see the ruins of outer walls with the broken inner walls rising above them, pointing jaggedly against the sky. But now he could see that its walls and turrets were intact, rising hundreds of feet above the outer defences, vast and impregnable. Something told him that the massive structure was charmed to appear as a ruin from a distance, and even from this close a vantage, this was all a Muggle would ever see. Only a witch or wizard would see the whole castle.
They walked up the path towards the farmhouse, and a woman came out to greet Ron and Hermione. Harry could not tell by looking at her if she was a witch or not. She was dressed as a Muggle, but that was to be expected, he supposed.
She looked at Ron and Hermione sharply. "Afternoon. Come to visit Carreg Cennen?"
"Yes, please," replied Hermione briskly, as if she was in a hurry.
"We don't get many visitors this time of year."
Ron and Hermione exchanged an uncomfortable look. "It was a bit of a whim, I suppose," said Hermione. "We were on our way home from school for the Christmas holiday and decided to stop off…"
"Where do you go to school then?"
"Scotland."
The woman seemed very interested in that bit of information, as she looked keenly at Hermione, and Harry had to bite back a groan. Why couldn't Hermione have lied?
"Scotland, eh? You're a ways from there, aren't you? And you don't talk like you come from around here."
"We're spending Christmas with my aunt. I'm actually from St Albans."
The woman looked behind them, craning her neck and reminding Harry of his aunt Petunia. "And you walked all the way up here?"
Hermione's smile became strained. "Had a bit of car trouble actually. We left it in the village, but since we were already here, we decided to walk up and see the place. Now how much is admission?"
The woman immediately became more businesslike. "Three pounds each." Hermione handed over some money. "Now, you want to be sure and visit the caves. They're under the castle. Here, it's all on this map." She pulled a pamphlet out of her pocket and handed it to Hermione. "And there's the history in there, too. Make yourself at home. Normally the farm is open to visitors as well, but there's not a whole lot going on this time of year, I'm afraid. Enjoy your visit."
She walked off towards the house without a backwards glance.
"What did you tell her we went to school in Scotland for?" hissed Harry when he was sure the woman was out of earshot.
"I'm sorry, it was all I could think of."
"Let's go," said Ron. "Doesn't look like there's anyone about. It might be all right."
"Yeah, or she's just gone in to Floo up to the castle and tell them we're coming," said Harry grimly.
Harry, Ron and Hermione climbed the steep path to where the castle rose forbiddingly against the sky. The only sound Harry could hear was the wind, which hissed ceaselessly through the dry grasses and stone. There was no shelter, and he shivered.
"How are we going to do this?" he asked.
Hermione didn't answer right away but continued to pick her way up the path, her eyes on the dark grey rocks in front of her. "I think we're going to have to split up," she said at last. "Ron and I can play the tourist, but that means we'll have to stay in the parts of the castle that Muggle tourists can access. You'll have to go into the wizarding areas, but no one knows you're here, so it ought to be all right."
"So I just look for Ginny?"
"Yes, or anything that will help us locate her."
"And what if I don't find anything?"
"Ron and I will look for a way to sneak back up here. I'd say we have until sunset before we ought to let the woman at the farmhouse see us leave." She looked at her watch. "That doesn't give us long, actually. I think for now we worry about reconnaissance only. There won't be time for anything else. We need to check out that cave under the castle."
"Do you think that's where they're keeping Ginny?" asked Ron.
Hermione frowned. "I doubt it. They won't be keeping her in a spot the public can access, not unless there are several caves there. I read something in that book about the pureblood families about there being a way into the place through the cave. If we can find it and see where it comes out, we might be able to use it later to get back in."
"If it's not guarded, you mean," Ron pointed out.
"Yes, of course." Hermione stopped walking. They were almost to the outer walls now. "Are we all clear on what we're doing?" she asked, looking directly at Ron, as if she was addressing only him.
"I'll find the wizarding parts of the castle and see if I can find Ginny," Harry replied quietly.
"Yes. But just find her. I don't think you'll have time to get her out. We can plan what to do when we know more." Harry didn't like the sound of that, but he didn't make any comment. He knew if he tried to protest, they'd just waste more time arguing about it.
Hermione looked at her watch again. "Let's say we all meet back here in an hour and a half, whether we've got anything on Ginny or not."
"And if we run into any trouble?"
"Cross your fingers and hope for the best," Hermione said dryly. "Listen, if any of us is late for the rendezvous, the others will just leave. No heroics, all right?" Her tone went very firm when she said this. "We leave and find a way to notify Dumbledore."
"Yes, all right," replied Harry, although he knew that if anything happened to either Ron or Hermione, he'd be damned if he'd leave them behind. He wasn't about to leave this place without Ginny, either, but he kept these thoughts to himself. He had a feeling Hermione could tell what was going through his mind in any case and was simply refraining from making any further admonishments.
They continued through the outer walls and the barbican until they found themselves in the inner ward, expecting to be challenged at any moment--Harry was able to draw his wand since he was hidden by the invisibility cloak--but the place looked deserted. Ron and Hermione began to look about as if they were tourists, exclaiming over the view. Harry eased off, looking for the entrance to the inhabited part of the castle. He could look to his right now and see two towers looming over him--a third was directly in front of him--their windows mere slits in the four-foot thick walls. But the windows all looked lifeless. There was nothing to indicate anyone else was here. That thought gave Harry an odd, unsettling feeling. Something was amiss.
He felt his way along the wall until it suddenly gave way, and he passed through an opening. It was a lot like passing through the barrier at Kings Cross. He found himself in a short passage that opened onto a great hall. There he could see a figure or two at the opposite end of the hall. So the place wasn't as deserted as it seemed; yet it wasn't exactly teeming with Voldemort's servants, either. Once more Harry had to wonder what was going on. It hardly looked as if they were expecting any visitors. It didn't even look as if anyone was keeping watch over the public part of the castle. Had he been led on a wild goose chase?
To Harry's left along one of the walls were some steps, and he took them, coming out at a gallery, which overlooked the great hall. He could see passages leading away from the gallery, no doubt to other parts of the castle. He chose one at random and soon found himself ascending into one of the three towers he'd seen from below. There was no sign of anyone else on the stairs. Harry knew that if Ginny was here, she must be under guard of some sort or other, but he climbed to the top of the tower to be sure. The stairs ended at a room, but the door was unlocked, and it was empty. Before he turned back down the stairs, he looked out the window into the inner ward. Ron and Hermione were nowhere in sight, and he hoped they'd found their way to the cave.
Harry was almost back down to the level of the gallery when he heard footsteps. He froze in place just inside the stairwell, dread at being caught taking hold. The stairway was narrow, and if whoever it was decided to come up here, there would be little Harry could do to hide; he might be invisible, but he was still solid.
A figure passed, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief, but he'd also caught a glimpse of a face, one that seemed familiar to him. He followed stealthily, wracking his brains. He thought if he could see the person full on, he'd know who it was.
As it turned out, Harry didn't have to wait long, nor did he have to see the person's face. The figure was heading away from the gallery and the great hall. Harry couldn't be sure, but he thought this corridor must be leading them towards the other towers. He halted, as the person he was trailing paused at a doorway. He could hear a muttered incantation or password, and the door swung open. But someone else emerged almost immediately, and Harry could hear the two speaking in low voices. He crept closer to catch what they were saying.
"How long are you leaving her there?" said one voice.
"Till his Lordship calls for her again. Shouldn't be long."
"She ought to be allowed more time to recover."
"What's it to you, Macnair?"
Macnair! Now Harry knew why the man had seemed familiar. He remembered him from his third year when he'd thought Macnair was simply a Ministry employee sent to execute Buckbeak. He also remembered the following year when Voldemort had returned and summoned his servants. Macnair had been present then, too.
"It's nothing to me," Macnair was saying, "only he's taking too much out of her. She's not going to be able to do what he wants if she's this exhausted."
"She's asleep now. She'd better make the most of it."
A third voice shouted something from further down the passage, and the two men moved on. Harry hurried to the door where they'd just been talking and tried to open it, but it was locked. He was sure it led to where Ginny was, and he swore in frustration. Drawing his wand, he tried, "Alohomora," but that didn't work either. He was certain Hermione would know another spell that would open the door, but there was no time to go looking for her now. Then he thought of the twins teaching him how to pick a lock with a hairpin, but he had something better than that. He'd brought the prototype Lock-picker they'd invented.
He looked around quickly to make sure no one else was about. Although he had on the invisibility cloak, he couldn't be sure it would stay on him properly while he rummaged in his rucksack. The corridor remained empty, and Harry dug out the Lock-picker and made swift work of opening the door.
Another set of stairs wound steeply up another tower. Harry was experiencing another rush of adrenaline, as he was sure his goal was near now, and he had to force himself to climb the stairs quietly. There had been one person up here guarding Ginny. There might be more.
It took a long time to reach the top. This tower was much higher than the other one he'd climbed. Not for the first time today, he wished he'd brought his Firebolt along. He could make a quick escape on that--if there was a large enough window handy at any rate.
When he felt as if his knees were about to turn to rubber the stairs ended, and he was faced with another locked door. The Lock-picker came in handy once more, and Harry burst into the room, his wand at the ready, in case there was another guard, but it, too, seemed empty at first. Harry turned in disappointment, resigned to climbing down yet again.
Then he saw Ginny. She was lying on the stone floor, her body partially obscured by the open door. Her back was turned towards him, and her hair was spread out, covering her face. She lay perfectly still, and Harry thought she couldn't be very comfortable. He shrugged off the invisibility cloak and hurried to her.
"Ginny, wake up," he called softly, relief at having found her at last filling him, as he turned her over. Then his heart caught in his throat as he took in her pallor and the dark purple smudges under her eyes. She looked at least as bad as she had last summer, but that was impossible. She'd been here for twenty-four hours, more or less. They couldn't have forced her to make a protective talisman in that short a time, could they?
He shook her gently and called to her again, and still she lay unresponsive. "Ginny, please wake up!" he cried more desperately, and then he froze, realising what he'd just said. In his mind's eye he could see her, a small, pale twelve-year-old on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets. He shook himself. She was only sleeping; the other wizard had said as much to Macnair.
He sat down on the floor and lifted her partially into his lap. With one shaking hand, he tenderly brushed back her hair before placing that hand against her face and rubbing the pad of his thumb along her cheekbone. Her eyelids fluttered, and he took heart.
"Come on, Ginny, you have to wake up so we can get out of here. You can sleep all you want once we're back at Hogwarts."
She brought up a hand and swatted at him half-heartedly. "Go 'way," she muttered.
Harry wanted to laugh out loud, in spite of everything, when he heard those words. He lifted her limp form and held her to him, pressing his lips to her forehead. He was going to have to find a way to wake her up, though, and soon. There wasn't any way he'd be able to carry her down all those stairs and out of here. He'd probably fall and break both their necks.
He was reaching for his wand, wondering if an "Enervate" spell would work on someone who hadn't been magically stunned, when he heard someone coming up the steps. Heart pounding, he pointed his wand at the invisibility cloak instead.
"Accio!"
He quickly slid Ginny back to the floor, donned the cloak and stood behind the door. Too late, he remembered that this door had been shut and locked. Whoever was about to come in here would know something was up. He tightened his grip on his wand.
In the next instant, Macnair had entered the room looking around suspiciously. Harry knew he couldn't be seen, and he remained motionless, hoping Macnair would go away so he could make good his escape. But then Harry saw that Macnair was holding something in his hand, a goblet, and there was likely some kind of potion in it. Macnair had his wand out and was pointing it at Ginny.
Harry had to do something. Now. But the door was in the way of his getting a clear shot on Macnair. He had to take a step to the side first. Macnair must have had extremely acute hearing, either that or he suspected someone else was in the room already. In any case, when Harry shouted, "Stupefy!" Macnair dodged the spell, spilling the contents of the goblet over his robes. Then he turned towards Harry, wand raised, and looked him straight in the eye, as if he'd not been wearing an invisibility cloak at all.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
Harry pulled off the invisibility cloak, keeping his wand trained on Macnair. The older man's eyes widened slightly, but he otherwise betrayed no sign of surprise. "Potter. Fancy finding you here."
Harry kept his gaze riveted on Macnair. "I'm taking Ginny back to Hogwarts with me," he began, as if he were discussing the weather. Then suddenly he cried, "Expelliarmus!"
Once more, Macnair leapt aside, bat-like, with more agility than expected.
"Petrificus totalis!"
The spell bounced off Harry, causing him to stumble, and Macnair did seem rattled then.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry cried again, as he regained his balance, and he caught the other wizard's wand neatly.
He opened his mouth to stun his opponent, but before he could utter the incantation, Macnair said something completely unexpected. "Dumbledore's still letting you get away with crossing lines, I see."
Harry stared at him as the words sunk in. It was a very strange thing for Macnair to say. In fact, it was oddly reminiscent of something Professor Snape had once said about him.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially to Diana who continues to be a source of great amusement to us all. Also a special thanks to Monique for her astute suggestions.
In response to a couple of questions about what Hermione saw in the Dr Zog book… Well, she didn't see anything dodgy, at least I don't think so. The book is a continual surprise to me. It was never meant to get the amount of screen time it has. But I guess I should clarify one thing: the book shows boys what they're most interested in. If a girl picks it up, it looks like a boring spell book. Of course, the book also has a rather twisted sense of humour, I'm learning, so you never know when it will decide to liven things up by playing a trick on you. ;-) It's definitely got Sirius' sense of humour… although Sirius is not Dr Zog.
Chapter 15