Loki's Amulet by Air Elemental
Summary: When Fred and George find Loki's amulet, they have no idea what chaos they would unleash into the world... Now Ginny is unconscious and only Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville can save her, but only if they complete Loki's tasks. -- A humour/action/adventure story. Slight Ron/Hermione and Ginny/Neville. -- After almost two years of floundering, Chapter 8 is FINALLY up! -- Won 2ND PLACE in Quarterly Challange the First: History and Mythology!
Categories: Alternate Universe Characters: None
Warnings: Alternate Universe
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 8 Completed: No Word count: 17944 Read: 31406 Published: 09/08/05 Updated: 04/13/08

1. In which the amulet is first discovered by Air Elemental

2. In which the Weasleys get a shock by Air Elemental

3. In which Fred and George make a deal by Air Elemental

4. In which the first challange is completed by Air Elemental

5. In which rocks and berries feature greatly by Air Elemental

6. In which some Death Eaters appear by Air Elemental

7. In which fire and water both feature by Air Elemental

8. In which a surprising amount of information is revealed by Air Elemental

In which the amulet is first discovered by Air Elemental
Name: Air Elemental
House: Gryffindor
Challenge: Quarterly challenge, History and Mythology.

Chapter One: In which the amulet is first discovered

The whole shenanigan started as Fred and George Weasley were marched army-like into Filch’s office. Filch was seething with anger as egg white dripped down his cheek. The twins giggled loudly.

“You two again?” snarled Filch. “It’s only your first term at Hogwarts and you’ve been in my office thirty times to date!”

“But that wasn’t us, sir,” said George innocently.

“It was Peeves!” Fred claimed.

“A likely story,” Filch pulled out a long sheet of parchment. The twins groaned. They’d seen that piece of parchment all too many times. As Filch reached towards a quill, there was a loud meow. Mrs Norris jumped onto Filch’s lap. A smile spread across his face.

“What is it, my sweet?” asked Filch, tickling his cat’s ear. Mrs Norris mewed and jumped down into the hallway.

“Stay here,” snapped Filch, “don’t move!”

He stormed out the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, the twins burst into fits of laughter.

“That was a great idea!” cried Fred, punching his brother playfully.

“I don’t think Flitwick realised the perils of teaching us the levitation spell, did he?” chortled George.

“Hey, how about we hunt around in Filch’s cupboard and see if we can find anymore goodies,” suggested Fred, remembering the strange map of Hogwarts they found last week.

Laughing, the two boys began rummaging inside Filch’s confiscation cupboard. They found several dungbombs, a mouldy box of chocolate, a large model of a hippogriff and (to Fred and George’s delight) a frilly bra.

“What’s Filch doing with a bra?” Fred laughed hysterically.

“Dunno, hey look!” George reached into the cupboard and pulled out an amulet.

It was a dull bronze with a crimson ruby glinting in the light. It was tied with a slim leather strip. George slipped it around his neck.

“Suits me, don’t you think?” he chortled, posing. Fred snorted.

“Filch’s coming back!” cried George suddenly. He shut the doors of the cupboard, kicked the bra out of sight and removed the amulet from his neck and into his pocket.

“What?” Fred was confused. “How d’you know Filch’s coming?”

“I saw it,” said George, pushing his twin to the wall they were leaning against when Filch left.

“But the door’s shut! Did you see through the wall or something?”

George opened his mouth to answer, but Filch strode in, Mrs Norris at his heels.

“We sorted out that Boydson, didn’t we, my sweet? He won’t be dropping sweet wrappers again.”

He turned around to see Fred and George standing against the wall. His face twisted with rage.

“What are you two idiots doing in my office?” he yelled. “Get out!”

“So you’re not going to punish us?” Fred’s voice rose with hope.

“I’ll punish you in a minute if you don’t get out of my office!” Filch grabbed the scruff of their robes and threw them out the office. They landed hard on the wood panelling and Filch slammed the door behind them.

“OK,” said George, “that was-“

“-very weird,” finished Fred, “its not like Filch to not punish us!”

“And it’s not like me to see through walls either,” added George. “Hey d’you think it was that amulet-thing?”

“What? It altered Filch’s memory and made you see through walls? Cool!” answered Fred. “Can I look at it?”

George dug it out of his pocket, “Sure.”

Fred placed it around his neck. At first nothing happened, but then Fred started twitching.

“I’ve an idea!” He cried.

“What?” George was eager.

“Follow me!”

Fred sprinted down the corridor and George followed him. They turned left, right, left again…

“The library?” George was confused. “Fred, you know we’ve never set foot in the library!”

“There’s a first time for everything, isn’t there?” Fred was running among the bookshelves, knocking some books off the shelves.

“Excuse me, young man!” It was Madam Pince. She didn’t look very happy. “Don’t run in the library!”

“Shut it, you old cow!” cried Fred, and pointed violently at her.

Madam Pince screamed! Her hair was no longer a fierce bun, but a clump of withering snakes! Fred laughed manically as Madam Pince tore and flinched at the snakes.

“Cool! Nice one, Fred!” laughed George, impressed by the illusion.

“Oh, I’ve only just started!” laughed Fred, and then and only then, George noticed something funny about his voice. He didn’t sound like Fred.

“What’s the next lesson?” Fred was still chortling as they walked out the library.

“Potions, why?” George asked.

“Great,” Fred sprinted off. George ran after him. Since when did Fred like potions?

“Hey, wait for me!” George was panting by the time they reached the dungeon. Snape was waiting for them.

“Late again, Weasleys?” he said coldly. “Ten points from Gryffindor, and a further five points for running in the corridor. Now get into class!”

The twins walked into the familiar darkness as Snape shut the door behind them.

They quickly found Lee Jordan sitting at a table he’d saved for them.

“I’ve another idea!” cried Fred, once they were seated.

“What?” Lee was confused.

“We found this cool amulet in Filch’s office,” explained George, “and ““

“Two points from Gryffindor for talking, Weasley,” sneered Professor Snape as he sat down in his chair. “Now today we are making a simple sneezing potion. I expect all of you to complete it by the end of the lesson. Anybody who doesn’t will feel my wrath.”

And with that, Snape flicked his wand and the instructions appeared on the board. There was the sound of wood against stone as the students scrambled towards the cupboard, not wanting to feel Snape’s wrath. The twins and Lee were last to fetch the equipment.

“Too slow, Weasleys, Jordan,” said Snape, sneering as usual, “ten points a piece from Gryffindor.”

“I’m getting fed up with him,” muttered Lee, “bloody Snape.”

“I’m going to teach him a lesson,” said Fred, and he stood up.

“Sit down, Weasley,” snapped Snape, “or it’ll be another…”

Fred ran to the dungeon wall and stared at it for a few seconds. The class roared with laughter. The wall was disappearing, revealing the murky depths of the Great Lake. Fish darted by and a crab scuttled lazily past. Snape was furious.

“My classroom is not an aquarium, Weasley!” he yelled. “Fifty points from Gryffindor!”

Fred turned to him. George gasped! Fred’s eyes had gone bright crimson, the same colour as the ruby on the amulet! Snape ran for his wand, but it was too late. With a swish of Fred’s arms, the invisible wall holding the waters back disintegrated.

“A Hundred points from…” was all that could be heard from Snape before the water cascaded in.

The class screamed! One girl ran to the door, only to find it locked. They were trapped! George and Lee struggled to keep their heads above the water. Fred, however, was laughing manically again. The laugh shot fear into every student there.

“Fred! Help m…” George tried to yell, but water invaded his lungs. His body fell down into the liquid and his world went dark.

*****
“WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING?” screamed Mrs Weasley, as Fred and George stood dripping wet in Dumbledore’s office. The amulet was sitting innocently on Dumbledore’s desk, where Dumbledore himself was seated. Also in the room were Mr and Mrs Weasley. They were not happy.

“TURNING MADAM PINCE’S HAIR INTO SNAKES!” Mrs Weasley continued. “FLOODING THE POTION’S CLASSROOM! I’M SURPRISED YOU’RE STILL HERE!”

“I’m surprised at you boys,” said Mr Weasley crossly, “I would’ve thought you’d have more sense than to wear an unknown charm straight out of Filch’s office!”

“I thought it was OK,” Fred was ashamed, “because it didn’t hurt George and…”

“GEORGE SHOULDN’T HAVE WORN IT EITHER!” Mrs Weasley continued. “YOU COULD’VE KILLED SOMEONE!”

“Thank you, Molly,” said Dumbledore calmly.

Mrs Weasley sat down heavily on her chair with a furious expression.

“I won’t expel you this time,” Dumbledore said, “as long as you promise to destroy this amulet as soon as possible. This is a very rare and dangerous amulet made by Loki.”

“Who’s Loki?” asked Fred.

“Loki is a character in Norse mythology. He was a trickster and a hypocrite. When Fred wore the amulet, it appears that a part of Loki possessed him briefly.”

Mrs Weasley made a loud squealing sound, and embraced the twins.

“My poor boys! What have you done?” she cried.

“Mum, you’re choking us!” George’s voice was muffled.

“I’ll take that, Dumbledore,” said Mr Weasley, picking up the amulet. “I’ll bring it to work at the ministry tomorrow.”

Mr Weasley scooped up the amulet and slipped it into his pocket.

*****
It was late until the Weasleys got home to the Burrow. Mrs Weasley busied herself with tea, while Mr Weasley started writing out some documents on biting doorknobs. As he began on the third page, he didn’t notice an invisible force gently lift the amulet out of Mr Weasley’s pocket. He didn’t notice it glide up the stairs and through a doorway. He didn’t hear Ginny’s old toy box open stiffly, or hear the soft thunk of the amulet land amongst the forgotten toys, where it would sit until it’s called.

To be continued…
In which the Weasleys get a shock by Air Elemental
Name: Air Elemental
House: Gryffindor
Challenge: Quarterly challenge, History and Mythology.

Chapter Two: In which the Weasleys get a shock

It was the summer holidays, and the Weasleys had been told to clean their rooms before Harry and Hermione arrived.

“I’m sick of looking at a pigsty every time I walk in there,” Mrs Weasley had complained.

“Why can’t you do it, Mum?” Ron had whined.

“You’re old enough now to clean your own rooms, and no magic allowed,” she’d added as the twins, Ron and Ginny had ascended the stairs. All four of them groaned.

So here Ginny was, clearing out her old toy box. She’d unearthed some items that she loved as a child, and some she had despised. It was hard work. That’s when she came across it.

It was just sitting in her hand. It’s ruby sparkling in the sun. The amulet.

I don’t remember owning this, she thought, holding it up. It seemed to be calling her, telling her just to put it around her neck. It was very tempting.

No! Ginny came back to her senses. She remembered what happened last time she used an object that she though was harmless. Wearing an unknown amulet around your neck was much more dangerous than writing in a diary.

“Ginny, Ron, Dinner!” Mrs Weasley called from downstairs. Ginny dropped the amulet back into the box and ran downstairs, almost colliding with Ron.

“Watch where you’re going!” he cried out.

The twins were already downstairs eating. Mrs Weasley handed them a pot of soup each and they sat down.

“We’ve finished,” said Fred proudly.

“It wasn’t hard at all,” said George.

“But there’s two of you!” complained Ron.

Dinner passed without incident, and Ginny totally forgot about the amulet. After dinner, Mrs Weasley sent them back upstairs to finish tidying their rooms. Fred and George couldn’t help but smile as Ron and Ginny stomped up the stairs in disgust.

“I hope Mum and Dad don’t open our cupboard,” Fred laughed, “I don’t think they’ll be impressed with our tiding philosophy.”

“What? Shove-everything-in-the-cupboard-until-the-thing-explodes?” asked George, chortling.

There was a loud clatter upstairs.

“FRED! GEORGE!” yelled Mrs Weasley. “GET UP HERE NOW!”

“Uh oh!” somehow, Fred knew that they were in a lot of trouble.

*****
It was late at night. Ginny was asleep soundly in her bed. The curtains were wide open, revealing a brilliant indigo sky. The stars shone peacefully and the waning moon just touched the treetops.

Shining in the moonlight, the amulet lay in the toy box. Loki was bored. He wanted to have some fun.

Slowly, the amulet rose up out of its resting place, making no sound. It slowly glided across the room towards Ginny’s bed. Ginny rolled over in her sleep, unaware of the floating amulet that was hovering above her head.

An owl hooted outside. Ginny sat up, surprised. Suddenly, the amulet dropped from its position and the chain fell over her head. The amulet hanging around her neck, Ginny screamed.

*****
Walk into a ward at St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and you might see all sorts. Perhaps a man who’d been bitten on the behind by a dragon, or maybe a witch who’d turned her ears into muffins. But in this particular ward was a red-haired girl lying unconscious in a bed. An amulet curled around her neck. Also in the room were her anxious parents, three of her brothers, a girl with bushy brown hair, a black haired boy with glasses and two healers. They all crowded around her.

“Are you sure you can’t remove the amulet?” asked Mrs Weasley.

The healer shook his head, “We’ve tried everything. Nothing works. She’s in a very stable condition, though, so she should be fine for now.”

“This is all my fault,” whispered Mr Weasley, hoarsely, “I should’ve gone straight to the ministry with Loki’s amulet.”

“Loki?” said the girl with bushy hair. “As in the Norse Loki?”

“The very same, Hermione,” muttered Fred.

“Don’t blame yourself, Dad,” added George. “We’re the one’s who found it in the first place.”

There was a knock on the door, and Bill and Charlie ran into the room, almost slipping on the floor.

“Ginny!”

“Is she OK?”

“Will she be alright?”

“We’d better go,” said Hermione, to the black haired boy, “come on, Harry.”

Harry and Hermione tiptoed out of the ward and closed the door behind them.

“Poor Ginny,” said Hermione, “I hope she’ll be all right. If she’s still not well when we go back to Hogwarts, I’ll have a look in the library. That must have something about Loki’s Amulet.”

“Yeah,” muttered Harry. He felt sorry for Ginny.

They turned the corner into another long corridor. At the far end was a man giving directions to a familiar round-faced boy holding what looked like a small orchid.

“…and just turn right and it’s the third door on your left,” concluded the man.

“Thanks,” said the boy, and Harry recognised him.

“Neville!” he called out. Neville turned around and hid the orchid obviously around his back.

“Oh, hi Harry. Hi Hermione,” he said, blushing slightly.

“Hi Neville, on your way to see Ginny?” asked Hermione.

Neville nodded, “Erm…yes, I’ve just been visiting with my gran so I-I thought I’d just go visit Ginny.”

“I suggest you go visit her later,” said Harry, thinking about how embarrassing it would be for Neville if he walked into Ginny’s ward, with an orchid, in front of the Weasleys.

“We’re heading for the café,” said Hermione, “do you want to come?”

“OK,” agreed Neville, and they headed for the staircase.

*****
“Look.”

“What?”

“Look!”

George groaned and got out of his bed. It was three a.m. What did Fred want?

Fred unlatched their bedroom window and a tawny owl flew in. Fred ripped off the note and the owl flew back out the window. George watched it go.

“Hey, it’s from Dumbledore!” cried Fred, passing the note to George.

Dear Mr Fred and George Weasley, it said.
Please meet me at the Hippogriff hotel in Hogsmeade tonight at three-thirty. Take a change of clothes each and your wands. It’s urgent that you attend.
Yours sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore.


“What time is it?” asked George.

“Ten past Three, we’d better get going.”

“Hold on, should we wake up mum and dad?”

“Nah, we’ll leave them a note,” a mischievous grin spread across Fred’s face as he grabbed bundles of clothes and shoved it into his bag, “can you go downstairs and get some food?”

*****
At exactly three-thirty in the morning, Fred and George arrived in a large reception area carrying two heavy bags. The reception area was small yet grand. Velvet seats lined the walls and a large oak desk was placed opposite them. Through the window, gently rising sunbeams were only just visible beyond the horizon. The room smelt of luxury.

“Good morning, Fred and George,” said a voice beside them. It was Dumbledore. “I’m glad you came. I was rather worried that the owl might not make it, but you’re here now. Would you like to take the lift or the stairs?”

“Er, we don’t mind sir,” answered Fred.

“The lift it is,” said Dumbledore, pressing the lift button. With a merry chime, the lift doors opened and they stepped inside.

“How come we’ve never seen this place before?” asked George, thinking about the Marauder’s Map. It had everything on it, but not this hotel.

“This is the Minister of Magic’s privet hotel,” explained Dumbledore, as the lift rose up. “It’s normally unplottable, but I managed to persuade Fudge to put it on the Floo network for twenty minutes.”

The lift doors opened. They had arrived in a lavishly furnished room. Fred and George gazed around in wonder.

“Wow!” whispered Fred.

“Sit down,” offered Dumbledore. They all sat around a small coffee table. Dumbledore conjured three drinks and a plate of ginger biscuits. The twins snatched them up immediately.

“As we know,” said Dumbledore, “your sister is in a coma due to Loki’s Amulet. The only way for her to wake up is for Loki himself to release his amulet.”

George nodded, sipping his drink.

“Now both of you have worn the amulet,” Dumbledore continued, “George for only a few seconds, Fred for at least twenty minutes.”

“Hold on,” said Fred, intrigued, “you said we were possessed by Loki, so…”

“Only you two know where he is,” said Dumbledore, smiling.

George felt a horrible sinking feeling, “But we don’t.”

“Oh, but you do,” Dumbledore smiled.

George sighed. Dumbledore’s face became serious.

“I wouldn’t be asking you to do this if I didn’t think you had the courage to do it,” he explained, “but I want you to travel to Loki’s location and persuade him to release your sister.”

Fred spilt his drink down his front, “What? Is that possible?”

“Of course,” Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled.

“Loki’s not going to just let her go, though, is he?” pointed out George.

Dumbledore reached down the front of his robes, and pulled out a piece of neatly folded parchment.

“Here,” Dumbledore gave it to the twins, “give him this, and he’ll agree to it.”

George opened the parchment and read it.

I, Albus Dumbledore, will give you my soul in exchange for Ginevra Weasley’s.

“We can’t let Dumbledore give away his soul like that!” whispered George.

“We’ll think of something different along the way,” Fred whispered back. “We have to accept this. It’s the only way we can save Ginny.”

The twin’s turned to face Dumbledore.

“We’ll do it,” said Fred.
In which Fred and George make a deal by Air Elemental
Name: Air Elemental
House: Gryffindor
Challenge: Quarterly Challenge, History and Mythology.

Chapter Three: In which Fred and George make a deal

Upon the mirror-like surface of the lake, a single rowing boat bobbed up and down. Its reflection shimmered in the waters below. Surrounding the lake were forest-gloved mountains with snow blanched upon their peaks. Clouds rolled lazily across the sky as a gentle breeze swished around the fir trees. The delicious smell of pine curled in the air.

Clutching the right oar nervously, George scanned the mountains for a cave in the hillside. He breathed in the cold, fresh air and turned to his twin.

“Are you sure he’s living in a cave?” he asked.

Fred nodded, “Of coarse, it’s where Norse gods live. A cave!”

George nodded as they started rowing again. Fred and George had been searching around Norway for Loki for over a week. After a tip off in Bergen, the twins arrived at Aurlandsfjorden, a picturesque fjord in central Norway.

“Hey look!” cried Fred, pointing at a nearby mountain ledge. Through the thick forest was what looked like a cave mouth.

“Great!” George began rowing harder. His boots squeaked as he lent back.

“Uh, George,” Fred laughed. “Do you fancy a bath?”

“Why?” asked George.

“The boat’s leaking,” pointed out Fred.

George looked down. Water was filling into the boat’s hull thanks to a small coin-shaped hole. He whisked out his wand.

Reparo!” he cried, but it didn’t make any difference. The chilling water still surged in. It was now up to George’s ankles.

“Looks like we’re having a bath after all,” he grabbed the side of the boat and jumped into the lake. George felt a horrible freezing sensation as it surrounded him. The water submerged him only for a few seconds, before George resurfaced. Behind him, he heard Fred leap in as well.

“I’ll race you to the mountain!” yelled George, as Fred’s head broke the surface.

“You’re on!” cried Fred, gasping.

*****
An exhausting hour-and-a-half later, Fred and George regretted their swim. Dusk was on its way and the temperature was dropping. All their clothes were wet and their remaining food soggy. For some strange reason, their wands refuse to work.

“Loki’s doing,” panted George as he trekked up the mountainside. Fred just nodded in agreement.

After another half hour, the twins finally reached the cave mouth. They sat down to rest and looked at the view. On the horizon, the sun was setting in majestic colours. The clouds had turned a strange pink colour and the air smelt of the incoming night.

“Scandinavia’s a really nice place,” said George, smiling.

“Pity we couldn’t be in a less deadly and adventurous situation,” said Fred, “I’ve always wanted to try out Dragon Skiing.”

“And geyser-surfing, like Lee did last year,” added George.

“But he came back with a pair of wings attached to his head too, remember?” pointed out Fred. “He had a nasty scuffle with a bloke at the post office.”

They burst out laughing. Behind them, someone else laughed too.

“Very funny, Mr Weasley, but perhaps if you’d like a real joke I might be able to arrange it…”

The voice was echoed through the cave. The twins stopped laughing.

“Loki?” asked George.

“Indeed I am Loki, speaking English especially for you two. Now, I believe you wish to talk to me?”

The voice giggled creepily. Fred shivered.

“Well, there is something…” started Fred.

“Then come inside my cave and I shall grant you a wish.”

The laugher echoed away. Fred and George looked at each other and nodded. They walked into the cave.

******
Standing on a hill, above the streets of Bergen, a woman reread her letter carefully.

Dear Sir,

I have tipped of the two subjects. All is going to plan and our two friends are watching Loki’s cave. We will give the signal once we have the answer.


She rolled up the letter and attached it to her owl’s leg. It soared into the sky, quickly becoming a mere speck in the evening sky.

*****
Loki’s cave was damp and full of mould. Light only just managed to squeeze through a nearby crack, lighting up the cave gently. The twin’s boots slurped through the mud. The whole cave smelt of gunpowder. George smiled, the smell reminded him of his bedroom.

“Hey look!” Fred spotted something. George trudged over.

It was a large pillar-like stone that was covered in an acidic liquid. At its foot was a coil of rope half-dissolved. A snakeskin lay nearby.

“Aha!” cried Loki’s voice through the cave. “You’ve spotted my hell-hole for the past one thousand years. Now, why don’t you hurry along to the back of my cave and come and meet me?”

“C’mon,” George beckoned. They had to complete their quest, or Ginny would never be free.

The cave quickly turned into a low tunnel. The twins had to crouch down low as they walked. The tunnel kept getting lower. Eventually, Fred and George had to crawl under the sinking roof. George hated the feeling of the two rock faces pressing against him. His arms and legs were cut by sharp points of rock. He especially hated the fact that it was so dark. Loki’s creepy laugh could be heard up ahead. It scared the twins.

Eventually, they slithered out of the dark tunnel and reached a tiny, lit cavern. The twins could only just fit inside it. On the left was a large oak door, and on the right was a small beech door.

Fred looked at his dirty, wet clothes and laughed weakly.

“Mum’s going to kill us when we get home!” he chuckled. “She’s forever complaining about how long the washing takes!”

George smiled, and looked around the room, “I don’t think Loki’s in here.”

“Yeah, I kind of guessed that,” Fred rolled his eyes.

“I think we have to go through these doors,” said George.

Fred nodded. Loki’s amused voice bounced off the walls again from his unseen location.

“Ah, I see you’ve reached my doors. Now, both passageways have to be used to reach me, so each of you gets your own separate tunnel! How nice. One of my lovely tunnels goes straight through to my inner sanctum, while the other one contains a nasty surprise! But don’t worry, that also leads to my inner sanctum but in a more humorous way.”

Loki burst into laughter. Fred and George looked at each other uneasily.

“Erm…I’ll let you pick,” offered George.

“OK, I’ll have… the one on the left,” announced Fred.

“Right, right it is then!” said George, giggling at the pun.

Fred opened the oak door. “See you on the other side,” he winked, and slipped into the passageway. George was alone.

Nervously, he opened the beech door. It was pitch black and very cramped. George tried to use the Lumos spell, but his wand still didn’t work. Glad that he didn’t have claustrophobia, George walked into the passageway.

The door slammed behind him. George was now in total darkness. Timidly, he felt along the rock face, trying to distinguish which direction he was going in. Up ahead, some water dripped slowly and rhythmically, causing his insides to turn violently. George wished Fred were with him.

His footsteps were slow, but as he took another step forward the ground gave way. George screamed! He scrambled around the edge of the pit trying to find a hand hole, but the edge was sliding too! With another piercing scream, George began falling among the cascade of rocks. He curled up in a tight ball, feeling the air around him rush upwards.

“Help!” he managed to cry out. Then he hit the ground and blacked out.

*****
George didn’t know how long he was out for, but when he woke up, it was still pitch black.

Where am I? he thought, trying to guess his location. Then he remembered. He was in Norway, looking for Loki…

“Loki!” he yelled. “What are you playing at?”

His cry was answered by a distant giggle. Loki was enjoying himself.

Angry, George tried to get up, but he couldn’t. He tried moving his arms and legs, but they were weighed down by something. It only took a few seconds to realise that he was sinking.

“Help!” George gurgled, as the slimy muck slid over his head. He felt a strange oozing sensation, then he fell.

George’s back shuddered against the frosty stone floor. Beside him, he heard Fred laugh.

“The look on your face! It was hilarious!”

Warmth flooded into him like a hot bath. George sat up. They were in a lavishly furnished grotto not unlike Fudge’s hotel. George had sadly missed the rug by a metre, but Fred was sitting on a carved chair. He was covered in feathers.

The twins looked at each other, and bust out laughing.

“Did you get into a fight with a giant chicken?” snorted George.

“Yeah actually, I did!” chuckled Fred.

They kept laughing until someone else started laughing. Loki.

Fred and George turned around and, for the first time, they saw him.

Loki looked like a thirteen-year-old boy trying to look older. He had sharp eyes and a handsome round face. His hair was a golden colour mixed with red and he had a little pointed beard at the end of his chin. He was dressed in Viking peasant clothing and leather shoes.

Fred and George stared at him for a while, before once again bursting into fits of giggles.

“What’s so funny?” asked Loki, smiling. “I like a good joke.”

“You look like a Billy goat!” Fred was shaking with laughter.

“Oh do I?” Loki sneered and snapped his fingers. A sudden bright light engulfed Fred. George had to squint to see what was happening. The light faded and…

“Fred, you’re a goat!” George gasped in awe.

“Baa!” said Fred, who was now a handsome ginger goat with small horns. A bundle of clothes lay at his feet.

Loki chuckled, “Now you know what you’re dealing with. Now, how can I help you?”

George pulled out Dumbledore’s note. He had forgotten about it all this time, and hoped Loki was in a bargaining mood.

“Well, it’s your amulet.”

“Aha, what about it?” Loki asked casually.

“It kind of…well, trapped my sister in a coma and we can’t get it off her.” blurted out George.

“Hmm, I see,” Loki sat down, “and why should I let your sister go?”

“I have a note, but…”

“What note?”

George looked down. The note was no longer in his hand. Looking up, he saw the piece of parchment disappear into Fred’s mouth.

“Fred no!” yelled George.

“Baa!” protested Fred.

“Oh dear,” Loki giggled, “well, that’s that plan of yours gone.”

George groaned, wondering what he should do now.

“I could let your sister go,” mused Loki, “but only if you make a bet with me.”

“Baa?” asked Fred.

“Let’s here it, then,” said George. Bets were always fun.

“I want four people… four saviours… that will take part in five challenges,” Loki explained. “At the end of each challenge there will be a piece of paper that tells the saviours where the next challenge is. When, or if, they get to the end of challenge five, they must say a certain key word. If the word is correct, then I’ll free your sister. If they don’t, she’ll stay asleep for all eternity. Does that sound fair?”

George smiled, “Let’s make this more interesting.”

“Baa,” agreed Fred.

“If these four saviours lose, then Fred and I’ll be your minions for ever,” put forward George. “If they win, you destroy the amulet.”

“Baa!” prompted Fred.

“Oh, and change Fred back too,” added George.

Loki nodded, “Fine, I’ll add that.”

“Good,” said George, smiling.

Loki snapped his fingers again. A long piece of parchment appeared before them. Fred sniffed at it but didn’t try to eat it.

The terms and conditions, it said.

-One: All four saviours must be virgins.
-Two: The saviours must consist of at least one pure blood, one half blood and one -muggle-born.
-Three: They will be a time period of three weeks.
-Four: At least one member of the saviours must read the location paper.
-Five: No magical aids (with the exception of wands) may be used.
-Six: If the four saviours fail any of the tasks, Fred and George Weasley will be minions of Loki for eternity and Ginevra Weasley will remain asleep.
-Seven: If the four saviours complete all the tasks, Ginevra Weasley will awake, Loki’s amulet will be destroyed and Fred Weasley will be returned to human form.


“Understand them?” asked Loki, snapping his fingers. Two dotted lines appeared underneath the list. Loki’s loopy signature was already there. A quill hovered over George’s head.

“Sign here,” said Loki, pointing on the parchment. George scratched on his signature, while Fred printed a mucky paw. The deal was sealed.
In which the first challange is completed by Air Elemental
Name: Air Elemental
House: Gryffindor
Challenge: Quarterly challenge, History and Mythology.

Chapter Four: In which the first challenge is completed

The Burrow seemed anxiously silent that night. Mrs Weasley sat on the sofa, shaking fearfully. Mr Weasley sat beside her, his arm around her shoulders. Sitting on the ground beside the fireplace was Ron. His face was gaunt. Hermione sat opposite him, trying to read a book but kept turning back to the previous page in confusion, unable to concentrate. Harry just lent against the sofa, unsure what to do. The living room seemed empty without Ginny, Fred and George.

Harry remembered Mrs Weasley’s reaction to Fred and George’s note. She seemed relaxed at first, but when Dumbledore arrived and explained where Fred and George had gone, she lost her hold on her emotion.

“They’re only sixteen and they’ve gone to find Loki!” she had wailed into Mr Weasley’s arms. “Doesn’t Dumbledore realise how dangerous he is and how young my boys are?”

“Now, now, Molly,” Mr Weasley had said. “If Dumbledore thinks they can do it, well…”

Harry snapped out of his thoughts. The fireplace flared up and George’s head appeared in the flames.

Mrs Weasley shrieked in delight, “George! You’re alive! Is Fred with you?”

“Uh… yeah, Mum. He’s fine,” George replied, deciding against telling her that Fred was now a goat. “I need to speak to Harry, Ron and Hermione. Alone.”

Mrs Weasley made a gesture as though to disagree, but Mr Weasley ushered her away. When the door shut, George breathed a sigh of relief.

“Great, now listen you three, this is very important.”

George told them all about his meeting with Loki and the agreement they came to. The trio listened in mixed horror and excitement.

“So basically,” said Hermione, after George had finished, “we have to complete these tasks in order to save Ginny and Fred and you.”

“You three do, yes,” said George. “Fred and I chose you and Neville.”

“Neville?” Ron and Harry cried out simultaneously.

“Yes, Neville,” George smiled. “Well, it was either him or Draco Malfoy, but if you prefer…”

“No!” said Harry, Ron and Hermione together.

“Thought not,” said George, “anyway, you have to collect your wands, pack some clothes and food and go via Floo to Hogsmeade. Any fireplace will do. Then head towards the house with the pink roof, there will be a man who can give you the first challenge.”

“And Neville?” queried Hermione.

“He’s on his way now.”

A goat noise could be just audible in the background.

“Fred wishes you good luck,” George laughed, seeing the look of confusion on their faces. “I forgot to tell you, Fred’s been turned into a goat.”

“Fred’s a WHAT?” exclaimed Ron, but George’s head had disappeared.

"He didn't give us much choice in the matter, did he?" muttered Harry.

“Trust Fred to be turned into a goat,” groaned Ron, as he got up and stretched. “Mum’s gonna go mental when she finds out!”

*****
It was late at night when the trio of friends stepped out of The Three Broomsticks pub. The clouds overcast the stars like a menacing blanket. Only the moon was visible, a dull orb lighting up the treetops. There was no sound.

“Just as well Madam Rosmerta was asleep,” sighed Hermione, “I don’t think she’d be pleased about us barging in like that.”

“How was I to know we’d landed in the bathroom fireplace?” complained Ron. “Why would someone have a fireplace in their bathroom?”

“You have,” Hermione retorted.

“I…” Ron’s ears went pink, “how do you know about that?”

Harry’s eyes searched the horizon. It was hard to see in the darkness, but he could just make out a pink roof several yards ahead. He smiled.

“Look, over there,” he whispered, pointing to the pink roof. Ron and Hermione stopped bickering.

“Great,” said Ron, whisking out his wand enthusiastically. “Lumos!

With Ron leading the way, they began walking towards the house. Harry started to wonder what kind of tasks Loki had in store for them. Would it be like the challenges guarding the philosopher’s stone?

He felt gentle droplets of water hit his forehead. It was starting to drizzle.

It took them no less than three minutes to arrive outside the house. As they arrived outside the gate, splattering footstep ran down the street and Neville collided with Hermione.

“Ouch!”

“Oh, sorry Hermione,” he was panting. “Sorry I’m late. Gran nearly didn’t let me go.”

“Well, you’re here now, so let’s go inside,” Hermione unlatched the gate and began walking down the path. She only got halfway towards the door when a large, bulky man flung the door open. Snarling loudly, he began running towards Hermione. She leapt aside just in time, narrowly avoiding the man’s hairy arms.

“Calm down!” she yelled, backing away. “We’ve come to see you.”

The man gargled something and lunged at Hermione again, but he missed and fell to the ground. He didn’t get up.

“What the…?” Ron started to ask, but never finished. A loud crack of thunder echoed above them. The rain began falling.

“Help me drag the man inside,” said Harry, looping his arm around the man’s large waist. His arm strained. The man was very heavy, but with the help of Ron, Hermione and Neville, they managed to drag him as far as the hallway. Neville shut the door behind them.

The hallway was painted bright fuchsia, making the saviours feel calm. The carpet was a soft purple with white spots and a crimson rug lay at the foot of the staircase. The hallway was long and thin, with mirrors on either side giving the illusion of a larger room. There were three doors either side. All of which were made of oak and had a Norse rune carved onto it. A grandfather clock made a homely tick, and the smell of roses was in the air. It made Harry feel relaxed and sleepy.

“Nice place,” commented Ron, inspecting the carpet. Neville nodded in agreement.

The man that had attacked Hermione was still unconscious. His breathing was heavy and he was drooling.

“Is he drunk?” asked Neville nervously.

“He’s drunk something,” whispered Hermione, “but I don’t think its alcohol.”

“A potion gone wrong?” guessed Harry.

Hermione shrugged, “I’m not sure.”

“C’mon!” urged Neville. “We must get going. We need to free Ginny.”

Ron nodded and turned to one of the oak doors, “What do these runes say anyway?”

A grin spread over Hermione’s face. She was the only one out of the four that took Ancient Runes as a lesson.

“This one,” she pointed to the door Ron was staring at, “means fire.”

“Good, what do the others mean?” asked Neville excitedly.

“That means water,” Hermione nodded to the rune on the next door, “and this door over here,” she walked towards it, “means air.”

“Fire, water and air,” Harry repeated to himself. “What are they suppose to mean?”

“I… I think,” whispered Hermione, “we’re supposed to choose one.”

“Which one?” asked Neville, looking fearfully at the ‘fire’ door.

“I reckon sleepy here was meant to tell us,” muttered Ron, poking his shoe at the man on the floor.

“That madman? Loki’s got a strange sense of humour,” said Harry, clinically.

“No,” said Hermione, thoughtfully, “I think someone’s got to him.”

They were silent for a while, looking nervously at each other.

“Who?” asked Harry.

“Someone who wants to stop us,” whispered Hermione anxiously. “We’d better go now!”

“Well, pick one! Pick a door!” cried Ron, pacing up and down between the doors.

“Um…”

“Water!” yelled Neville.

“OK,” Harry took hold of the doorknob and turned it.

The instant the door opened, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville were pulled through the door by an invisible force. All four of them screamed as the fuchsia hallway whizzed out of sight and a dark, black blob came hurtling towards them. Harry closed his eyes as it engulfed them, and they fell.

*****
When Harry opened his eyes, he was lying in mud: horrible, brown, sludgy mud. Thunder rumbled nearby, or at least it sounded like thunder.

Rolling over, he saw the widest river he’d ever seen, which was flowing rapidly towards…

“A waterfall,” Harry heard Neville moan nearby.

That was what was making the thundering noise. Harry stumbled as he stood up and walked along the bank.

The waterfall was huge. The drop looked at least one hundred and fifty feet tall. The spray below just hid the rocks that Harry knew would be there. It was magnificent, yet deadly.

The bank he was standing on was a bit of grass between two mountains. There was no way backwards, forwards or sideways. The only way out of their geographical prison was to cross the waterfall.

“Oh great,” muttered Hermione, who’d just noticed the same problem as Harry.

“How do we get across?” asked Ron, concerned.

“Dunno,” shrugged Harry, “swim?”

“Hey look!” cried Neville, pointing to the waterfall’s edge. “Look at this!”

They hurried over. At first Harry couldn’t see what Neville was pointing at. Then, it jumped out at him.

The rocks jutting out along the edge made up a makeshift bridge. If they were careful and quick, they could make it across safely.

“But that’s really dangerous!” pointed out Hermione.

“Got any better ideas?” jibed Ron. “Who wants to go first?”

“I will,” Harry volunteered.

“Oh, be careful Harry!” Hermione said, as Harry took his position near the first stone. It was horribly near the drop and one slip would send him falling. Taking off his shoes and socks, Harry took a deep breath and stepped onto the first rock.

The surface was slippery, but his feet kept him firm. Behind him, he heard Ron, Hermione and Neville gasp. Daringly, he took another step.

His foot slipped. Harry cried out! His stomach lurched horribly and he heard Hermione scream. With the quick reactions Quidditch gave him, he grabbed onto the rock. It was slimy but his grip was true. Harry felt the horrible sensation of his bare feet being hit by the cascading water and them waving in mid air. Swallowing hard, Harry carefully eased himself back on to the rock and continued. It was then that Harry realised that his shoes had gone.

*****
“Come on, Neville!” called Ron, as Neville began his journey across the waterfall. Luckily Ron and Hermione made it across without losing their shoes or falling off.

“Take your time, Neville,” Hermione said, shooting Ron a disapproving glance.

Neville was halfway across when he too began slipping. Screaming loudly, he panicked and fell.

“NEVILLE NO!” screamed Harry. Please, he thought, not now! Let him live!

Hermione pulled out her wand, “Quick, all of us, levitation spell!”

The trio pointed the wand at Neville’s falling body and yelled: “Wingardium Leviosa!

Neville’s body froze halfway down. All three of them could feel the struggle of magic against the force of the water. Harry was terrified for Neville.

Slowly, Neville began rising upward, causing an umbrella of water to spray around him. Hermione directed him to them and Neville slowly sunk down beside them. He was shaking violently. Tears fell down his face.

“I… I… Thank you!” Neville stuttered. “I thought I was going to die, but… Thank you!”

He got up and hugged the person nearest to him (a surprised Ron) and began whooping loudly. Harry smiled, but then something caught his eye.

It was a piece of parchment.

Picking it up carefully, he began to read it.

The swamps of earth you must survive
Whoever said rocks were not alive?


Harry showed it to Hermione.

“It means we have to go through a swamp,” she said, squinting into the distance, “and I think I can see one over there.”

“The next challenge can’t be as bad as the waterfall,” groaned Neville, “can it?”
In which rocks and berries feature greatly by Air Elemental
Name: Air Elemental
House: Gryffindor
Challenge: Quarterly challenge, History and Mythology

Chapter Five: In which rocks and berries feature greatly

That night it was total darkness. The stars were completely covered by the clouds and the rain fell heavily. Mud squelched beneath their feet as they made their way across the swamp. Tufts of grass protruded every few feet and puddles collected in their footprints. The smell reminded them of rotten eggs. It made their eyes water.

Harry felt miserable. He was soaked from head to foot and mud oozed between his toes. He regretted losing his shoes at the waterfall. Ron, Hermione and Neville had all offered him their own, but he had declined. Up ahead, Harry could see Hermione leading the way, her wand lit. The night was cold, and Harry shivered. Water droplets ran down his fringe and onto his face.

It wasn’t just that. Harry had a horrible feeling. He kept turning around nervously, only to see Ron and an empty black void behind them. Harry had a feeling that they were being followed.

“Are you sure you don’t want my shoes?” Ron asked for the umpteenth time.

Harry nodded. He didn’t want Ron to feel as cold or miserable as he did.

“Shouldn’t be far now,” Neville called back optimistically.

“Where exactly are we going?” queried Ron.

“Good question,” muttered Harry.

“We’re following this path,” informed Hermione.

“What path?” asked Ron.

Hermione sighed, “The one you’re walking on.”

“Hey!” cried Neville, suddenly stopping. “What’s that?”

They all turned to see what Neville was pointing at. Harry rubbed his eyes and squinted. Just below the horizon, he could see a bright light bobbing up and down eagerly.

“A rescue party!” cried Ron ecstatically.

“Ron, you prat!” groaned Hermione. “That’s a Hinkypunk!”

“Hermione! Don’t ruin my one chance of finding us dry shelter,” and with that, Ron stepped off the path.

The effect was almost instant. Within seconds the vile sludge was up to Ron’s knees. He screamed and tried to struggle, but that only aided his descent.

“Ron! Hold still, don’t struggle!” yelled Hermione.

“Help!” cried Ron.

“I’ve got an idea!” Neville lent forward and wrapped his arms around Ron’s chest. “Harry; Hermione do the same.”

They did.

“Now drag him down at an angle, like a leaver,” ordered Neville.

There was a loud slurping sound and Ron’s legs came free.

“I told you,” said Hermione, “that it was a“ “

“I know,” groaned Ron.

Hermione helped pull Ron up. It was then that Ron noticed…

“My shoes!” he cried desperately. “Where the hell are my shoes?”

“In the bog,” piped up Neville.

“Cheer up, Ron,” chuckled Harry, “We can be shoeless together!”

*****
After another wet and downtrodden two hours, Hermione finally spotted a cave.

“Brilliant!” exclaimed Ron, as they stepped into the dry grotto. Harry guessed that they had finally reached the end of the swamplands. Relieved, he sat down and leant against the rock wall. He still had a horrible nagging feeling that he was being watched. Shaking his head slightly, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

*****
When he woke up again, he was met with a warm fire and the delicious smell of frying eggs. Standing up, he saw Neville bent over the fire; a frying pan in his hand.

“Hi Harry,” he smiled, tossing the eggs over.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” Harry was surprised.

Neville nodded, “My gran’s useless at it, so I do most of the cooking. Mind you, I always seem to burn stuff.”

“Where’s Ron and Hermione?” asked Harry.

Neville nodded to his right. Ron and Hermione were asleep back-to-back. Harry wondered if they knew that they were sleeping like that.

Neville produced four plates and slid the eggs onto them. Harry suddenly realised how hungry he was.

“I found some berries too,” Neville pulled out some juicy purple berries and put some on each plate. Harry placed some in his mouth. They were very sweet.

“D’you think it hurts?” Neville suddenly said.

“What?” Harry asked, his mouth full of berries.

“Being in a coma?”

It took Harry a few seconds to realise that he was talking about Ginny.

“Oh, no I don’t think so,” said Harry, unsure.

“I hope she’s not in pain,” whispered Neville.

Harry felt horribly awkward, but the feeling was soon replaced with the familiar feeling of being watched. Harry wondered if he was just being paranoid.

He looked over to the cave mouth. The sun was rising, casting a shadow over the horizon. Birds began to sing and the air around them warmed up. On his right, he could see the swamp. Harry laughed; he noticed that there was a path after all. The swamp seemed to stretch on for miles. In the distance, Harry could only just hear the sound of the waterfall. That’s when the thought struck him. Hadn’t he, Ron, Hermione and Neville all cast illegal magic? Why hadn’t they received owls stating this? Then Harry, with a gulp, wondered if they were even still in the wizarding world.

A wave of sleep washed over Harry. He yawned loudly, feeling an irresistible urge to close his eyes.

“Are you OK, Harry?” Neville’s voice sounded concerned.

Harry placed his breakfast plate on the ground and, curling up tenderly, let sleep claim him again.

*****
“Harry! Harry, wake up!”

It was Hermione’s voice. Groaning, he opened his eyes.

“What?” he felt warm and sleepy. Why did Hermione want to wake him up?

“Harry! Get up NOW!”

He sat up groggily. Wiping sleep from his eyes, he saw Hermione’s terrified face.

“Ron and Neville… They’ve gone!” she whispered fearfully.

*****
Meanwhile, in Scandinavia, Fred and George gazed lazily at a screen that Loki had conjured on the left wall. Harry and Hermione were sitting in a cave, looking drowsy and confused. Loki was chuckling merrily as he watched.

“Ingenious, don’t you think?” he said. “The sleeping berries and the portkey-eggs are a marvellous idea!”

George sighed, “Really Loki, I was expecting something a bit more impressive than a pile of magic food!”

“Baa!” agreed Fred.

For one moment Loki looked furious, but he quickly switched it to a leering smile.

“Oh, you want impressive, I’ll give you impressive.”

*****
An hour later and Harry and Hermione started walking again. The trail had taken them to rolling, grassy plains that seemed to stretch on and on. Odd boulders was scattered like seeds all over the ground, causing Harry to stub his exposed toe at intervals. The sun was climbing the azure sky and the temperature was rising. Harry felt a bead of sweat trickle down his back. He hoped that they wouldn’t be out here come midday.

“Harry,” Hermione whispered, “I-I think I know how Neville and Ron disappeared.”

“Ow!” Harry winced. His toe had hit another boulder. “Great!”

“I never ate the fried eggs,” continued Hermione, “and neither did you.”

“But Ron and Neville did?” guessed Harry.

They sat down onto the offending boulder, Harry nursing his bleeding toe. He wished his shoes were still here.

“That’s right,” said Hermione, nodding. “So I think there was something in those fried eggs.”

They mused over this for a while. Sighing, Harry closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him. He could hear the grass shushing the birds as they whistled their tune. Harry smiled; the noise gently tamed the worrying feeling that Ron and Neville were in terrible danger.

“Harry, can I see the piece of paper you found?” Hermione’s voice finally broke the silence.

Harry opened his eyes. Sliding his hand into his pocket, he pulled out the crumpled slip of parchment; its words still clearly visible.

“’The swamps of earth you must survive’,” Hermione read. “’Whoever said rocks were not alive?’”

“The ‘swamp of earth’ must be that marsh we walked through,” realised Harry, now trying to cease the blood flow from his toe.

“’Whoever said rocks were not alive?’” Hermione read again.

She looked from the paper; to the boulder Harry was sitting on; back to the paper and then to her boulder.

“Oh no,” Hermione went pail.

“What?” Harry queried.

Hermione shrieked and leapt onto her feet.

“Hermione… what?” Harry was confused, but then he felt a strange vibrating sensation go through his lower body. He jumped tenderly to his feet (trying not to damage his toe) and stared in horror.

Harry and Hermione’s boulders began shaking violently. They admitted a low groaning noise and began to split the earth around it. Fear curdled in Harry’s stomach and his heart beat in tune to the deep groaning. He was paralysed with fear.

“Harry RUN!” Hermione grabbed his hand and sprinted. All of Harry’s sense returned and he ran beside Hermione, ignoring the stabbing pains from his toe. Shaking, moaning rocks surrounded their senses. The ground jerked violently, causing Harry to trip over.

“KEEP RUNNING!” Hermione screamed at him.

Harry rolled over and came face-to-face with a Granite Warrior.

It was at least eight feet tall and cobalt in colour. Its body was made up of grating rock, with slates for feet and a limestone face. In its clawed hands was a basalt sword raised over its head. All thoughts of escaping fled out of Harry’s head. He screamed as the sword swished downward towards his“

Charta Totalus!” Hermione shrieked.

The sword plunged into Harry. He expected to feel pain, but instead he felt a crumpling sensation, like paper was pressing against him.

Harry looked and laughed. The Granite Warrior was no more than a large pile of parchment.

“Come on, Harry!” Hermione tugged him upright. “There’s more coming!”

There was a whole army of them. A sea of grey and silver surged towards Harry and Hermione, cutting the air with their swords.

“Do something!” cried Harry, as he and Hermione began running again, the pain in his toe forgotten.

“I can’t transfigure them all!” shrilled Hermione.

“Can’t we hold them up?” Harry suggested, shooting a fearful look at the army.

“Harry look!” Hermione cried ecstatically. As they reached sloping ground, they came to a familiar body of water.

“The river!” Harry cheered. It was still as deep and as wide as it was at the waterfall, and just as torrent.

“Do Granite Warriors like water?” asked Harry.

“No! Come on!” Hermione leapt headfirst and slammed against the surface. Harry raced towards the river, took a deep breath and plunged in.

His toe stung angrily and his whole body tingled with the shock. The water was so murky and muddy that Harry could barely see his hands. A log floated slowly past him and several leaves tickled his face.

Then he felt his lungs call out for oxygen, and he kicked upward.

His face broke the thin water layer and he sucked in the air. Nearby, Hermione was treading water. Along the riverbank, the army of Granite Warriors shook their swords at them angrily. Harry waved at them, smiling.

Hermione swam over to him. She was holding something in her mouth.

“This blew in my face,” she said, spitting it into her hands. Harry picked it up and unrolled it. The ink had run, but the rhyme was still readable.

Time does fly
So touch the sky.
In which some Death Eaters appear by Air Elemental
Name: Air Elemental
House: Gryffindor
Challenge: Quarterly Challenge, History and Mythology

Chapter Six: In which some Death Eaters appear

Andrew Haroldson was an ordinary man with an ordinary life. He worked at day and slept at night, just like everyone else in the village of Thorne. At least he had an ordinary life until somebody knocked on his door one night.

“Now who could that be?” he mumbled to himself, leaning out of his chair and walking towards the door. Peering through the crack, he noticed two small shadows dripping on the porch way. Nervously, he opened the door.

He was faced with two children no older than thirteen. A boy with black hair and glasses standing next to a brunette girl; both looked drenched. Andrew felt pity rise in his heart.

“Hello, I’m Hermione,” said the girl politely, “and this is my friend Harry. Can we come in?”

“Of course,” Andrew smiled. The children seemed trustworthy. He stepped aside and invited them in. They sat by the warm fire thankfully and didn’t say a word. Andrew’s smiled widened; they reminded him of his own children before they grew up.

A few minutes later, he returned into the living room holding a tray of pumpkin juice and ginger biscuits.

“You look soaked,” he commented, as Harry and Hermione ate the biscuits hungrily. “Did you walk through the river or something?”

“Actually, we did,” said Hermione, sipping her juice. “We were being chased by Granite warriors.”

“Granite warriors?” Andrew frowned. “There are no Granite warriors near this village! How far have you been walking?”

“Dunno,” shrugged Harry, “we’ve been on the move since dawn.”

“Goodness me!” exclaimed Andrew. “You children must be exhausted.”

Hermione stifled a yawn.

“Listen,” smiled Andrew kindly, “how about I run you both a bath each and then let you sleep in my son and daughter’s old room? I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“Oh, all right then,” sighed Harry, without thinking. His body was aching and his bare feet were scratched and bloodied. A bath and a rest would do him good.

“I have been so rude, my name’s Andrew Haroldson,” added Andrew as he began striding upstairs.

Harry helped himself to more biscuits. It seemed cosy and safe in the living room, and it was so warm! Harry rubbed his hands together gratefully. It reminded him of the Burrow.

When he looked up, Hermione was scanning the bookshelf in a hungry manner. Sometimes she’d pause on a book spine, but only to sigh and continue skimming.

“What are you looking for?” asked Harry curiously.

“An Atlas, aha!” Hermione slid out a thick leather book and flicked through the pages.

“What town are we in?” Hermione questioned Harry.

“Erm… The sign said Thorpe, no, Thorne!”

Hermione flew to the index and ran her finger down the page. Before she could say anything, Andrew returned, holding a fluffy white towel.

“Who wants to go first?” he asked. “Or should I say ‘Who gets the hot water?’”

“You can have it, Hermione,” said Harry. There were one or two things he wanted to ask Andrew Haroldson.

“Oh, thanks Harry,” Hermione put the book down and received the towel off Andrew. She closed the door behind her.

“Doing a spot of Geography?” Andrew asked, waving the Atlas at Harry.

“We were wondering where we were,” answered Harry, “and what paths to take next.”

“I haven’t looked at this map in years,” cried Andrew, balancing the map in his lap. Harry wanted to go and look at it, but his legs refused to obey. He was too comfy after a hellish day.

“Look,” Andrew continued, “there’s Johanton! I was married there, and there’s Buxley and Harrol! They’re my children’s birthplaces! And that’s Crowford…”

Andrew suddenly burst into tears. Harry was alarmed.

“Uh… Are you alright, sir?” asked Harry, nervously.

“Oh Harry, I’m so sorry,” sobbed Andrew.

“There’s no need,” Harry tried to get up but his body felt weighed down.

“No really, Harry,” Andrew’s voice suddenly became serious. “I’m sorry.”

Before Harry could react, Andrew pulled out his wand and cried: “Stupefy!

Hermione… thought Harry, as he slumped forward and felt darkness surround him.

*****
Hermione was just opening the door to the bathroom when she heard Andrew’s voice downstairs.

Stupefy!

She froze. The sound of someone falling to the floor echoed upstairs. Had Harry been stunned?

Hermione dropped her towel and whisked out her wand. She had two options: Go downstairs and confront the attacker, or hide. Choosing the former, Hermione began to creep down the stairs. The bath would have to wait.

Her hand rested on the living room door, warm from the fire. She heard the familiar whooshing sound of… no! Andrew was escaping by Floo!

Panicking slightly, Hermione flung the door open. She was too late! Andrew and Harry were gone. All that was left were a pile of crumbly ginger biscuits and a pitcher of juice.

Hermione was hit by a sudden wave of drowsiness. Her legs buckled and her eyelids began to fall. She clutched the curtain for support, but it tore at her touch. Crumpled on the ground, Hermione noticed something underneath the side table: a faded piece of parchment. Through her rapidly blurring eyes, Hermione noticed only one thing: a skull with a snake slithering out of its mouth. The sign of the Death Eaters.

*****
When Harry woke up, he was in a pitch-black room. The air was musty and damp, while the floor beneath him was carpeted. It took him a few seconds to remember what had happened. How long had he been stunned?

His eyes grew a custom to the dark. Slowly, he could make out that they were in a shabby cell of some sort. There were bars at the windows and a couple of chairs sat nearby. The ground jerked. They were moving!

It was then that Harry had a thought. If he had been stunned magically, then why did he wake of gradually and sleepily instead of straight away?

“Drugged food and stunning spells don’t make a good mix,” chirped up a familiar voice.

Harry turned around and laughed! Ron’s silhouette was lining a corner. He felt for his wand. Harry pulled it out of his pocket and cried: “Lumos!

Light exploded around him, causing Harry to squint. Hermione was lying nearby, and so was Neville. He cast a sigh of relief.

“Hey, how come they let you keep your wand?” questioned Ron. He looked more weary than usual.

“Dunno,” Harry shrugged curiously, “who are ‘they’?”

“They tried waking you up,” Ron ignored Harry’s last comment, “but you just kept sleeping. Those drugs that guy fed you must’ve been strong!”

“Not too strong,” pointed out Harry, “Hermione’s still asleep. Now are you going to tell me who ‘they’ are or what?”

But before Ron could answer, there was a sudden jerk and the sound of someone fumbling with a lock.

“Put your wand away!” hissed Ron.

Lox,” muttered Harry, as the door groaned open and light drenched the room. Neville groaned and Hermione’s eyes fluttered open. A tall silhouette stood in the doorway.

“Good morning,” snarled a soft voice. Harry hooded his eyes and managed to make out a tall man with a long, twisted face sneering down at him. “Pleasant dreams?”

Neville glared up at the man.

“Good morning, Dolohov,” gritted Ron.

“You’ve finally woken up then, Potter? Granger? Marvellous.”

“Where are we?” demanded Harry. Dolohov chuckled unpleasantly.

“On the road,” he answered, “heading to the port of Andreson. We’ll be there in a few days.”

“Dolohov!” called a woman’s voice nearby, “Dolohov, get here!”

“Coming, Narcissa,” he turned back to the prisoners. “I’ll be seeing you later.”

Dolohov stepped back and slammed the door shut. The lock jangled and there was silence.

“Who else is here?” demanded Hermione fiercely. “How long have we been asleep?”

“Erm…” struggled Ron, “there’s Dolohov, Avery, Rookwood and Narcissa…”

“She’s Malfoy’s mum,” finished Neville.

Hermione’s eyes widened.

“Is Malfoy here?” asked Harry darkly.

Neville shook his head, “If he was, then we haven’t seen him, Harry.”

“How long have we been asleep?” repeated Hermione urgently.

Ron opened his mouth to answer, but before his words could escape, a creepy chuckle echoed through the room. It sent chills down Harry’s back.

“Hello my little saviours. Rise and shine, this is Loki speaking.”

“Loki?” Neville gasped.

“Yes it really is the wonderful me! Now I know the terms and conditions say that no magical aids are allowed, but after two weeks and three days of none activities…”

“TWO WEEKS AND THREE DAYS!” screamed Hermione, suddenly clutching Ron’s arm. Ron looked bewildered. “THAT LEAVES- THAT LEAVES…”

“Two days, yes,” said Loki, smoothly, “don’t you just love challenges!”

“What do you want?” snapped Harry.

“Calm down, or I might not help you,” whined Loki. “I’m going to get you out of this cell. Why? Because I’m bored with your snoozing! Now in a few seconds the doors opposite are going to burst open. You will then run out into the forest towards freedom and some entertaining viewing. Those four idiots that intercepted my fun are busy fixing the carriage. Everybody ready? Good. GO!”

And with that, the cell doors flew open. Harry scrambled to his feet, clutching his wand, and sprinted through the opening. He tripped over the rim and landed painfully on the cobbled road. The next thing he knew, Ron had grabbed him and was rapidly pulling him towards a green blurry mass. There was a cry behind him and a red streak shot past, inches away from his ear. Then Harry fell sideways and into the forest. Neville pulled him behind a fallen tree with Ron. Hermione crouched behind a rock, panting heavily.

“Don’t stop!” teased Loki. “They’ll catch you! Obviously my dear saviours have been lounging around for too long. Up!”

“They’re over here!” cried Dolohov’s voice.

“Go!” Harry began sprinting again, Ron and Neville right behind him. Hermione quickly joined them.

“Harry, go towards the trees!” she hissed.

Harry veered right and into a close mass of trees. He squeezed into them and crouched down, the thick branches scratching at his face.

Four figures blurred past. Dolohov and the other Death Eaters had missed them.

The foursome waited a few minutes before crawling out of the trees. Sighing with relief, Harry glanced around him.

“Where’s Neville?”

“Here,” Neville raced up to him. In his hands were two wands. “Got my wand back, and Ron’s too.”

“Cheers,” said Ron, stuffing his wand into his pocket.

“Where now?” asked Harry.

“Well, we can’t just stand around here!” exclaimed Hermione. “We’ve two days to complete three tasks or Ginny’s doomed! Let’s get moving!”

“And fast,” added Neville, “the Death Eaters might return.”

*****
After about an hour of rapid walking, the saviours arrived at a small marketing village. Tudor buildings with their tell tale black frames lined the streets. The road was cobbled and dusty. Stalls ran along the pavement, selling food, clothes, potion supplies and all sorts of other goods. Beggars leant against the shop walls and birds sang overhead.

It was strangely empty as they walked through the streets. Harry wondered why no one was outside. That and many other questions littered his mind. He was even starting to wonder if he was in the same universe. No letters on underage magic had arrived, rocks became giant warriors and he’d been unconscious for two and a half weeks without food or water, and was still alive. His head hurt from it all. Now they were in some sort of medieval town as silent as the night.

“Can we stop for a while?” asked Neville.

“Well, I think we’ve out run the Death Eaters,” said Hermione cheerfully. “Shall we sit here?” She gestured to a wooden bench.

Harry sat down gratefully. His feet stung angrily and Ron was rubbing his. Their lack of shoes was taking its toll. Sighing, Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the slip of paper.

Time does fly
So touch the sky.


Harry hadn’t given it much thought before, but now he realised just how difficult it would be. Touching the sky? Was that possible?

Ron and Neville’s faces fell when Harry showed them the paper. Hermione scowled.

“How’re we meant to touch the sky?” complained Ron. “Build a flying machine?”

“No Ron,” insisted Hermione, “we don’t have enough time!”

“Time flies,” muttered Neville. “Hey! D’you think Loki was planning all this? Us falling asleep and stuff?”

“What? Missing two-and-a-half weeks? Probably,” groaned Harry.

Hermione was staring vacantly at a large, domed building nearby. A smile played on her lips.

“What?” asked Ron.

“Well, it’s just… it might work… it doesn’t say… follow me,” and with that, she stood up and ran towards the building.

“Hermione!” pleaded Ron. “Wait! Oh, I hate it when she does that!”

*****
It was a library! Harry was astounded as he walked through the towering bookshelves. Dusty volumes littered the tables and chandeliers hung dramatically. The crimson carpet tickled Harry’s feet and the room smelt of damp paper. It was much more cosy than the Hogwarts library.

They jogged to catch up with Hermione as she dodged through the bookshelf maze. As they ran, Neville gasped and tripped over a pile of books.

“Neville!” Harry ran back, but Ron hurried on, desperate to catch up with Hermione. Neville was lying on his back, his face framed with wonder.

“Harry, look!”

Harry cast a look upwards and nearly laughed.

The domed ceiling of the library was a painting of the sky.

*****
“…So that’s why we need to get to the top. We need to ‘touch the sky’”

The librarian nodded kindly. She was a tall woman with too much make-up splattered onto her face and a bright blue dress.

“I see your problem Miss… Hermione isn’t it?”

“What’s going on?” asked Harry, as he and Neville arrived beside Ron.

“Hermione’s trying to get permission to climb the ceiling,” Ron explained, grinning.

“We won’t be climbing it, Ron,” said Hermione, “we’re going to levitate one of us up there.”

Ron shrugged. Neville laughed.

“How did you know we had to come here?” asked Harry, as the four began to walk to the centre of the library.

“It was in that Atlas,” said Hermione. “The first page I came to described the Great Domed Library of Mendon and its painted ceiling! The picture showed a painting of the sky.

“Painting’s not moving, though,” muttered Ron. “Weird.”

“Here should do,” said Hermione, stopping beside a small table. “Now, whose the lightest here?”

“Erm…”

“Probably me,” said Ron, guessing. “Not that I’m volunteering or anything…”

Hermione gave him a fierce look, and gestured on to the table. Ron groaned and stood on top of it.

“On the count of three,” announced Hermione, “one, two, three!”

Wingardium Leviosa!

Ron cried out as he began to float up into the air. Harry smiled; it was working!

There was a loud crash as the library doors blasted open! The smell of burning wood wafted in. The Death Eaters!

“Hurry!” cried Ron. A few feet above him was a small chandelier. Ron knew what to do.

“Where are they?” shrieked Narcissa’s voice.

“Tell us or we’ll burn your library down!” yelled a voice Harry didn’t recognise.

“I… I don’t…”

“AHA!”

Harry spun around and came face to face with Dolohov’s ugly face. Hermione screamed and lost her concentration. Ron cried out as gravity gained him back. Desperately, he snatched for the chandelier wildly, missing by his fingertips and plummeting down towards the table.

Neville yelled as a Death Eater pounced on him! Harry lunged at Dolohov but he leapt aside. Harry crashed into a nearby pile of books as Dolohov ran towards him.

“RON!” cried Hermione. She flung herself onto the table and caught him. The impact cracked one of her ribs and forced her off the table, her arms wrapped around Ron.

“Hermione, Ron, there’s a time and a place for that!” yelled Harry, scrambling out of the books, “this is not it! Petrificus Totalus!

The spell hit Neville’s Death Eater square between the eyes. Shaking him off, Neville came face to face with Narcissa.

“Avery is not as easy as I am, Longbottom,” she sneered, reminiscent of a Malfoy. “Incendio!

“NO!” Ron leapt up, horrified. Narcissa hadn’t been aiming at Neville, but the nearest bookcase. It burst alight!

“Monster!” screamed the librarian, pulling out her wand and leaping over the desk.

The fire spread rapidly and the library soon resembled a wall of fire. Harry was still battling Dolohov, Neville was dodging Narcissa’s spells and Hermione was groaning in pain on the floor. The librarian was wrestling with the other Death Eater that Ron guessed was Rookwood. That leaved only him to collect the slip of paper before the library fell in on itself.

Spotting the nearest bookcase not aflame, Ron scrambled up. The bookcase lurched violently, terrifying Ron but not stopping him. Quickly, he pulled himself onto the last shelf and stood up cautiously. Ron shook, the bookcase swayed alarmingly and if it fell, Ron gulped; it would fall on top of the injured Hermione.

Edging his way across the top, Ron reached out towards the chandelier. No! It was too far!

I’m going to have to jump, he thought.

“Ow!” Ron yelped. Flames licked his bare feet, blistering them. Ron jumped up and down in pain and the bookcase tipped!

“Hermione look out!” Ron jumped in desperation and grabbed hold of the chandelier, swinging like a pub sign and staring in horror as the bookcase tumbled down.

Hermione!

Ron saw something in the corner of his eye. Hermione! She was safe!

Nimbly, Ron pulled himself up and began to shuffle up the chain, towards the ceiling.

“Got you now, Potter!” cried Dolohov, standing triumphantly above Harry.

Petrificus Totalus!” yelled Ron, pointing his wand in one hand and grasping the chain with the other.

Dolohov fell to the ground.

“Thanks Ron!” yelled Harry. “Hurry!”

Something jerked, Ron panicked! The chandelier was breaking!

Desperately, he shuffled up faster but not quick enough. The Chandelier snapped! With a yell, Ron pushed upward and clawed at the ceiling.

His finger brushed against the paint.

Ron felt parchment form in his hand. A brief sensation of euphoria, then he fell.

WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!

Hermione screamed out the spell as Ron fell. It slowed him down, but wasn’t enough to stop him. With a defeated cry, Ron hit the ground.

Something grunted. Ron cautiously opened his eyes and laughed! He’d landed on top of Dolohov!

Petrificus Totalus!” yelled Ron. Rookwood stiffened and fell. Narcissa shrieked! Neville had finally found his mark. All four Death Eaters were paralysed, but they were all trapped in a burning building, filling up rapidly with smoke.

Ron unwrapped the parchment and squinted.

Take an apple from my belly
Underwater snakes are heavy.
In which fire and water both feature by Air Elemental
Chapter Seven: In which fire and water both feature

“Hurry!” cried the librarian, sprinting behind her desk and pulling out the books. “Aha!” she flicked open a large leather “ covered copy and pressed down hard on the page. There was a loud groan and a gaping hole grew on the opposite wall. Harry coughed loudly as smoke began to fill the room. The heat scraped his cheek and an orange haze filled his vision.

“Hermione!” yelled Ron urgently. “Where’s Hermione?”

Neville appeared beside them, dragging a large black mass. Harry’s stomach jolted and for one horrible moment he thought she was dead. Hermione was draped in soot and a small patch of blood dripped down her side.

“I tried not to “” Neville’s speech was drowned out by his racking cough.

“Get inside now!” ordered the Librarian. Harry noticed that she had tears welling in her eyes. “GO!”

“But Hermione…”

The librarian muttered a spell and the blood on Hermione’s side slowly disappeared. She scooped her up and passed her limp body to Ron. “There! Now hurry! I’ll deal with the Death Eaters.”

Harry wanted to help her, but Neville began tugging at his arm. Sighing fearfully he followed, sweat dripping down his forehead and soot squeezing his lungs.

*****
“Wow Loki,” said George, helping himself to another slice of bread, “I’m impressed. First you chuck them down a waterfall. Then you send a bunch of walking rocks at them and now you’ve burned down a library! More than we’ve ever done, eh Fred?”

“Baa!” mumbled Fred, his mouth full of hay.

“Whatever will you think of next?” asked George.

Loki smiled and stroked his pointed beard.

“Well, you haven’t seen my pride and joy,” his arms swept across with pride. “Loki’s Fortress. It’s a maze that I designed myself. That’s if they can get past this challenge. It’s tough, I can tell you that.”

Fred groaned inwardly, wishing there was something he could do. It didn’t help that he’d become a goat. There must be a way he could use this to his advantage.

Loki was chuckling heartedly at the makeshift screen in front of them, which currently displayed Neville dragging Hermione across a fiery room. Gently, he pushed his muzzle into Loki’s pocked. Carefully, he tugged out a piece of parchment and placed it into the side of his mouth.

Loki flinched, “What do you want?”

“Baa,” said Fred, innocently.

“I think he wants some more hay,” said George, trying not to smile. He wondered what his brother was doing.

“Fine,” muttered Loki. He nodded at the empty pile, which exploded into golden, luscious hay. “Now don’t bother me again, unless you want to become a mouse next time.”

“Baa,” sighed Fred, and he trudged over to the pile. As he went by, he spat quietly into George’s lap.

“Fred!” complained George, then: “Oh!”

George slipped the damp parchment into his sleeve. When the time was right, he would read it.

*****
“C’mon Harry!” Ron leapt down the stairs, taking at least three at a time. Through the hole was a large, steep spiral staircase that led into darkness. Careful to take hold of the banister, Harry hurried down. He felt the blistering heat slide of his back as he went down, the deep orange shadows dancing on the opposite wall as a reminder. He hoped the librarian was safe.

It didn’t take long until they were in cloaking darkness. Ron was still hurrying ahead, but slower. He still had Hermione in his arms. Neville was a few steps ahead of Harry, the sound of his nervous footsteps echoing across the stairway. As it got darker, it became colder. The shock of being hot, then cold did not bode well with Harry’s skin. He felt it sting horribly. His feet seemed to be stepping on ice and his breath came out like steam. He shivered, hoping to find the final stair soon.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he felt the sturdy stone floor beneath his feet. Relief swept through his battered body as he fumbled for his wand.

Lumos!” light scurried out of his wand and into the darkness. Harry blinked; he was in a spacious cavern. The ground was damp and soft, with seaweed scattered every few feet. The ceiling, like the library’s, was domed and its rocky surface resembled rhinoceros hide. The steep walls stretched towards an unseen tunnel ahead of Harry. Water dripped from the roof, tapping onto the ground and landing softly on his head. The smell of salt was strong and the air was fresh.

Ahead of him, Ron had placed Hermione down on the ground and was checking her heartbeat.

“Is she alright?” Harry asked, rushing over to them. Ron smiled grimly.

“Yeah, at the moment she is,” he crossed her arms over her chest. “She just needs some fresh air.”

“Plenty here,” remarked Harry. “Where are we, near the sea?”

“This fungus only grows in salt water areas,” said Neville. Harry jumped and turned around. Neville was crouched over a cluster of green toadstools. “Look! There’s a load over here!”

Something groaned beside Harry.

“Hermione!” Ron was ecstatic. “You’re OK!”

“Ow! My ribs!” Hermione rubbed her side tenderly.

“The librarian healed them,” said Harry. “Do they hurt?”

“Not really,” answered Hermione, sitting up, “What happened? I remember Ron falling onto Dolohov and Neville dragging me but that’s all. Where’s the librarian?”

“She’s sorting out the Death Eaters,” explained Ron.

“We should help her!” Hermione stood up but Ron shook his head.

“I don’t fancy walking up that staircase again,” he said, “it took us at least an hour to walk down it! Anyway, we have to keep moving.”

Harry nodded, “We’ve got just over a day to finish two of Loki’s tasks,” he turned to Ron. “That reminds me; what did the note say?”

Ron unrolled it from his pocket:

“Take an apple from my belly
Underwater snakes are heavy.”


“Snakes?” pondered Hermione. “Hmm…”

“I think we should explore this tunnel first,” suggested Harry, nodding towards the empty void in front of them. Harry wasn’t scared of the dark, but this tunnel sent shivers through his bones.

Hermione nodded and pulled out her wand. Ron did the same.

“Neville!” called Harry. “Neville, we’re going to explore the tunnel so grab your things!”

Neville was pushing something green and slimy into his pocket as he ran over to the trio. Harry suspected it was rare seaweed.

“Anything edible?” asked Ron.

Neville shook his head, “Not for humans.”

Wands drawn, they crept into the cold tunnel.

*****
After hours of walking, Harry was starting to become worried. His watch had been missing since he was drugged and the tunnel seemed to stretch on forever. His stomach rumbled with hunger and his mouth was dry with thirst. How long had they been walking? Minutes? Hours? Days?

“How long have we been walking?” rasped Ron, asking Harry’s question before it had even escaped Harry’s mouth.

Neville checked his watch. Harry guessed that he’d retrieved it when he went back for the wands, “It’s about midday. We’ve been walking for about an hour-and-a-half.”

“I’d kill for a drink,” Ron muttered.

“Well, we don’t have any water, Ron,” pointed out Hermione. “Our rucksacks are still on the Death Eater’s carriage.”

“Damn Loki,” cursed Ron.

“Ron, careful!” said Neville, alarmed. “He could hear us!”

It was then that Harry’s toes made contact with something wet and cold. Harry leapt back in surprise!

“Ahh!”

“Harry? What is it?” asked Hermione, shining her wand at him.

Ron cried out then too, only in delight: “It’s water! We’ve found water!”

Harry looked downwards and laughed! Water! It was only water.

“It’s fresh water too!” announced Neville. “We must’ve reached an underground lake or something.”

“Drink up!” yelled Ron, cupping his hands and slurping up the water greedily.

“Hang on, Ron,” said Hermione, “We should boil the water first to get rid of…”

“Stuff that!” said Ron. “C’mon! It’s delicious!”

Harry knelt down on the surprisingly hard ground and scooped up some water, savouring the cooling sensation in his sweaty hand. Quickly, he put it to his lips and tipped it down his throat, before taking some more.

“Hermione, this stuff’s fine!” he said, taking another sip.

Neville began too, and so did Hermione, reluctantly.

“We have nothing to boil it in anyway,” she muttered, splashing water over her face.

After they’d all been refreshed, they took it in turns to wash in the water. Harry went first, placing his glasses by the shore before running and leaping in to the water, feeling the soothing liquid welcome him. His feet stung as they were cleaned and he felt layers of sweat shred off him like badly fitted clothes. He sighed. This was luxury!

“Hey, don’t take too long, Harry!” yelled Ron from the shore. “There might be a cousin of the Giant Squid in there!”

Harry laughed, “You’re welcome to join me and have a look!”

Within a few minutes, Ron and Neville had joined Harry in the lake, splashing water at each other and diving for rocks. Hermione, however, refused.

“I’m keeping my dignity, thank you very much!” she said, lounging in a corner fully clothed. “I can wash without removing my clothes.”

Harry laughed at Ron’s disappointed look, before splashing him with more water.
Eventually, they all climbed out of their makeshift bath. Hermione looked away while the boys were changing, clicking her tongue impatiently.

“Hurry up! We haven’t got all day!”

“Bugger!” muttered Harry, as his wand landed in the pond with a gentle splash. He groaned as he saw it float casually towards the empty, murky depths.

“I think you’d better get it, Harry,” said Neville, his eyes also following the wand.

Harry toyed with the idea of jumping in with all his clothes on. In the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione drying herself with a heating spell. Guessing that she could dry him off afterwards, Harry leapt in.

He felt the water surround him again, and there was silence. He peered through the grunge floating by, trying to spot the slim object that was his wand.

There it was! It had landed on a rock a few metres away. Smiling, Harry kicked his feet and made his way towards it. Already he began to feel the strain of his lungs; he must hurry!

The wand seemed almost at home snuggled against the dancing weed attached to the rock. Careful not to touch the plants, Harry scooped up his wand.

His lungs tugged at his chest, time to go. Harry was about to turn around when something caught his eye.

Underneath his wand’s resting place was a jewel. Not any old jewel though, this one seemed… different. It was a perfect blue circle, with jade spots embedded inside it. It was no bigger than Harry’s fist. Harry’s fingers twitched and, before he knew it, he’d wrapped his hand around the stone. He instantly regretted it. A shuddering cold stabbed his palm and slid its way up his arm. Panic starting to flutter madly inside him and Harry tried to let go, shaking the stone from side-to-side trying to get it off. His lungs were twisting in pain; he needed to breathe. He couldn’t breathe. He was going to drown, he knew it.

The coldness wrapped its fingers around Harry, and everything went black.

*****
“Harry? Harry!” Ron was yelling, splashing at the surface of the water. “Harry!”

“What’s happened?” cried Hermione, wringing out her hair as she ran over.

“I dunno! There was this big flash of light and Harry was gone!” Ron’s voice was tense with panic.

“An underwater portkey?” suggested Hermione.

Ron shook his head, “I don’t think so.”

“D’you think we should look?” asked Neville.

“Yes,” Hermione forgot about her hair and began rolling up her trousers.

“Hold on,” said Ron, “how are we meant to breathe down there!”

“We use the bubble charm of course,” said Hermione calmly.

“We haven’t learnt the bubble charm yet!”

“Ron, use this,” Neville fished into his pocket and pulled out something green and slimy. It looked like a leafy tennis ball.

“What?”

“You eat it!” yelled Neville, frantically stuffing another one into his mouth as he pulled his shirt off. Ron stared at it, shrugged, and shoved it into his mouth.

“It’s gillyweed,” explained Neville, as Ron chewed the rubbery leaves. “So you can breathe under-”

Neville coughed loudly, his eyes bulged and he jumped into the pool, splashing Ron and Hermione with cold water. Suddenly, Ron’s chest tightened, his head pounded and his mouth became dry. Panicking, he tried to pull the gillyweed out of his mouth. Had Neville just poisoned him or something? He couldn’t breathe! Black spots appeared before his eyes; what was happening?

“Get in the lake, Ron!” he felt someone push against his back and Ron fell headfirst into the lake, the water slamming against his face and jarring his hands. Relief poured through his veins: he could breathe!

*****
“Ha ha ha ha!” chuckled Loki, as Ron dived into the lake onscreen. Fred and George rolled their eyes and smiled. Good old Ron!

Something started clanging outside; George could just hear it through the thick cave walls. Loki grunted in annoyance, put down his bread slice and stood up.

“If you’ll excuse me, gentleman,” and with a click of his fingers, he was gone.

“Baa!” Fred started tugging at George’s sleeve.

“Fred! Don’t eat me!” chortled George, slightly alarmed, as the sleeve tore and a roll of parchment tumbled out. Of course! The letter! With trembling fingers, George slid off the seal and unfolded the crinkling paper. Two sheets fell out onto the rug on the floor. Nervously, George pulled it open.

“Fantastic, Fred!” cried George in delight. It was a map of some sort. It showed plans of what looked like a large maze.

“Baa,” said Fred, staring at the paper.

“Loki’s fortress!” laughed George. “He should’ve known better than to tell us about it!”

“Baa!” agreed Fred, mischief twinkling in his eyes.

“And what about this one,” as George unfolded and read the other sheet of paper, he laughed! It couldn’t get any more perfect!

*****
“Have any of you seen Harry?”

Ron was surprised that he could speak underwater, and that the others could hear him. Must be another of Loki’s tricks, he thought.

Hermione shook her head, “No, I can’t find him anywhere.”

“I found this, though.” Neville pulled out a large blue and green stone from his pocket.

“How does that help us?” asked Ron, slightly annoyed. “C’mon, we’d better-”

“Ron! This is exactly what we need!” said Hermione, half scolding and half excited. “It’s an Amplector Stone.”

“A what-now Stone?” asked Ron.

“No, Amplector,” Hermione took the stone from Neville’s hand and peered at it. “I can’t see because of the bubble charm,” she said in annoyance. “Ron, you look at it.”

Not quite sure what to expect, Ron took the stone from Hermione and peered nervously at it. There, waving frantically was a tiny Harry.

“Yeah, he’s in there,” confirmed Ron, handing the stone back to Hermione. “How do we get him out?”

“I’m not quite sure…” muttered Hermione.

“What do you mean, ‘You’re not quite sure?’” yelled Ron.

“Well, you tell me then,” snapped Hermione.

“How am I supposed to know?” Ron retaliated. Neville watched them nervously. Harry was usually the one who could stop those two bickering, not him!

Something caught his eye. Neville twirled around and saw a dark opening in the rock.

“Hermione! Ron!” he yelled. They stopped bickering instantly. Neville felt proud. “Look at this!”
In which a surprising amount of information is revealed by Air Elemental
Author's Notes:
I'm going to finish this fanfiction even if it kills me! (Sorry for the wait!)
Chapter Eight: In which a surprising amount of information is revealed

Ron, Hermione and Neville had been swimming down the tunnel for twenty minutes. The water was getting colder and the further they went, the darker it got. Pin-pricks of light filtered through the rock, barely outlining the three teenagers as they slowly swam forward. Hermione’s grip on the Amplector Stone tightened; we don’t have much time left.

“Bet Loki’s having a right laugh at this,” muttered Ron grimly. “This seaweed keeps going up my nose. Ouch!”

“Oh stop complaining, Ron,” said Hermione, “we’re nearly out of the tunnel.”

“I’m not complaining,” insisted Ron, “it’s just that the seaweed has become overly attached to my nostrils.”

“Look, up ahead!” cried Neville.

The tunnel was getting lighter. As the group turned the corner, the narrow walls grew into a large, bright cavern. They were there.

“Yes!” cried Ron, flinging the seaweed aside. “We’re here!”

“Wherever here is,” commented Neville. The cavern wasn’t as large as it appeared, being about the size of a large dining room. The ceiling was fairly high and, as Ron placed his hand on the wall, the sides felt unusually smooth. On the wall opposite them stood a slab of brown rock that jutted out from the floor and reached right up to the ceiling. Carved across the rock was an elegant, curly line.

“What’s that?” asked Ron, pointing straight at the carving and looking expectantly at Hermione.

She sighed, “I don’t know. It looks like a plaque of some sort… a mural maybe?”

“It looks like a snake to me,” commented Neville, hovering beside the entrance.

Snake? Closing her eyes, Hermione mentally recalled the rhyme on the last scrap of parchment:

Take an apple from my belly
Underwater snakes are heavy.


“Of course!” Hermione cried, pushing her feet against the wall and gliding towards the plaque. Ron gave a little cry and Neville watched patiently as she dipped down to touch the debris on the floor.

“They’re puzzle pieces!” she exclaimed excitedly, pocketing the Amplector Stone and pulling out her wand instead. “Sorry, Harry “ here we are. Wingardium Leviosa!”

Nothing happened.

Wingardium Leviosa!” Hermione frowned and tried again, but the dark scraps on the floor didn’t move.

“Hang on,” said Neville, appearing beside her. “Let’s try together. Maybe it’ll work then.”

They tried, and failed. The debris stayed still on the floor. Ron joined them and all three teenagers yelled the incantation and swished-and-flicked wildly, causing nothing but a few bubbles to crawl out of their wand tips. Frustrated, Ron reached down and tugged at a large scrap of metal. To everyone’s surprise, it came loose easily in his hand.

“What?” Ron pulled up the slab of metal and studied it, turning it over in his hand. “What’s going on?”

“Loki said we should be able to use magic,” muttered Neville, frowning.

The three of them looked at each other nervously.

“Anyway,” interjected Hermione, “we should begin working on the puzzle. It looks like it might take us some time, so let’s get started right away. Ron, you grab that piece over there.”

*****
There was a loud clang and George glanced up to see Loki storming back into the room, fury smeared across his face. Smirking slightly, George crumpled the paper further up his sleeve and watched.

“I don’t believe this,” muttered Loki, pacing up and down the room and scowling. “I don’t believe this! Of all the cheek! I knew it! I knew they were on to me -”

“Baa,” asked Fred, mischief glinting in his eyes.

“Something wrong, Loki?” asked George innocently.

Loki shot him an angry look, before snapping: “We have to move.”

“Baa?”

“Downstairs,” Loki snatched up the loaf of bread lying beside his chair. “We’re moving downstairs in the cave. They’re on to us.”

Holding the bread between his teeth, Loki snapped both fingers. George cried out as the floor lurched and the walls blurred. Quickly, he grabbed onto Fred and pulled him against his chest. Now was not the time for broken goat legs.

“Baaaaaaa!” cried Fred, and with a thump, they landed on the cold, rocky floor of a smaller cavern. George cried out and curled up on landing, pain shooting through his left leg. A strong wave of cold air hit him and he shivered violently. There wasn’t a fire here, or chairs or rugs. Just an uneven floor and dark shadows in a small room.

Fred squirmed and climbed out of George’s arms. He was unhurt. Bleating quietly, he nuzzled George nervously, as if to say: “You alright, mate?”

“I’m fine,” muttered George, slowly pushing himself upright. Standing beside them was Loki, a mixture of amusement and irritation displayed on his face.

“Baa,” snarled Fred, turning towards him and banging his hoof on the floor.

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Loki,” said George, standing up. His smile returned to his face. “Guess what we found?” Lifting his right hand up dramatically, he reached down his sleeve and pulled out the crumpled piece of paper.

The look on Loki’s face was priceless.

“Where did you get that?” he snapped, fretfully checking his pockets. “How did you get -”

“Baa!” answered Fred, who George swore was laughing.

“Don’t try anything,” said George, “we know all about it now.” Unfolding the piece of paper, he cleared his throat and began to read:

“By the order of the Aesir, we condemn Loki “ son of Giants “ to eternal confinement within the caves of Aurlandsfjorden. He has committed the grave act of murder and will spend eternity withering in agony until Ragnarök: the end of the world.”

Loki had gone very quiet.

“It goes on,” said George, waving the letter at him, “and on and on, but I think we can sum it all up pretty easily, don’t you?”

“Baa,” agreed Fred smugly.

To their great surprise, Loki’s face broke into a smile. He laughed.

“You’ve caught me out,” he said cheerily, walking forward and snatching the piece of paper out of George’s hand. “Well done. I suppose you also know that you can’t do anything to stop it.” He chuckled as he crushed the piece of paper into a ball; tossing it over his shoulder casually. “Go on then, summarise it. I’m dying to hear.”

George glared at him, half-smiling. Fred scraped his hoof against the floor. “You planned this all alone,” explained George. “The other Norse Gods took your amulet away and locked you up, didn’t they? Cause you killed… you killed…” He scrunched his eyes up, trying to remember his Norse mythology correctly. “Never mind. You killed someone and they locked you up in here as punishment.”

“Baa,” added Fred.

“Oh yeah, good point, Fred “ and also because you were going to cause the end of the world.”

“Ragnarök,” corrected Loki, slightly irritated. “Not the end of the world, just the end of those flipping, big-headed Aesir gods.”

“Baa!” cried Fred.

“You can’t get out of this cave, can you?” George went on the offensive, stepping forward. “Not without your amulet. It was all described there.” He jabbed a finger at the ball of crumpled paper on the floor. “You put some of your power in that amulet and you can’t get out of this cave without that extra power. You’re stuck in here and your amulet was put outside “ with us wizards “ so that you can’t escape. Am I right?”

Loki chuckled. George felt a nervous shiver run through him, as though someone had brushed an icicle down his back. “Very good, very good,” praised Loki. “I’ll explain all once we get our sound and visuals back. I, for one, wish to see how those four youngsters are getting on, don’t you? Your sister depends on it.”

*****
Harry was surrounded by cold, blue mist. He’d been standing there for a long time, watching the vapour curl past his eyes and waving his arms about, trying to make it go away. He couldn’t see anything and this worried him. Where were Ron and Hermione? Neville? Was he dead?

No, the cold mist pressing painfully around him told him that he was still alive. But where was he?

Walk forward… that’s right. He should walk forward. Standing still would get him nowhere. His feet felt heavy, but they moved easily, the cold, smooth surface of the floor reminding him of the Dursleys’ kitchen tiles and the mist making him shiver. He was sure that “ if he could see it “ his breath would be coming out as steam.

To Harry’s delight, the mist began to fade as he walked. Up ahead, a bright orange light flickered at him. The exit, it had to be. Perhaps that was where Ron, Hermione and Neville were. Perhaps… He began to walk faster. Around him, the mist gave way to deep indigo walls that curved up to the ceiling. He was in a long tunnel. Harry began to sprint. He had to get to the end of it. He didn’t quite know why, but he felt that it was the right thing to do.

The orange light spread across him and he arrived at the exit. Harry blinked twice “ trying to get used to the light “ and found himself in a small, brightly lit room. The walls were made of fine wood and gold leaf lined the beams holding up the cream-coloured ceiling. Two large chandeliers emitted strong orange light and a fire crackled in the corner, warming up Harry’s legs and toes. A large wooden table took up most of the room, chairs littered around it and a large platter of meat placed in the centre. The room was empty.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the room was suddenly full of people; all murmuring and shouting and laughing. Harry jumped and scrambled backwards, terrified of being seen. No-one paid any attention to him, as a large, bearded man had just sat himself down at the table and cried: “SILENCE!”

The guests fell quiet. The old man was very imposing, with impossibly well developed muscles and a missing right eye. A large, long sword hung at his side. Harry decided that he didn’t want to get on the wrong side of him.

The man scowled at the guests. They didn’t recoil, and some even glared back. “I, Odin, have called this emergency meeting of the Aesir. I have received a letter from Freyja documenting Loki’s deceit of four young wizards. It appears that he is using them as avatars in order to complete the challenge we set him.”

“He’s what?” roared a large man in red, as the rest of the Aesir murmured amongst themselves.

“Silence!” yelled Odin again, then: “It appears that he gained an unexpected power source. He’s holding a small girl hostage and forcing the children to take part in our challenge, which he has twisted to his own rules to a degree. Freyja has interfered as much as possible, but the presence of these wizards has increased his power significantly. If he gets hold of the amulet now, there will be no stopping him.”

“We must do something!” cried a young, thin warrior. There was a loud agreement.

“AS IT STANDS,” yelled Odin over the noise, “THE WIZARDS ARE IGNORANT. If Loki releases the girl, he will gain the amulet, set himself free and cause Ragnarök, thus destroying the world.”

“Then someone must tell them!”

“Yeah!”

“Stop them!”

“Kill them!”

Harry’s head was spinning. It was almost impossible to take in. He thought Loki was just playing a sadistic game with them, not using them as tools to cause the end of the world. Well, this definitely puts a different spin on things, he thought, his fists tightening into a ball.

“If only we could,” sighed Odin sadly. “We can barely interfere. That is why we have all come together. If we all put our power together, we should have enough to kill these wizards and prevent Ragnarök. It will take time, but at such a late stage, this is our only option.”

*****
“There,” cried Ron triumphantly. “Finished!”

“Your section, that is,” pointed out Hermione. The snake carving had been larger than they thought, so everyone had taken up a section of it and worked on that. Hermione had finished first, having taken up the middle section. Ron had worked on the tail, while Neville was still sorting through the head. He was nearly finished.

“Do you need any help Neville?” asked Ron, ignoring Hermione and swimming over to his other friend.

Neville shook his head. “I’m nearly done,” he explained, slotting a fang into place. There were barely any plates left on the ground now, revealing a smooth sandy floor. As Neville reached towards the final piece, Hermione’s hand curled around the Amplector Stone in her pocket. They’d been working for at least three hours and the gillyweed was still working. It made no sense “ which infuriated her “ but they were still alive, and that’s what mattered. She didn’t dare think about what would’ve happened if their oxygen had run out while they were solving the puzzle.

Neville placed the piece in with a satisfying click. He swam back, and the three of them stared at the mural expectantly.

A few seconds past, and Ron said: “Well -”

“Look!” Neville cried. “Wow!”

In the centre of the snake “ right where its stomach would’ve been “ a small, red shape glowed. It flickered at first, then the red light spilled out, dying the cavern a light crimson colour and forcing the three friends to squint and shield their eyes.

Take an apple from my belly
Underwater snakes are heavy.


“It’s the apple!” cried Hermione. “Quick!” She pulled out her wand as the two boys lunged for the apple. This was far too easy. Loki had to have some sort of trick involved.

Ron got to the apple first. It was about the size of a Quaffle and it hurt his eyes to look at. Glancing away, he grasped its sides and pulled. The apple’s surface was hot under his palms, but it didn’t hurt. With a firm tug, it came away easy in his hand. The glow disappeared and its warmth faded.

“I’ve got it!” cried Ron, holding it up triumphantly. “Let’s go!”

“Ron, behind you!” Neville screamed suddenly. “Behind you!”

“What?” Something smashed against Ron’s ribs, sending him flying across the cave in a flurry of bubbles. The apple slipped from his arms and Ron realised that he was face-to-face with an enormous snake. The mural had come alive.

“Ron!” cried Hermione. “Ron, move!”
This story archived at http://www.mugglenetfanfiction.com/viewstory.php?sid=32039