Chapter 2: The Forest
Ron grunted as he hit something hard, which he assumed was the ground. Seconds later Hermione came screaming down behind him. He heard her softly moan as she also hit the ground next to him. He sat up and moved over to help her. “Are you alright?” Ron sincerely asked as he knelt next to her picking up her hand. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t expect this to happen.”
“I’m alright,” Hermione groaned as she sat up. “Don’t worry about it. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just fine,” Ron replied. He was still a little angry at himself for not suspecting something more about that blue flame. Ron wondered if the rest of his family at home would be safe. He left go of that idea. Looking around he wondered what kind of trouble he had gotten himself and Hermione into. He tried not to look worried as he saw Hermione’s scared face examine their surroundings. “Where are we?”
“I don’t know,” Hermione answered as she rubbed her head. She slowly stood up with Ron’s help. Hermione blushed as she wobbled and Ron steadied her with his hand on her back. Looking away from Ron’s face, Hermione tried to ascertain the strange world around them. They stood in the middle of strange room. It was dark, but the pale moonlight streamed through the windows, lighting the room. As her eyes adjusted to the rather dark room, Hermione noticed the walls were thick trunks of trees and the ceiling a thick knot of intertwining branches.
“Ron,” Hermione whispered quietly. He looked at her expectantly. She nodded towards the other side of the room. A hunched over darkened figure stood at the door.
Ron started at the figure wondering who or what it was. As his eyes adjusted he could make out a familiar image. “Harry!” Ron called out as he crossed the room to his best mate.
“You found the blue flame too huh?” Harry asked as he turned to his friends. He was surprised to see both Ron and Hermione standing there, but it was an easy assumption how they both came to be standing there.
“What’s going on?” Hermione asked as she came to stand beside Ron.
Harry felt guilty for not telling them about his dream, yet he couldn’t tell them early since he doubted that even them, his friends, would understand. Would now even be the time to explain to them? Harry wondered as he looked at his friends. “Well,” Harry began lamely. “Back at the Burrow, I couldn’t fall asleep and I heard someone scream. I went down stairs to check out what was going on and then Ginny’s face appeared in the fire. I knew she was in trouble and so I followed her here. Ginny was gone when I arrived. I did see someone go through that door but I can’t open it.”
“Where are we?” Ron replied staring at the door.
Harry had also pondered that when he first arrived. It was a room out trees that had grown closely together and had interwoven their branches together at the top. A room built out of nature could be anywhere and Harry had no idea where they were. For all he knew they could be outside of England. His friends looked at him expectantly.
“I don’t know where we are. I don’t really know what is going on. Ginny just said in the fire that we have to hurry before something happens. She didn’t say what,” Harry told them with a shrug hoping that they wouldn’t want more from him.
“Do you think that it has to do with you-know-who?” Ron steadily asked voicing his fears. He had tried to keep his emotion under control when he put forth the question, and felt that he had succeeded. Ron was worried most about frightening Hermione, but his words didn’t seem to cause any stir.
“I don’t know,” Harry mumbled thoughtfully. He had already pondered this question and hoped against it. Ginny in Voldermorts’ hands was not something that he found comforting.
“That wasn’t the normal Floo Network that we went through,” Hermione said. “I’ve read once that for Voldermort to get his younger supporters to him, he used a system like the Floo Network. The Ministry searched for network but could never find it.”
“Why did Voldermort need a Floo Network?” Ron asked confused.
“Younger followers can’t apparate,” Hermione replied rolling her eyes. She was slightly frustrated that Ron once again didn’t listen to her. In a dangerous situation like this she at least expected him to pay attention more.
“Wait, why would Voldermort use younger supporters?” Harry questioned.
“They are less likely to be discovered, and make good spies,” Hermione answered, rolling her eyes again. Frustrated she quickly explained, “The details aren’t important. You-know-who might be around her somewhere, that’s all I’m trying to say. We should be very careful”
“Great, so we’ve traveled through a system that Voldermort uses to get his younger supports to him. That’s not the greatest news for us, now is it?” Ron put forth deflated.
“I just said that!” Hermione replied exasperated.
“We don’t even know if Voldermort has anything to do with this. Besides, Voldermort would not kidnap Ginny, he would have just kidnapped and killed me,” Harry said as he turned to the door and tried to open it. Hermione opened her mouth. “I’ve tried all the spell’s I know. The door won’t open.”
“What if we try a different way?” Hermione asked looking pleased with herself.
“What do you have in mind,” Ron wondered doubtfully. He looked to Harry who shrugged in return.
“Step aside boys, I’ll open the door.”
With one spell that Harry had never heard of, Hermione blasted the door open. It almost seemed too simple to Harry, but he shrugged off the idea, only hoping that his dream would not come true. He hoped that Ginny was still okay.
Harry ran through the open door only to find himself standing in a large forest. Ron and Hermione who were on his heels, stood silently taking in the scenery. Harry sighed; it was starting to become familiar. He looked down and just like in his dream; he saw footprints in the muddy ground. There was a small pair, that Harry knew had to belong to Ginny and larger footprints that were indistinguishable.
“We have to go this way,” Harry pointed into the forest.
“How do you know?” Hermione asked perplexed. She looked in that direction with a face of uncertainty.
“The footprints.”
“But how do you know they are Ginny's?” Ron inquired of Harry.
Harry shrugged. He really didn’t want to tell him about the dream. Not yet, he wasn’t sure if it was even real or not. A few things that had happened already were the same, but some things were been different, like having Ron and Hermione with him. But Harry would know soon enough about his dream. They would be running into the creature any time now, if it was becoming true.
“Come on, we don’t have much time. We have to save Ginny!” Harry informed them as he started to run through the forest following the prints. His two friends nodded determinedly and then quickly followed him into the dark forest.
In the darkness behind them a shadow loomed, quietly stalking them with an evil smile across its face. The plan was working.