Things Blow Up

"All we have to do is get it wet?" Ron asked skeptically. He and Harry were standing at the bottom of the pit, which was now a mud hole, staring at the wall of explosives. They had sent Jones out, after he told them that he thought he could break the goblins' curses - but he didn't sound nearly confident enough for Harry's liking.

"According to Diggle, ANFO is water-soluble and 'humid conditions will seriously degrade its explosive potential,'" Harry said.

"Well, it's already pretty wet down here." Ron looked down and lifted one foot. The mud sucked at his boot before he freed it. Water was still pouring over the edges of the pit, and was pooling at the bottom of the barricade of explosive brown bags.

"We need to soak all of the bags, and fast," said Harry.

"Let's get conjuring, then." Ron drew his wand. "Aguamenti!" Water began to gush out of his wand, soaking into the paper sacks.

"No," said Harry. "Not fast enough. Also, it occurs to me that if this thing does explode, a large quantity of water might absorb some of the blast."

Ron looked up. "You mean - let more of the lake in? Sure, we could open the door to the Slytherin common room. It'll flood the whole dungeon, but I suppose that will work."

"We can't just throw the door open though," said Harry. "If we do, half the lake will come rushing down here, hit the bags in a solid wave, and set off the blast before they get soaked. We need to control the flow of water."

"Open the door partway, then," Ron suggested. "Assuming his Bloodiness will cooperate, and someone has to stand here to make sure the water's filling the pit without washing up too hard against those bloody Ay-En-Foes. Right." He nodded. "Don't suppose we have any idea when the goblins are planning to detonate it?"

"Binns was going on about goblin negotiation strategies and establishing a position through unsustainable levels of violence, whatever the hell that means," Harry replied. "I'm sure someone in the Ministry will find it very informative. Let's get this done."

"Whoever's in the pit won't have a prayer if it goes off, Shield Charms or no," said Ron. He and Harry looked at each other, and shook their fists three times, before Harry opened his hand to display a flat palm, while Ron's fist remained clenched.

"I don't understand this Muggle game," Ron sighed, as he began climbing one of the ladders. Harry smirked.

"I mean, how does a paper beat a rock, anyway?" Ron continued, as he reached the top. Harry chuckled. But there wasn't much humor in it. They both had a wife and kids waiting at home. Both of them dreaded, more than anything else, having to come home without the other.

Ron walked back to the no-longer-hidden door, with water pouring out along its edges. He pounded his fist against it several times, sending reverberations through the submerged Slytherin common room. After a moment, the Bloody Baron came floating through it.

"We need to open this door," Ron told him.

The ghost looked at him balefully.

"We'll have to open it eventually anyway," Ron said. "Assuming the castle doesn't get blown up."

"You are not a Slytherin." The Baron's voice was low and ominous. It still sent shivers down Ron's spine. When he was a student, he had stayed away from the Slytherin house ghost - like everything else Slytherin - as much as possible. Now, however, he found the spirit's obstinacy infuriating.

"Tell you what, then," said Ron. "I'll just go out and bring one of the Slytherin kids in. Explain to 'em that their bloody ghost, who's in no mortal peril, is being persnickety about passwords, so we need a child to risk being blown to bits to open a bloody door!" He shouted the last few words.

Shouting at the Bloody Baron was surprisingly enjoyable. Though of course, if he really had to, he'd just make one of the Slytherin brats tell him the password, not come inside.

The Baron stared at him. It made Ron's skin crawl, but he stared back, mentally counting to ten.

The ghost turned, and rumbled, "Vae victus." The flow of water became a gush, as the stone seams in the wall widened and the door to the Slytherin common room began to open. Ron hurriedly pointed his wand and held it open just a few inches, stepping back as the corridor quickly flooded up to his ankles. The Bloody Baron shook his head in disgust, and rose up through the ceiling.

The tide of lake water went rushing down the corridor. The trickle flowing over the edge of the pit became a cascade. Harry stood at the bottom of the pit and watched as water flowed down and began to fill it.

"A little more!" he bellowed, amplifying his voice with a spell. Ron widened the door, just a little. Water flowed out faster. A minute later, Harry watched as the volume of water pouring into the pit increased, and held his wand at the ready, lest it began to surge too strongly against the wall of explosives.

"That's good!" he called out, as he saw the water level was rising at a slow and steady rate. The paper bags were quickly absorbing the water, but the rising tide only lapped at them, rather than pushing against them. Harry quickly ascended the ladder, and waded through the knee-deep water to join Ron by the Slytherin entrance.

"I really should be feeling some kind of satisfaction in seeing Slytherin House underwater," said Ron, looking at the water spraying out through the gap, as he continued to hold it open with his wand. "How perverse is it that I actually feel... bad?"

"At least one child is dead, eight more are missing, including Teddy, Hogsmeade's been razed to the ground, and we're looking at the bloodiest goblin uprising in three hundred years," said Harry.

"Right," sighed Ron. "Thanks for reminding me."

"Why look, it's Potty Potter!" exclaimed a familiar voice. "And Wee Won-Won Weasley!"

"Go away, Peeves!" snapped Harry.

"Of all the things for him to remember!" growled Ron.

The poltergeist materialized in the corridor above the knee-deep water, dark eyes glittering maliciously. "What an awful mess you've made! Ooh, the Bloody Baron isn't going to like this!" he cackled.

"The Bloody Baron knows," said Harry.

"Been busy cheering on the goblins, have you?" snarled Ron. "You know, it would be nice if just once you showed some bloody loyalty to the school!"

"Cheering the goblins?" Peeves's face suddenly twisted into a comical mask of indignation. "Cheering the goblins? What a horrible thing to say! Wasn't me who let 'em in!" He zipped around the corridor like a rapidly deflating balloon, making an identical noise, and skipping through the water several times, splashing Ron and Harry both. They didn't see the danger until too late, when the poltergeist suddenly burst into the air next to the partially-open door. "Want me to help, do you? Why don't you drown the little buggers good and proper?"

He giggled, as Harry and Ron both shouted, "PEEVES, NO!" The door suddenly swung wide, and water came roaring out. Ron had to grab Harry to keep him from being swept down the corridor, and then the two Aurors both struggled to make their way to the stairs as the water level rose to their waists, then their chests, and a flash flood rolled towards the pit.

"I hate him!" sputtered Ron. "I really, really hate that miserable, bloody -" They reached the stairs, and nearly slipped and fell several times as they dashed up to the ground floor, Ron spewing a stream of curses all the way.

At the top of the stairs they found Ophilia Karait descending towards them.

"Mr. Potter," she said, and paused, startled, as the two soaking-wet Aurors came running at her.

They heard a rumble behind them, and Harry grabbed Ophilia as both men threw themselves to the floor. A deafening boom echoed up from the dungeons, the floor shook, and a wall of water came rolling upstairs and washed across the Entrance Hall like a tidal wave. A shockwave shattered the chandelier, sent candles flying, knocked portraits off of walls, and shook the house hourglasses so hard that they cracked and fractured, and gemstones went tumbling around, hopelessly jumbling the accumulated scores. Harry and Ron were both muttering Shield Charms to deflect flying glass, as the wave of water lifted the three of them off the floor and carried them several yards, tumbling and rolling, before it receded.

No one moved for several seconds. The only sound was water dripping everywhere, and Peeves cackling with glee down in the dungeons.

"That was seriously degraded explosive potential, right?" asked Ron. He cuffed the side of his head. His ears were ringing.

"Mr. Potter," gasped Ophilia, as Harry lifted his head, grimacing. She'd wound up lying on her back underneath him. "My hero!" She smiled up at him.

Harry jumped to his feet, with a scowl. He offered her a hand to help her up, looking as if he wasn't sure he'd get his hand back. "What are you doing here, Miss Karait? I told you to stay outside once we got everyone evacuated!"

"I thought you might like to know that I know where Teddy Lupin is."

"You do? Where? How?" Ron and Harry both stared at her.

"About four kilometers, that way." She pointed.

"He's in the Forbidden Forest?" Harry exclaimed.

"Actually, he's under the Forbidden Forest, if I'm not mistaken," Ophilia replied.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exhaled.

"How do you know this?" Harry demanded. And when Ophilia started to give him a coy look, he snarled, "Do. Not. Play. Games. With. Me!"

Her smile faded. "Lupin had a magic map - " Her voice faltered at Harry's expression. "His cousin Violet has it now. It shows his location, but not the tunnels around him."

Harry held up a finger, pointing it almost directly at her face. "Get outside. Stay there." He brushed past her and stalked out through the main entrance.

Ophilia looked bemused, and then Ron grabbed her by the elbow and walked her out with him. She stumbled a bit as Ron's long strides outpaced hers.

"Lady, you have no idea what you're playing at."

Ophilia smirked. "Oh, don't tell me the famous Harry Potter can't handle a little innocent flirting?"

"Nah, he's used to it. Birds like you are coming on to him all the time. Savior of the wizarding world, and all that." They reached the entrance, and stood on the steps overlooking the great lawn. Hundreds of unconscious bodies lay in rows across the rain-sodden grass, making it look disturbingly like the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts. Ron suppressed a shudder, and turned to the Slytherin girl.

"But if you ever try that crap in front of my sister..." He shook his head, and whistled.

He left Ophilia standing on the steps, arms folded across her chest, frowning at him, as he went to join Harry.

Chloe's eyes were scanning the unfriendly mob of goblins gathering around them. Teddy knew she was looking for him, expecting him to do something, expecting him to save them. The other four children's eyes were on Slipfang, who was holding the Sword of Gryffindor and eying them like he was selecting a pig for slaughter.

The three house-elves shook as Slipfang extended the sword until the point was under Colleen McCormack's chin. She flinched and turned her head, closing her eyes.

"No! Not my sister!" pleaded Connor. He swallowed. "Cut off my head if you're going to cut off anyone's head!"

"No, Connor!" Colleen shouted.

"Shut up, both of you!" snapped Slipfang.

Teddy was edging towards them. There were lots of goblins gathering around now, and nobody noticed Teddy moving closer and closer.

Deana was sobbing, and Slipfang looked at her with disdain. "The mewling one annoys me," he said, nodding at her, and two goblins grabbed the chubby Ravenclaw girl.

This only made Deana begin wailing uncontrollably, and Aisha screamed, "NO!" while Chloe and the McCormacks looked on in horror. The house-elves covered their eyes.

The sands had run out.

Teddy ran into Slipfang and threw all his weight into the goblin, knocking him over. All the goblins around him gasped and grunted in surprise.

"He's an impostor!" yelled Teddy, pointing at Slipfang. He now wore Slipfang's face. He looked at the house-elves. "Elves! Free the children! Take them out of here! NOW! NOW!"

The house-elves looked up, and stared at him. Teddy kept screaming at them, but they were too shocked to react.

Slipfang rose up and belted Teddy across the face with his ringed fist. Teddy staggered and fell back, but was prevented from falling down by all the goblins who were packed into a circle behind him.

"A doppleganger! Some sort of wizard trick!" snarled Slipfang. He picked up the sword that he'd dropped.

"NO! HE'S THE IMPOSTER! I'M SLIPFANG! HOUSE-ELVES, FREE THE CHILDREN!" Teddy screamed in desperation.

Slipfang glowered at him, and then spoke in Gobbledegook. The goblins, whose heads had been going back and forth, staring at the two Slipfangs, now focused their gazes on Teddy. Hands grabbed his arms, and though he struggled, he couldn't break free.

Slipfang held the point of the sword up to Teddy's throat. "Show me your true face, or I'll kill you now!" he said.

Teddy morphed back into "Griprock." A ripple of astonishment went through the goblin pack.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" bellowed Slipfang. He pushed his hand forward, and Teddy felt the point of Godric Gryffindor's sword pressed so hard against his throat that he thought he might cut himself if he swallowed. "You're no goblin! Show me your real face!" Abruptly, Slipfang whirled around and held the blade against Deana's neck. "Or she dies!"

Deana started begging: "No, no, please! Don't!" as tears spilled down her face. Teddy morphed back to himself, and Deana was so shocked that she stopped crying, and gasped, "Teddy!" along with all of the other children except Chloe.

Slipfang's eyes widened. "You!" he exclaimed. "How...?" The goblin leader was momentarily speechless.

"Just let them go," Teddy pleaded. "I'll tell you everything! You can keep me as a hostage! I'll show you how to change shape too! I can teach you all my magic tricks!"

Slipfang scowled at him.

"I'm a really valuable hostage!" Teddy exclaimed. "My godfather is Harry Potter!" He heard a stir as the goblins recognized that name. "As long as you have me they'll have to listen to you! Let the other kids go, you don't need them!"

"Interesting," said Slipfang slowly.

"Listen to me!" Teddy shouted. He looked around at the hostile sea of goblin faces surrounding him. "You cut off kids' heads and the Ministry of Magic isn't going to listen to you, they're going to try to wipe you out! Is that all you want, a war with wizards?"

The goblins all looked back at him, with unreadable expressions. Some muttered, a few sneered.

"What does a child know about negotiating?" snorted Slipfang. "We all know that no matter what wizards promise, the only thing that will truly secure a position that is not beneath wizardkind is the power to make it impossible for them to put us back there."

"We aren't all your enemies! We're just kids! We never did anything like this to you!" Teddy shouted.

Slipfang snorted again.

"Please, let them go! You don't need a bunch of hostages! You only need me!"

"I think we don't need this one," Slipfang said, pointing his sword at Deana again.

"NO!" Teddy screamed, as the goblins forced Deana to her knees. "Don't any of you have a heart?" He struggled in the grip of his captors, and looked at all the goblins. "Don't any of you think it's wrong to cut off a kid's head? Are you all completely insane? You hate wizards so much you'll murder innocent children?" He was kicking and screaming with all his might, but he didn't have nearly enough strength left.

"Why do we have to kill one of them now?" asked a voice from further back, and all the goblins turned in that direction, as Slipfang paused. Had that been Tyrus's voice? Teddy couldn't tell.

"We already have fewer hostages than we expected," agreed another goblin.

Slipfang replied in Gobbledegook. Teddy heard more goblins speaking in Gobbledegook - he couldn't tell whether they were arguing for or against a beheading, but their tones didn't sound promising. Deana, now white with terror, looked as if she were about to faint, or throw up.

"Please master," implored Moogums, causing Slipfang to whirl around and face the house-elf. "Please, don't hurt the children."

"Sentimentality towards humans weakens us!" Slipfang roared. "Your soft hearts keep their boots upon your necks!" He glared in all directions, seeming to address both goblins and elves. "Who has a soul of stone and a heart of earth?" He repeated himself in Gobbledegook, and a mighty cheer rose from the goblins.

Teddy didn't understand anything about what Slipfang was saying, only that as the goblin turned his attention back to Deana, he meant to kill her, and Teddy was helpless.

"What kind of bloody monsters are you?" he screamed. "You house-elves! DISOBEY HIM! If you let him do this you deserve to be slaves because you've got no souls! Are you going to just watch goblins kill children? PLEASE! HELP US!"

Slipfang raised the sword, and Moogums howled and pointed at him. With a crack, Slipfang flew into the crowd of goblins behind him, and the Sword of Gryffindor almost decapitated one of them. The house-elf screamed and yanked on his ears, obviously struggling to cope with his sudden act of disobedience. The other elves were trembling, and the house-elf who'd been following Slipfang around snapped its fingers, and then it was Moogums who went flying, bouncing off a stalagmite with a bone-jarring impact.

Slipfang snarled, regained his feet, stepped forward to raise his sword again, and then there was a roar, as the entire cavern shook. All the goblins yelled, looking up at the ceiling. A moment later, Teddy felt a blast of heat come rolling out of the nearest entrance into the cavern and sweep across everyone.

"What - ?" Slipfang exclaimed, and then there was a louder roar, a bright flash of light, and the ground shook so hard that some of the goblins fell over. Flames came shooting out of one tunnel, and dust and dirt showered down on them from the ceiling.

"What did you do?" Slipfang snarled at Teddy, as if he knew Teddy was responsible.

"Set your explosives on fire!" Teddy shouted back at him.

Slipfang's eyes widened. "Do you know how many tons of explosives and munitions are in those caves?"

The next explosion rocked the cavern, turning the ground as unstable as water as it tilted and quaked beneath them. Great gouts of smoke and flame shot down the tunnels. Teddy saw a large stalactite break off and fall.

Everything became pure chaos, as goblins began screaming in panic and running for every exit that didn't have flames shooting out of it. The cavern shook some more. Teddy was no longer being grappled, but he had to fight to stay on his feet and avoid being trampled. He saw the other five children looking just as panicked, and one house-elf went flying as another suddenly appeared between Chloe and Aisha. Slipfang had been knocked over, but he sprang to his feet and turned on the children. Teddy saw the elf point a finger, and Slipfang went flying one way while the Sword of Gryffindor spun through the air in the other. Then a massive chunk of rock crashed to the cavern floor only a foot away from Teddy, crushing half a dozen goblins. He was knocked flat on his back. Dust and dirt were blinding him now, more stalactites fell, and the entire cavern began collapsing upon their heads.

Teddy had intended a distraction, but as tons of mining explosives detonated, the blast from one cave smashing through rock walls and igniting the explosives in the next, in a cataclysmic chain reaction, he realized that these were not his uncle's fireworks.

Everyone on the front lawn stared at the castle when they heard the roar from within. They saw windows rattling, a few exploded, and then the sound subsided. Several minutes later, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley emerged, along with Ophilia, and after Potter conferred quickly with the other Aurors, he made his way directly to Violet, flicking his wand to shed the water off of him as he went.

"Give me the map," he ordered, holding out his hand. Nonplussed, Violet handed him the Marauder's Map, and Harry turned around without another word. Then he and most of the other Aurors mounted their brooms, and took off, in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

Violet exchanged a look with Dewey.

"Reckon they're going to rescue Teddy and the others?" Dewey asked.

"I hope so," she said quietly.

The first-years, the Slytherin Quidditch players, and the Hogsmeade townspeople had now been joined by a growing number of parents who'd Apparated to Hogsmeade, or as close as they could get, and then made their way to Hogwarts. Dewey imagined more and more would be arriving, as word got out of what had happened, and while the parents who arrived to find their children unconscious were understandably upset, he hated to think what those whose children were still underground would be feeling.

"All right," said Professor Sinistra, capturing everyone's attention. "I have good news and bad news." She looked around, as all eyes focused on her. "The good news is that the danger to the castle has passed, for the moment. I've been told by Mr. Potter that it's safe to return inside. The bad news is that this means we now need to carry everyone back inside."

There were a few groans, and some people suggested just waiting until everyone woke up, though they were quickly shouted down by parents who didn't like the idea of leaving their unconscious children out in the rain.

"I have a better idea," someone said, and Violet jumped as if she'd been stung.

Everyone looked at the pale, blond man wearing a high-collared vest beneath his dark robe. He had just walked up from the main gates.

"Mr. Malfoy?" asked Professor Sinistra. She looked surprised.

Dewey stared, not at Mr. Malfoy, but at Violet. Violet looked transfixed, her expression one of completely unguarded shock.

The new arrival ignored the fact that a great many of the other parents and townspeople were now looking at him with naked hostility. He produced his wand, and conjured three large boxes.

"While some of you simply rushed here in a panic," he said, looking at the other parents haughtily, "I took the time to assess the situation. I  bought up every dose of Rejuvenation Potion the apothecaries in Diagon Alley had available."

"Doesn't look like enough for everyone," someone said.

"No, Wood, it isn't," replied Malfoy, with an expression that was almost, but not quite, a sneer. He spoke slowly, as if to a small child. "But if we revive the professors first, followed by the oldest students - instead of each of you simply rushing to revive your precious darlings first - " Now his lip did curl slightly. "- then our task will be much easier."

He turned away, as the other adults began opening the boxes, and his eyes met Violet's. He walked over to her, very slowly. Violet still hadn't moved.

Dewey, Mercy, and Sung-Hee were all standing next to her, and Nagaeena and Stephen were only a couple of yards away. Without taking his eyes off of Violet, Mr. Malfoy said, "Would you children mind running along? I'd like a moment alone with my daughter."

Dewey started, stared at him, then at Violet, then exchanged a look with Mercy. Slowly, they walked away, with several glances over their shoulders. Nagaeena and Stephen also retreated. Violet still hadn't moved.

Draco Malfoy knelt in front of Violet, until he was at eye level with her.

"I do not want you to think," he said slowly, "that your well-being was not the utmost thing on my mind. You don't think that, do you?"

"Of course not," Violet replied. "You had to take the time to assess the situation."

Neither of them blinked.

"I learned you were safe," he said quietly, "before I went to Diagon Alley."

"From who?"

His gray eyes didn't look away from hers, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"My children are never far from my mind... or my sight."

She frowned, just a little.

"If anything had happened to you," he murmured softly, "you cannot imagine what that would have done to me."

She didn't say anything to that, at first, then asked, "Does Mother know what's happened?"

Draco hesitated.

"She does," he said. "I promised I would keep her apprised."

After another long pause, he added, "She would have come, but it took her three tries to get her Apparition license, you know, and she was in such an overwrought state, I advised her not to attempt it. I was afraid she'd splinch herself."

Violet nodded. This was so obviously a heavily-edited version of the truth, she suspected even her father didn't believe that she believed it, but she didn't want to hear about the screaming and the threats and her mother probably being too drunk to Apparate.

"I have always tried to do right by you, Violet," he said. "And your mother."

Violet just looked at him.

"I made sure that you wanted for nothing," he continued. "But lately, it occurs to me that I may have been wanting in... certain other respects."

His quiet tone hadn't changed, but Violet blinked and suddenly felt anchorless. Her father was just staring at her, with the same rigid, expressionless face she had learned to imitate so well, and then he said, "I would very much like to put my arms around you, unless the embarrassment would kill you."

She had to clear her throat. "I think I'd live."

Her father slowly reached for her, and pulled her close to him, and her cheek was pressed against the black silk of his vest. One arm held her, and with the other hand he slowly stroked her hair. She closed her eyes, feeling a suspicious, acute stinging sensation that she thought would take a few moments to banish.

Then a chorus of gasps and shouts rose from all the people out on the lawn. Violet's father looked up, and so did Violet, and their heads turned in the same direction as everyone else's.

Miles away, over the Forbidden Forest, a column of smoke and a great cloud of dust was rising. There were flames visible, if one looked closely at the base of the smoke plume, and debris raining down over the trees.

Violet sucked in a breath, as a feeling of dread came over her again.

"Teddy," she whispered. And when her father looked down at her, she said, "Teddy is still underground... with the goblins."

He was silent for a moment, then he said, "Potter's gone to rescue him." And his hand stroked her hair again, very gently. "Potter and Weasley... have a knack for rescuing people." His voice was a curious mixture of contempt, resentment, and admiration. "If anyone can save your cousin, they can."

Harry Potter had taken the Marauder's Map, presumably after being filled in on Teddy's approximate location by Ophilia. Violet wished she knew what Ophilia had told him, or what he might have told her. When she looked around, though, she couldn't see where either Ophilia or Hugh had gone off to.

"This way!" the pitiful, wailing voice had howled, and Teddy had allowed the elf to lead him by the hand. He couldn't see anything and didn't know how Moogums could either. He was sure a stalactite had been about to crush him, and then it had exploded, and the elf was at his side.

"Where are the others?" Teddy yelled, over the roar of collapsing caves and tunnels.

"Groggin and Nee was taking the other childrens!" The dust was choking them both.

"They got out, then?" Teddy yelled back.

"Moogums didn't see!" The elf was limping badly.

The tunnel ahead had partially collapsed; a thick sheath of rock had fallen across it, leaving only a narrow gap that would be a tight squeeze even for the elf. For Teddy, it looked impossible.

"Can you Apparate me through?" Teddy asked. "No, wait! Can you find the other kids and Apparate them out of here?"

Moogums stared at him. "House-elves cannot Apparate people!"

"Yes, you can! I've seen it! I've done it!"

Moogums shook his head rapidly, and then beat his fists against his forehead, groaning. Two goblins came running up the tunnel, saw that it was blocked, stared at Teddy a moment, and then ran back the way they'd come. The explosions had stopped, mostly, though there were still periodic detonations as smaller caches were set off, but everywhere they went, the tunnels were unstable, the earth was shifting and grinding. Teddy's eyes went wide and he let out a cry of dismay as the end of the tunnel suddenly collapsed and he saw the two goblins buried under falling rubble.

"I can get out of here on my own," said Teddy. He doubted he could, actually, but maybe he could squeeze through that gap, somehow, and turn into a goblin, and follow the other goblins out... if any of the goblins had a way out. He noticed, suddenly, that a goblin hand was sticking out from beneath the fallen rock sheath, and shuddered. "Find the others and help them, please!"

"Moogums will go back," said the house-elf. "Moogums will look for childrens!"

"Back? Wait! No, you can't do that! You'll be killed!" said Teddy.

"Moogums has disobeyed master! Anything that happens to Moogums is deserved," the house-elf replied solemnly.

"No, no, that's - that's not right!" Teddy cried, but the elf disappeared with a crack.

Teddy was now trapped in a tunnel that had caved in at one end, and had only that narrow, elf-sized gap behind him.

He knelt and looked through the gap. One could occasionally still see blue-white lights, through the clouds of dust. That was all that illuminated the tunnels now. He didn't know what was on the other side or if it would lead to a way out, but there was no other way.

He'd never tried to become something really small before, like a house-elf. He had imagined, of course, becoming all sorts of creatures - birds and snakes and cats and fish - but the few cautious attempts he'd made at such inhuman forms just felt so wrong that he balked before doing much more than changing his skin, like someone dipping a toe into a lake and finding it much too icy-cold to venture further.

Now, he tried to imagine himself with a long, narrow head... a very narrow head... and a small, lean, skinny body. A very skinny body. He took off his helmet, since he couldn't metamorph that, and closed his eyes as he tried to make himself as small and skinny as possible, and push himself through the narrow gap in the stone. It was an arduous process, as he pushed and squeezed and finally got his head through. Then he experienced a moment of panic, as it felt as if he'd suddenly become trapped - his head now seemed much too large to pull back the way he'd come, and his shoulders were much too broad to squeeze through, and dirt and rocks were falling on him from above, and he feared a larger rock would come down and crush his skull at any moment. He tried to narrow his shoulders, and felt as if he were becoming something almost boneless and impossibly flexible as he wriggled through. His hips scraped through next, and then finally his legs, and he panted as he tumbled out onto the stone floor of the tunnel and lay there, before there was a heavy thud from a rock crashing to the tunnel floor right next to him. He staggered to his feet and moved on.

He turned right and left blindly, with no idea where he was going. At one point, he saw goblins running, so he turned himself into a goblin and ran after them. All the while he was thinking, "Where are the others?"

He heard a girl's scream.

He ran in the direction of her screams, and found himself going down a tunnel that hadn't collapsed yet. Ahead, he saw goblins running. And ahead of them, Deana Forte running.

There were four of them, three carrying swords and spears, one carrying a torch, chasing the girl. They weren't even aware Teddy was running after them at first, and when they glanced back and saw a goblin, they proceeded to ignore him, perhaps assuming he was joining their pursuit.

The rumbling and roaring receded behind them. They had found their way into a section of tunnels beyond the effects of the blasts. These tunnels were also barely lit at all - Teddy only occasionally saw one of those blue-white light-sticks. His lungs were burning and he was sore, right down to his bones. He wished the goblins would slow down.

He regretted that wish when they followed Deana's abrupt dash into what turned out to be a small oblong cave that only looked like a tunnel. She was trapped. With her back against the stone wall, she stared fearfully at the goblins who were now closing in on her. They were speaking menacingly in Gobbledegook.

Teddy didn't know what they intended to do - kill her? Capture her? His fatigue and panic turned to rage. They were all running for their lives, and these lousy gits (Teddy actually thought a much worse word than that) still had nothing better to do than chase one human girl?

He was hardly even aware of picking up the rock, but the goblins were as surprised as Deana when he brought it down on the back of the nearest goblin's head. The goblin crumpled to the ground, and the other three turned on him.

Teddy summoned the most horrific thing he could picture in his mind, a nightmare face like those he imagined he was making when his roommates woke him up and accused him of being a werewolf. His face elongated into a snout, his mouth stretched to make room for canines the size of his little finger, his eyes flared and became bestial and yellow, his ears grew and lay back against his head, and bristly brown fur suddenly covered his body. He snarled like a wild animal, and the goblins all cringed away from him, and then turned and fled. Unfortunately, one of those was the torch-bearer, and that left him and Deana alone in absolute darkness.

He heard her panting in terror, and then, with her teeth chattering with fear, she squeaked, "T-T-T-Teddy?"

"Yeah." He made himself normal again, though she couldn't see him. He heard her let out a sigh of relief, followed by a sob.

He stumbled his way towards her, until he bumped into the Ravenclaw girl. She wrapped her arms around him, with another sob, and he put an arm around her, and said, "Shh. Come on. Let's get out of here," as if he actually knew the way. And then, "Mind the goblin," as they stepped over the unfortunate one Teddy had hit over the head. He was glad it was dark - the crunch as he'd brought the rock down on the goblin's head was something he didn't want to think about. He told himself he'd only knocked the bugger out, but he would never be sure.

Harry and Ron left McIlvernock and Jones back at the castle, but they and five other Aurors were now swooping over the Forbidden Forest, with Harry in the lead, trying to position themselves according to the Marauder's Map, and look for signs of the tunnels beneath.

The goblins must have other entrances and exits, they'd reasoned. But the forest was so thick and dark, it was impossible to make out much in the way of ground features from above the canopy of trees. And they had no idea how deep the goblin tunnels went.

"Where's that Acromantula colony?" Ron asked.

"That way," Harry said, pointing his wand vaguely to the northwest.

"With our luck, the goblins have recruited them and we'll have to fight our way through a bloody nest of giant spiders -"

"I doubt it," Harry said, keeping one eye on the ground and the other on the Marauder's Map in his hand.

"- we should've cleared them out years ago, but no, the Magical Creatures Department says they're a bloody endangered species -"

Harry didn't mind Ron's patter. He knew his friend was trying to distract them from the grim reality of the situation. Soon enough, they'd find Teddy... or not.

"- I mean, does the world really need giant, man-eating spiders?"

"They can talk, you know," said Calliope Young, another new member of the team. She was the All-Europe Dueling Champion, Youth Division, her sixth year at Hogwarts, and Harry and Ron worried a bit about her eagerness to "really put it on the line."

"Bloody right, they can talk," Ron muttered.

"I heard there was a petition to have them reclassified as Beings," said Erin Roberts, winking at the other Aurors. Ron Weasley's loathing of spiders was well-known to most of them.

Ron's vehement reaction gave them suitable amusement for a moment. "I swear to God, if Hermione ever jumps aboard that particular cause -"

"There!" Harry said, and Ron fell silent immediately. All of the Aurors stopped in midair, as Harry consulted the Marauder's Map. "If Miss Karait's estimation is correct, their locations correspond to that spot there."

Everyone looked where Harry was pointing - it was just an undistinguished patch of dense woods, like the rest of the Forbidden Forest stretching around them in all directions. "It looks like Teddy and the other five children are all close together." Harry frowned. "Interesting. The map seems to have locked onto Slipfang as well, but I think we can assume there are a lot of other goblins there that it's not showing."

"Right," Ron said, looking at the tall trees below. "So what's the plan? I don't think we have a good enough idea of their location to try Apparating.

"Gouging Spells," suggested Ronald Irvine. Not only did he share Ron Weasley's first name, but he also had red hair, which had led to the two of them being known as "The Two Rons," much to both Rons' displeasure. But no one dared ever call them "The twins." That had only happened once. "The seven of us together could dig a hole pretty quickly."

Harry nodded. "We need to scry first. If we just burst into their tunnels, no telling whether we'd find those kids with swords at their throats. Davis, I want eyes underground." Lydia Davis nodded, and pulled a set of mirrors out of her cloak and began weaving a set of complicated enchantments, as she descended towards the trees.

"I say descendin' right on top of 'em gives us the best chance of rescuin' the kids an' catchin' the gobs by surprise," said Hume MacDougal.

"I agree," said Harry. "But I don't want to hear 'gobs'."

MacDougal frowned slightly at the reprimand, but before he could say anything else, Davis shouted, "Sir! My Danger Alarm is ringing!"

"We're above the Forbidden Forest, of course it's ringing!" said Ron.

"It's ringing like it did before those explosives in the castle went off!" she said, and then the ground shook and erupted, and a fiery blast tore through the forest, hurling rocks and trees and sending the seven Aurors and their brooms spinning through the air.

"Chloe picked up a sword and cut us free," Deana mumbled, sniffling, as she and Teddy stumbled their way through dark tunnels, following any light they could see. "We all followed a couple of house-elves, I don't even know how we got out of the cavern. Then there were goblins, grabbing us, and... and shouting, and the elves were screaming, and I don't know how I got separated, I don't know what happened to everyone else..."

"Shh, it's all right," Teddy said, keeping an arm around her. Deana was shaking with fear and couldn't stop crying. He was tired and afraid himself, and he wanted to yell at her, to tell her to shut up and quit blubbering. That made him feel like the worst person in the world. So he didn't say much, just kept going.

Sometimes they heard goblins, and they'd press themselves against the rock wall and hold their breaths, until they dared continue on. Teddy had no idea where they were going. Maybe they were going in circles, maybe they were going deeper into the tunnels. At times he imagined bottomless pits lying ahead, that they might step into unawares and tumble forever. They had nothing to see with but one of those glowing sticks Teddy had picked up, which shed cold blue-white light in his hands, but gave off barely enough illumination to see the ground. Occasionally they'd see a torch, and huddle together motionless, the light-stick tucked under his shirt, knowing that torches were carried by goblins.

"Look," Deana whispered. He lifted his head, and saw a light ahead.

Something was glowing in the darkness, much larger than the little artificial glow-lights, and definitely not a torch. Teddy didn't know what it was, but what better direction did they have to go? So they followed it.

It was moving, Teddy realized, after they rounded a bend in the tunnel. Staying just ahead of them.

"What is it?" Deana whispered.

"Dunno." They kept following.

The mysterious ghostly glow continued leading them on. Teddy wondered if it was a ghost. If it was, it would be a goblin ghost, he thought. And that might mean the ghost was leading them to their deaths. But still they followed.

They seemed to have been going up, as the tunnel they were walking along had a noticeable incline, and then the light in the darkness was gone. A moment later, they heard the sound they dreaded most - boots, and Gobbledegook, directly ahead. They were about to run directly into a pack of goblins.

"Teddy!"

The voice came from behind them. Teddy and Deana whirled around, and gasped, when they saw the glow was back the way they'd come. It was closer now, and seemed to be an apparition of some sort.

"This way!" it hissed, and Teddy thought he saw an arm moving, beckoning him.

He swallowed hard. Deana mumbled, "W-w-what if it's a t-t-trap?"

"We know going forward is a trap," he whispered, and pulled her with him as he followed the ghostly figure.

"Hurry!" said the apparition. They came to another cross-tunnel, one they had passed by without noticing a minute earlier, and the apparition was ahead. They followed, until they realized it was a dead end, and their ghostly guide stepped directly into the rocky surface ahead of them and disappeared.

Teddy felt cold dread in the pit of his stomach, as the goblins came tromping down the tunnel they'd just turned out of.

"Quiet," he whispered in his very quietest breath to Deana, and they both held very still. Teddy was already morphing himself into a goblin, though he didn't know if he had it in him to maintain such a charade yet again. He was on the verge of breaking down into sobs himself, at the thought of Deana being captured, him having to follow her, trying to think of a way to get her out of it yet again, the fear, the dread... now he was shaking. And then the goblins passed by in a rush, muttering and jabbering excitedly amongst themselves, never noticing the two children hiding down the side-tunnel.

Teddy and Deana remained quiet and motionless for a full minute after that, and then the glowing figure reappeared at the intersection and beckoned them. They both swallowed, and began following the figure again.

Back up the tunnel the way they had been going before, and around another bend, and another turn, and a steeper ascent - and Deana made a strangled sound that she immediately tried to stifle, as they saw sunlight.

Both of them picked up their pace, until they were almost running, and Teddy saw the ghostly figure stepping into the dirt wall of the tunnel, disappearing, and he cried, "Wait!" in spite of himself.

He didn't really expect the ghost to pause, but it did. He and Deana slowed down, within sight of a sunlit exit a dozen yards ahead, and in the light that was filtering down to where they stood, the ghost was a pale, shadowy figure, almost invisible. But Teddy recognized him, and he felt all the blood drain out of his face.

"Alduin," he whispered. Deana emitted another strangled squeak.

Alduin Beauxjour looked back at them, his expression even more difficult to read than it had been in life.

"That's the Forbidden Forest out there," said Alduin, pointing at the exit. "And lots of goblins fled the tunnels too. So you'll have to be careful. But you'll have a better chance out there than in here."

Teddy swallowed. "Alduin... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Tears were running down his cheeks, though he didn't realize it.

"You'd better hurry. I'm sorry, I can't do anything more to help you." And the ghost of the Hufflepuff boy disappeared.