Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 152: Auror auras

Aminah's misery was evident in her slow footsteps as she and Gemma walked in front of Harry, his shield charm still hovering around the three of them. Ahead of the group, the Aurors were arguing about whether they should apparate directly to the ministry with Mr. Khan, Healer Jordan, and Septima, or return Peter and the rest of the residents to the Center first. When their heated argument verged into splitting up into groups, Harry thought they were distracted enough that he could lean in and ask Aminah a question.

"Do you still have your staff?"

"No, I dropped it when we fell into the pit and we couldn't find it."

"Drat."

"Why?"

"Well, mine was broken when I went into the null zone... all my stuff came out of it in the corridor," Harry explained. "I was hoping that you had yours... that maybe with it or something in it we could send a message to Godric or Besel..."

"Right, the emergency feature. I guess it would be working again," Aminah agreed through her sniffles. "You should message Ms. Midgeon. Wasn't she once an Auror. Maybe she could reason with these prats."

"Good idea. What about that talking messenger thing that Healer Jordan does? The patra- patronus charm?"

"Yeah, I can't do that one yet," Aminah said. "Why don't you send a snake with a message? Like you did for us when we were trapped?"

"I was hoping for something faster, but maybe that's the best thing to do," Harry agreed quietly. "Though I think I'll send it to Besel because Nio knows her and it could be that Ms. Midgeon is still trapped."

Harry hoped that he wasn't attracting the attention of the Aurors ahead of them who had stopped arguing and were now walking through the cavern.

"Nio, can you take a message to Besel? Do you remember her? You met her when you first came to the Center."

"Certainly. These leg-walkers reek of arrogance. Besel is the leg-walker who glides like a snake, yes?" Nio asked. "She might be able to soothe their chaos."

"Yes, that's her," Harry said and then he spoke the message for Besel and captured the slip of paper that fluttered by his lips with the message. It fluttered in his fingers like the wings of a snitch. He rolled it up into a tight scroll and held it for Nio to grasp in his mouth, then knelt to transfer the little snake to the ground.

Harry had to end the shield charm so that Nio could leave. As he crouched behind Gemma and Aminah, he hoped that they provided enough cover to allow Nio to get away before the Aurors saw what he was up to.

"Thank you, Little Friend. Be safe," he said as Nio slid away, his progress a whisper over the sandy earth. The spot on his neck where Nio had rested felt exposed and empty.

Harry tried to catch up with Aminah and Gemma, but the terrain required more concentration with the muggle cane; he could hear that he was falling behind.

Harry stumbled over rocks in the path that his cane missed, his steps clumsy from fatigue. The muscles in his thighs and calves ached and his breath was labored. Even the cane felt heavy in his hand and it was an effort to swing it in a full arc. He struggled to respond to the information it gave him about the path in front of him, let alone listening to the progress of the group of Aurors and Gemma and Aminah. Even though it was hard to tell exactly where the groups were because of the echoing in the chamber, he felt a growing panic in his throat at the thought of being left behind.

Harry's mind went to the traps that McCarthy had placed throughout the caverns and beneath the Center.

Are there more? How can I avoid falling into them if the others weren't able to? Even Aminah and Peter got trapped... despite the trap being visual. Maybe they aren't all the same?