Three Worlds Clash

Chapter Eighteen

Hermione Granger's POV

Ginny's screams were terrible.

We all sprinted into the forest after her, ready to attack whatever was hurting her, but when we got to the source of the screams all we found was Ginny curled up in a ball on the ground, covering her ears and rocking back and forth.

She saw us and screamed again.

"No! NO! FREDDIE!"

Then, next to me, Annabeth started shaking. 

"P-Percy, where are you? I can't see you, it's dark down here! Percy!"

"Hey, Hey, I'm right here Annabeth!"

"Bob? Why aren't you holding the door!"

Then Sophie covered her ears and started shouting things in another language. Clearly, Keefe could understand because he went very pale and tried to comfort her. Sophie switched to English after Keefe grabbed her hand.

"NO! AMY! GIVE HER BACK BRANT!"

Except, she was screaming at Keefe. He backed away in panic, shaking his head and telling her it wasn't him.

Then whatever was affecting the other girls hit me.

Strange, black mist crept toward me. Before I could back away or cast a protection spell, the mist engulfed me, changing the scenery around until I was back at the battle of Hogwarts, watching Lavender Brown and Fred die, over and over again.

I tried closing my eyes and covering my ears, but nothing was working. I clawed at my head, trying to pull the black mist away.

"No no no no no no. No. No no no."

Tormented by a cacophony of sounds.

Screams.

Explosions.

Flashes of color.

Voices, whispering to me terrible things.

You'll never make it.

Give up.

He died because of you.

Then the sounds faded, and the vision of Hogwarts crumbled away. 

I opened my eyes and looked up, watching the black mist recede.

Then I heard the real noises.

There was a fight going on somewhere close.

I sat up and looked around more.

Annabeth was walking away into the forest. Keefe was comforting a sobbing Sophie. And Ginny was still curled up on the ground, whimpering. I sat next to her and pulled her into a hug.

She took a few deep, shuddering breaths before sitting up.

"where'd Percy go?"

She wiped a tear away and stood up.

"Do you hear that?"

Annabeth came crashing back into the clearing.

"Guy... Percy and Tam... Linh in a fight... Come on!"

She turned and sprinted back into the woods, Sophie and Keefe trailing after her. I glanced at Ginny, who had the determined look in her eye that meant she was willing to do what ever it took.

-----

The sounds of sword fighting drew closer. I could see Percy, wielding a golden sword, fighting someone.

Before I could get any closer, a figure reached out of the bushes and yanked me down.

I almost screamed, but I saw that it was just Annabeth.

"Bloody hell, what was that for?"

Annabeth put a finger to her lips in a shushing motion. She gestured to the tiny grove where I had seen Percy.

Tam, Linh, and Fitzroy were there too, all fighting something in the shadows.

Then I realized the thing they were fighting was the shadows.

Tam,  holding a black blade made of shadows, charged the beast. He jabbed his sword into the beast, sucking some of it up into his blade. That's why it was so dark, the sword was made of shadows. 

Linh and Percy pulled a huge bubble of water out of nowhere and surrounded the shadow beast with it.

The thing reared up and almost burst the bubble if Tam hadn't jabbed it again with his shadow sword, shrinking it again. Fitz ran up and sliced the thing with Percy's golden sword, cutting it in half. 

With a final jab with the shadow sword, the thing dissipated. The grove grew a whole lot brighter, and Annabeth emerged from the bushes with Sophie and Keefe. I pulled Ginny out along with me. Percy immediately pulled Annabeth into a hug, whispering words o comfort into her ear. 

Tam dropped the shadow sword and pulled Linh in for a hug. She was visibly exhausted, and she looked like she was leaning on Tam for support. 

"What happened here?"

Sophie asked what everyone was thinking. 

Tam blew out a breath and kicked the dirt.Fitz crossed his arms and sank into the shadows, his crisp British accent filling the quiet clearing.

"The Source attacked us. And we are very lucky to be alive."