Cast Aside

Geiger Counters and Insane Plans

A/N I have no excuses. I have had this and the next chapter done for ages but I just haven't gotten around to publishing. I'd think about it and then never get around to it. I have finally gotten back to actually writing it after 20k of a new, dramione fic. So, I will probably post the next one in a day or two. Hopefully. Like I keep saying, I have the full thing in my head more or less, I just need to get to writing. But, 4 kids, pregnant again, so sick, 4H projects blah blah blah. Promise I'll never abandon a story.

Chapter 33

Hermione chewed at her lip as she stared down at the relatively harmless looking, green wand-length, rod. According to Darby and confirmed by Ambrosi's testing, it was extremely dangerous. If not for the spells currently containing the potent radiation, they would all be dead in less than a month. And that was without any kind of dispersal.

Exercising an abundance of caution, they had set up their mini nuclear facility in a familiar forest in the tent she had brought from the future. They had erected wards similar to those at Gideon and Fabian's townhouse, and muggle repelling charms to keep away errant hikers. The charms surrounding the radioactive rod were all Ambrosi's.

Besides the containment spells, Ambrosi had handed them each radiation repelling charmed medallions. More effective and less cumbersome than a muggle lead vest. He had insisted they were more a precaution after their containment warding. But the glance he'd leveled at her stomach and the muttered, "can no fix everything with magic," had left her feeling on edge.

She almost longed for the reassuring heaviness of the x-ray vests her parents had always used.

"What you need is, dispersal method." He held up the Geiger counter again, showing the staggeringly high number. 5,000 roentgens. "This is having enough ambient radiation, to kill very quickly. Dispersal radically increases the radiation dose. Kill faster."

Swallowing thickly, Hermione voiced a new concern. "I'll admit that I didn't know it took so much to kill so fast. You're sure we'll be able to contain and dispose of all of it afterwards?"

The disdainful look he shot her almost made her flinch. "Yuri tell you to trust Ambrosi, no?" Ambrosi gestured at the contained material. "I will help, as I said. I will take it back with me and dump where Soviets dump. It is not perfect, but it will make no difference."

He was right. It was far from perfect. Hermione didn't feel right about dumping such toxic radioactive waste, but Ambrosi had assured her that it was practically Soviet protocol. She could not suppress the shudder. It was no wonder, with such poor safety regulations, that they had had such a horrible catastrophe at Chernobyl.

From the other side of the containment spell, Fabian spoke next. "You're absolutely certain that he won't be able to save himself?"

This time, Ambrosi looked pensive, setting down the Geiger counter and sliding his hands beneath his robes and into his pockets. "He will be too sick to do anything but die slowly. His magic will not work right. The radiation poisons that as well, you see." He shook his head. "There are few worse ways to die that I know."

Silence fell as they all considered that, Gideon fingering the medallion he wore around his neck. Not for the first time, Hermione wondered if they were doing the right thing. She trusted Yuri and both he and Ambrosi were confident in their spells. They weren't using a bomb. It wasn't going to irradiate the entire country. Just the Riddle estate. But still. The niggling feeling that something could go horrifically wrong wouldn't leave her alone.

"Alright." As usual, it was George that saved them from their thoughts. "A dispersal method. Bombs are out, so what else will do the trick without taking out half the city?"