Harry Potter and The Jade Dragon

Chapter 24 ~ The Eight Immortals

The Plateau lay silent and peaceful in the pale moonlight when they arrived. There was no sign of Snufflegint. Harry suspected that the old wizard was probably capable of making himself invisible, as Professor Dumbledore could. However, he changed his mind when they reached the peach orchard. Besides the tortoises and Chester in his usual peach tree, a large screech owl had also perched itself in the dying peach tree, and sat there gazing at its surroundings with fierce yellow eyes.

They stopped at the foot of the dying tree, and Harry found himself looking nervously up at the owl.

"D'you think it's Snufflegint?" hissed Ron.

"Possible," whispered Harry. "Or Dumbledore."

"It must be this Tree, then," whispered Hermione. "Maybe it has to wither before it can fruit, and then be reborn again."

The owl suddenly directed its gaze at them, and they fell silent. Harry felt sure the owl had heard them. Jeanne had told him, once, how acute an owl's hearing could be. Harry glanced down. Perhaps the owl could see the slight depressions their feet were making in the grass.

They waited for a few minutes, and then Hermione said very softly, "Do you hear something else?"

They listened. Harry thought he could hear a soft, gnawing sound coming from inside the dying tree.

"The tree's alive!" hissed Ron.

"But, it's dying," whispered Hermione.

"Shh," whispered Harry. Two figures were coming toward them, from the direction of the tunnel. Harry recognised Dumbledore, and, to his surprise, Lady Wen-Li.

The screech owl shifted its position on its branch, and turned its fierce gaze onto Dumbledore.

Harry and the others quietly edged to one side. Dumbledore came up to the dying tree, and looked up at the owl, which was still staring at him. He seemed about to say something, when the gnawing sound suddenly became louder than ever. Harry turned to look for its source. Something was gnawing on wood, trying to burrow its way out of the dying tree.

Ron gave a muffled exclamation of surprise, as a small black creature emerged from the tree.

"Chester!" he whispered. "It's Chester!"

"No, it's just another cricket," whispered Hermione. "Chester's up in his usual peach tree, remember?"

Dumbledore and Lady Wen-Li were looking at the cricket in surprise. The cricket gave an angry chirp, and with a flutter of wings, flew over to the peach tree on which Chester was perched. With a fierce chirp, it launched itself at Chester, who appeared to have dozed off, and knocked him right out of the tree and onto the grass.

Chester got to his feet with an indignant chirp. The second cricket launched itself at him again, and the two began fighting, each biting the other viciously and giving off loud and angry chirps. After a while Harry couldn't tell which cricket was which, because the two looked identical.

"We should stop them," whispered Hermione, sounding rather distressed. "What if Chester gets hurt?"

Harry found himself watching, transfixed. "It's Chester's fight, Hermione. We should let him have his chance."

"Chester doesn't like fighting!" hissed Hermione. "That other cricket attacked him. It must have eaten up the interior of the peach tree – that's why the tree was dying!"