Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 136: The Dybbuk

Harry hadn't time to get his bucket out of his staff before Besel pulled him into the apparition twist and when his feet hit the pavement in the little alley off of Charing Cross Road all he could do was collapse to his hands and knees and hope that Besel stayed back.

"Oh, Haripreet! I forgot. We've got to get out of the way. The others will be following us quickly. Can you stand up?"

Harry tried to answer, but was hit by another spasm. Besel vanished the sick and leaned over him, putting a warm arm across his back.

"Try to move this way. I don't want them to land on you," she urged.

The sharp clatter of boots was ricocheting off the alley walls, quickly approaching them. "Besel, Haripreet. Come this way," Healer Jordan called to them, her voice bouncing off the walls as well.

Harry stood up shakily, then leaned on his knees, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. He swayed a little.

"Harry, are you all right?" Healer Jordan asked.

"He gets sick when he apparates. He did this when we went to join the group."

"Did you eat anything?"

"No, not since breakfast," Harry muttered.

"Circe! I should have brought a nutrition potion with me."

"I'm fine," Harry said, getting his staff out of his pocket and pulling his wand out of it to rinse his mouth while he tried to ignore the spinning sensation that made him feel as if he were apparating again. "What's going on?"

There were popping noises and feet moving on the loose gravel of the alley.

"Right. Thank you for bringing Aminah, Fitz. Who is coming next? Here, come over here so the others have room to apparate in."

"I think Gemma and Godric are coming next then Peter and Gaius," Fitz said.

"Why does it smell like peppermint?" Aminah asked.

"Just vanished my sick," Harry muttered, stepping closer to Besel.

"Oh, Harry."

"Come on now, we've got to start back to the Center."

The popping sound echoed off the narrow alley and Gemma's footsteps ran the few feet to where Harry was and she started peppering him with questions.

He muttered, "Scribunt loqui," so that at least she'd be able to understand him.

"I'm sorry, Gemma. I have no idea what's going on. Dog? I don't know. I'll ask. Anyone know about the big dog watching us? Gemma wants to know..."

There was a burst of light that made Harry cry out and then the sound of rubbish bins clattering, a yelp, and a scrabble of toenails on the alley that quickly receded. Gemma's grip on his wrist tightened painfully.

"Is the dog okay?" Harry said once the racket died down.

"Yes," Gemma signed.

"We don't need to draw attention to ourselves!" Healer Jordan hissed as Harry wondered who'd sent the blast after the dog.

"Sorry, Healer, there was something about that dog. Oi vey! I swear it was a Dybbuk!" Besel said. "I didn't think."

"It's okay. It did have a grim look about it. No matter, Besel."

Another pop meant that Peter and Gaius had joined the group. They were all there.

"Okay, we're going to take a passage to the Center from here. It's been a long time since I've used this tunnel... I can tell you that the last time I used it, it was filled with spider webs and debris. We'll just have to do our best. I'll go first and try to clear as much as I can. It'll also be dark," Healer Jordan said.