The Labyrinth

Warnings: Angst,AU/AR,Crossover,H/C,Language,M/M (slash in later chapters), OOC-ness only to the extent that it fits the movie and plot

Author's note--The titles of the movie scenes that correspond with this chapter are "Duel with Sir Didymus" and "Dangerous Crossing". I am now back home in the US and I have the internet, so we will now resume this story without interruption! Apologies for the delay! Happy reading!

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The Labyrinth

Duel with Auror Tonks and Dangerous Crossing

A pretty girl with a heart-shaped face and purple-pink hair riding a giant badger leaped out from behind a tree. She pointed her wand at the trio, scowling fiercely.

“Stop! Stop, I say!”

“We have to get across,” Harry said.

“Without my permission, no one may cross,” the girl said arrogantly, crossing her arms and staring at them.

“Please! I only have a little time left,” Harry explained urgently.

“We’ve got to get out of this stench,” Hermione put in.

“It smells so bad!” Ron added, gagging a little. Since he was the weakest of the three, having been subjected to repeated Crucio, AND he had been dumped into St. Mungo’s sooner than either Harry or Hermione, he began to be affected by the magical maladies first. He suddenly shot up about two feet, as if he was hit by a Stretching Jinx, and then he started to sprout red fur all over his body as if he were a werewolf.

“Stench? Of what speaketh thou?” Nymphadora Tonks sniffed the air delicately, unperturbed by the changes in the boy and unmoved by the pleas of the other two. “I smell nothing. The air is sweet and fragrant.” Hermione stepped forward, and Tonks whipped her wand out from under her arm. “And none may pass without my permission!”

“Smells so bad!” Ron repeated, sounding more animalistic.

“Get out of my way!” Hermione snapped.

“I’m sworn to do my duty!” Tonks informed them.

“Come on, let us get across!” Harry ordered. He stepped forward, and Tonks changed her wand target to the green-eyed boy.

“Hold! I don’t want to have to hurt you!” She warned, waving her wand threateningly. Ron suddenly reached out and grasped Tonks’ wand as well. As soon as the purple-haired girl was occupied, Hermione ran straight for the bridge and began crossing it.

“Hermione, what are you doing?” Harry yelled, but she ignored him.

“Let go of my wand! Yee-hah!” Tonks tried to pull her wand out of the big brute’s hand, but it didn’t work. With one considerably larger hand, he smacked the girl out of the way, but she sprang back immediately. “Thou must do better than that! Give up?” She mocked Ron, and they battled again; for a large, red, hairy monster, Ron was quick at dodging the curses Tonks threw at him, and he retaliated with physical force since he didn’t have a wand. He picked up a nearby stick and tried to hit her with it; Tonks had to keep circling the tree or duck into a bush to avoid Ron while she continued to cast minor spells at him. Ron ended up smashing a tree root, and Tonks’ head appeared in a knothole halfway up the tree.

“Enough!” She called. “Wotcher,” she said as a salutation of respect. “Before this day, never have I met my match in battle; yet this noble knight has fought me to a standstill!”

“Are you alright, Ron?” Harry had hung back during the fight, not at all comfortable with crossing the bridge and leaving Ron, as Hermione had done. He also didn’t have a wand, so he would have been no help in the fight. Ron was unscratched, but the magical changes in him were disturbing.

“Smell bad,” Ron replied, his language skills down to the rudimentary basics.

“Sir Ron, if that’s thy name, now I, Auror Tonks, yield to thee! Come, let us be brothers henceforth and fight for the right as one!” The fact that she was a girl didn’t stop Tonks. She was eccentric like that. Ron reached out and lifted her down from the tree. She bowed to him, and he brushed the girl’s cheek with the back of his hairy hand, much like a large ape.

“Ron have…brother?” He enquired, looking at Harry. Harry smiled.

“Sister, technically,” he said, shrugging. “Come on.” He started forward, only to be stopped by Auror Tonks, who was scowling ferociously once again.

“Wait a minute! You forget my sacred vow, young man,” she said seriously. “I cannot let you pass.”

“But you just said Ron was your brother!” Harry protested. Tonks slashed her wand in the air.

“I must defend my oath to the death,” she proclaimed.

“Smell…” Ron interjected his opinion. Harry began to massage his temples. The smell was starting to give him a headache, and he feared it wouldn’t be long before some magical maladies began to afflict him as well.

“Let’s handle this logically,” he said. “What, exactly, have you sworn?”

“I have sworn with my lifeblood… ‘No one shall pass this way without my permission’!” Tonks raised herself up to her full height, and even her purple hair stuck up proudly. Harry considered.

“Well…may we have your permission?” Harry’s question shattered Tonks’ confidence. She began to hem and haw as she paced, and Harry surmised that no one had ever asked her that before. She looked up at him at last.

“Well, I-uh…um…huh…Yes,” she squeaked, her face flushing pink to compliment her hair.

“Thank you,” Harry addressed her politely and stepped onto the bridge. It began to wobble immediately, and he took a few steps and froze.

“Have no fear,” he heard Tonks’ voice sing out behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder just in time to see her kicking the edge of the bridge with her foot. “This bridge has lasted for over a thousand years!”

“No!” Just as the word left Harry’s mouth, the bridge cracked and collapsed. Harry reacted instantly, reaching up and grabbing hold of a dead tree’s branch that was right above him. He watched as the bridge crashed into the Bog of Stench, and then the branch began to give way under his weight.

“It seemed solid enough,” Tonks was lost in thought as she pondered the enigma of the broken bridge.

“Hermione!” Harry yelled reflexively. The girl appeared on the other side, wringing her hands when she saw Harry hanging over the smelly liquid.

“Good sir, I will save thee!” Tonks was suddenly pulled from her reverie. “Somehow…” she added with uncertainty. Ron suddenly sat back and began to howl. Harry wasn’t surprised, since he had heard the boy howl before, but a chill shot down his spine since it sounded slightly different and more animalistic than before.

“Sir Ron, canst thou sit by and howl when yon lad needs our help?” Tonks said to the shaggy redhead. Ron ignored her and continued to howl as the branch dipped Harry ever lower towards the Bog of Eternal Stench. Suddenly out of nowhere, a Quidditch racing broom came up and under Harry, supporting him. He let go of the branch to grasp the broom, looking over to Ron.

“That’s incredible, Ron!” Ron sat back and grinned; if he were a puppy, his tail would be wagging hard. Two other brooms appeared. One flew to Ron, and he reached his meaty hand out and caught it clumsily. The other flew to Tonks, who looked at it in surprise.

“My brother! Canst thou summon up the brooms?” She asked in amazement. Ron shrugged.

“Sure,” he rasped. “Brooms friends.”

“I think it’s more of…Quidditch equipment,” Harry said, smiling at Ron. He guided the broom over to the bank where Hermione was waiting. He hopped off and held it out to Hermione, who backed away quickly.

“Yuck,” she said quietly. Ron sat on his broom and flew safely over the Bog of Eternal Stench.

“Sir Ron, wait for me!” Tonks cried, running to the base of the tree where her pet badger, Helga Hufflepuff, cowered in fear. “Oh, Helga! It’s alright, Helga! You can come out now! Come on. That’s a girl. My loyal steed. Steady now.” Tonks coaxed the timid badger out from the tree, pointed her wand at her pet, and shrunk Helga to about the size of a housecat. She picked up the squirming badger and hopped on the broom. The badger made the broom wobble a lot, and the group on the other side gasped, hoping that Tonks wouldn’t fall or drop the frightened animal. “Steady! Steady, girl! Come on, Helga, just close your eyes!” Surprisingly, the badger complied, and the broom straightened out. Tonks landed safely on the other side, put Helga down, and immediately unshrunk her and mounted. Helga, glad to be back on land, scrambled off towards the exit.

“Let’s get out of here,” Harry said, following the badger with Ron in tow. Hermione glanced around furtively and crept to the edge of the Bog. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the Golden Snitch that Voldemort gave her and held it over the Bog.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Voldemort’s voice warned. Hermione sighed, looking up, knowing that Voldemort was watching her, but he would never come down into the Bog to punish her. She was still very afraid of him, though, and she pulled her hand back.

“Oh please. I can’t give it to him,” she said softly. She tucked it back into her pocket and turned to catch up with the others.

“Well, come on, then,” Tonks said amicably as soon as Hermione came into view. They found the way out of St. Mungo’s, but Harry insisted on waiting as soon as he realized Hermione wasn’t right behind them. He smiled warmly as the girl approached, holding his hand out to her. She took it and smiled back, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “We should reach the Manor well before day.”

* * * * *

Voldemort was sitting on his throne, cuddling Draco in his lap. He had left the castle after Draco ate, and upon his return, he had merely monitored Harry’s progress. The blonde boy still cringed whenever the Dark Lord touched him, and he silently cheered Harry and the rest of them on as they kept making their way towards him. Draco was feeling more and more positive towards Harry, and he realized a few hours ago that he was pretty sure he had a crush on his favorite rival. He was musing about the fine line between love and hate when, in Voldemort’s crystal ball, he saw Harry throw his arms around Hermione and try to kiss her on the cheek, which got them both dumped into St. Mungo’s. Draco had actually growled in jealousy, and the Dark Lord heard him, rearing back with laughter. Draco immediately hung his head in shame, and Voldemort had pulled the terrified blonde onto his lap and cuddled him nonstop, much to Draco’s obvious discomfort. The Dark Lord made no other advances towards Draco other than holding the boy on his lap; Draco felt the flesh begin to pulse and grow again under his bum, though. Draco bit back a verbal sign of his temper when Harry took Hermione’s hand after they left the Bog of Stench, but it was too late. Voldemort already knew that Draco disliked the Mudblood touching Harry, and he reveled in Draco’s unease.

“Look, Harry,” Voldemort said softly, stroking Draco’s cheek. Harry, of course, couldn’t hear, but they were watching the black-haired man and his companions trudge through the forest. “Is this what you’re trying to find? So beautiful….so much trouble for such a gorgeous creature.” Voldemort planted a grotesque kiss on Draco’s forehead, and Draco closed his eyes, willing his nausea to quell.

“But not for long,” the Dark Lord addressed his captive now. “He’ll soon forget all about you, my fine fellow, just as soon as Hermione gives him my present. Then he’ll forget everything!” Voldemort smiled triumphantly, and Draco’s heart beat faster in panic, even as it began to break. He kept his eyes closed, trying to stay positive, but a tear slipped out from under his eyelids, and he couldn’t help shuddering as Voldemort brushed it away.
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Author's note--Okay, in all fairness, I don't know that you guys could've guessed, since TECHNICALLY Helga Hufflepuff the badger isn't a *real* HP character. Honestly, I considered Remus and Tonks *amused snicker*...you know, she's riding a werewolf...but I had already used both Remus and Sirius in the Mauraders, and they were both just too good there to pass up!

With regards to Buckbeak...honestly, I didn't think about him. And I'd already used Hagrid as the worm as well. And I had already posted that particular chapter, so it's not like I could've gone back and made Tonks the worm and recast Hagrid and Buckbeak as Sir Didymus and Ambrosius. Although, if you guys want, I can do so.

But I kind of like Tonksy as the energetic Didymus, and since she was a Hufflepuff...*shrug* I looked up the animal and then had the bright idea to call it Helga...after the founder. MWA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

(Just remember that I haven't read the books or watched the movies) but Buckbeak the hippogriff isn't exactly on my "good" list, since he hurt my Draco. I sort of know the full story behind it, and that it was technically Draco's fault...?...but just from seeing the movie clips of him walking up to it and then getting slashed, it makes me go "grrrr" and want to protect my Draco. So that's why the hippogriff never even occurred to me.

And the "changes" in Ron might seem random and weird to those who haven't seen the movie. They are supposed to make him more like Ludo, since he didn't have a wand to duel Tonks with, I had to give him SOMETHING of an advantage, and in the movie, Sir Didymus is, like, two feet tall, and Ludo is, like, ten. So there you have it! It also plays nicely into the "magical maladies and injuries" that one would suffer in St. Mungo's Bog of Eternal Stench! Cool, huh?

WeasleyWench--I see that you have new chapters up, so I will get to them, I promise! I'm back now! Goody, I'm glad you liked the Weasleys (minus Ron, of course haha) A friend of mine recommended a story that was written way earlier (like, before the fourth or fifth book, I think...before it was revealed that Blaise Zabini was a guy) because Blaise is a girl in that story. She said that it was so well written and amazing that I'd like it, even if a lot of the details have been proven incorrect with the release of further books. *shrug* Thanks for your review!

And there will be Harry/Draco goodness....OH will there be! Just you wait! And as far as what happens at the end...RAFO! haha Of course, if you have any guesses, I'm all ears! (and snickering)

Yami Bakura--Yes, I am now in a permanent location for the summer! I miss Ireland already, and it's been pretty surreal readjusting in small ways. Like, I'll hit the wall outside the bathroom because that's where the light switch is in Ireland, and it takes me a few seconds of searching to remember that the switch is INSIDE the bathroom here!

Or driving...I'm okay for the most part, except for left turns. I freak out because my instinct says that I'm turning onto the wrong way, but I'm not. That's kind of crazy. I hope you have a safe trip, if you're not gone already, and I'll be waiting to hear from you when you get back! haha How long will you be gone?

Here's the good news (or perhaps bad) The NEXT chapter is the peach scene, and then the one after that is the junk lady! If you send me an email (or tell me in a review) what time you're leaving, if you haven't left already, I will upload the next chapter before you go, just for you. If you're already gone, then it'll be here when you get back! Thanks for your review!

Maizeysugah--No, no, don't worry...the "working out" was just *slightly* misleading...he's a sadistic bastard, but time is running out. Draco will be okay...Thank you for your concern!

thrnbrooke--Thanks for reviewing! I DID consider it...but I had already used Sirius and Remus! Plus, I'm not a huge fan of Sirius/Remus slash, and having Remus ride Sirius (even as a shaggy dog) kind of makes me go...WTF. LOL Well, I don't mind S/R in the context of Harry/Draco, but I don't go read the other pairing just by itself! I am H/D ALL THE WAY! lol

dont bite the sun--Hiya and welcome to you! Thanks for your review, and you were the one who made me reconsider my cast! haha Good on you! However, I hope that you are not disappointed with who I have chosen, since you've obviously seen the movie and all. However (shhh, this is a secret lmao) I am working on a Harry/Draco story that has Jareth in it...I couldn't help myself! Two hot blondes and Harry...I think I'm going to die from hotness overload! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of this story, and I hope you come back! Apologies for being gone right after you reviewed, but I'm back now!


This chapter is in the seventh segment of the movie on youtube. Here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ71ksxCzIs