A Cannon's Harpy

XXIII

"How are things going, Bill?" Harry asked his future brother-in-law.

The older man wiped at a few beads of sweat on his forehead. "Almost there." He gritted his teeth while pushing against the rune covered slab of smooth rock on the ground. "Just need to get this last one aligned and it's always the last one that's tricky."

Harry watched on intently. Bill would strain his muscles to move the slab less than an inch, check some calculations, then move it again. The process seemed to be dragging on forever. Watching him work made Harry realise that he would never want Bill's job.

"How's the process going, boys?" Harry bit back a retort as the Minister of Sport strode into the small room housing the last of the warding stones.

"It's almost done," Bill growled. "Setting up the Harpies stadium was already a day's work."

Patrick laughed. "It's all for a good cause, Bill."

The older Weasley did not look up, instead continued to methodically work the stone into place. It took another ten minutes of hard labour before he sighed and sat back.

A distinct but soft vibration radiated from the stone. "I assume it's working."

"Yes." Bill stood. "We should get to the control runes."

"Excellent." Patrick clapped eagerly. "I will be in charge of this one I assume."

Bill did not look pleased. "That is the arrangement, yes. I will of course be at the Harpies game."

"Very good. This will allow me to fully come to terms with this…" His hands waved about. "Magic."

Harry followed behind the two, eager to see the ward in action. They climbed up the stadium to a room beside the commentator's booth. It provided an unspoiled view of every corner of the stadium.

The Minister of Sport hurried across to the table where a small slab lay with numerous complex runes. "So you say I just have to place my hand over a certain rune to activate the desired intensity."

Bill nodded stiffly. The other man grinned then placed a hand over a large rune to the right. "Wait!" Bill cried out. "Start with a lesser ward."

"Why, don't you trust your own work?"

"Of course I do, but with this kind of power you don't fool around. You could kill people down there."

The man laughed. "I'm sure you are exaggerating." He turned to look out the window and placed his hand over the last rune again.

Bill's lips moved, mimicking choice words he dared not utter aloud. The feeling of power in the air intensified, but as suddenly as it came it vanished. A sigh of relief escaped the Weasley's lips.

"What happened?" Patrick shouted; a small vein along his neck began to pulse. "I don't feel anything!"

Harry and Bill took a step backwards. "You're not supposed to. When the required ward strength is reached the power is consumed by the stones. You won't feel a thing until you try walking through it."

The Minister of Sport stared at Bill for a few long seconds, then nodded. "Most ingenious." Patrick turned away and placed his hand on the stone again; this time on the first rune. The power in the air intensified for a brief moment then vanished. "Is it off?"