Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [6]

⚡️ Chapter 49 ⚡️

Harry leapt backward in shock and hit the wall, surprising Vega before the male turned to look at Dumbledore, questioning, "What was that?"

"Something," Dumbledore replied and Vega followed his blue eyes to the water. "I think, that is ready to respond should we attempt to seize the Horcrux,"

The surface of the lake was once more shining black glass: The ripples had vanished unnaturally fast; Vega's heart, however, was still pounding and every instinctual nerve inside of her was telling her not to go near it – not that she would ever want to.

"Did you think that would happen, sir?" Harry asked.

"I thought something would happen if we made an obvious attempt to get our hands on the Horcrux," Dumbledore replied. "That was a very good idea; much the simplest way of finding out what we are facing,"

"But we don't know what the thing was," Harry said, looking at the sinisterly smooth water.

"What the things are, you mean," Dumbledore said and Vega shivered uncomfortably. "I doubt very much that there is only one of them. Shall we walk on?"

"Professor?" Harry spoke up again.

"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore replied.

"Do you think we're going to have to go into the lake?" Harry asked.

"Into it?" Dumbledore responded. "Only if we are very unfortunate,"

"You don't think the Horcrux is at the bottom?" Harry questioned.

"Oh no... I think the Horcrux is in the middle," Dumbledore answered. And he pointed toward the misty green light in the centre of the lake.

"It's not in the lake but we will still have to cross the lake to get to it, no?" Vega inquired, her eyes returning to the misty light. "Isn't that right, Professor?"

"Yes, I think so," Dumbledore answered.

At once, Vega's mind rang with the thoughts of all the water monsters that she knew of – Kelpies, Kappas, Grindylows, the giant Basilisk-like serpents that she, at this point in time, knew that Voldemort was so very fond of and wouldn't resist using.

"Aha," Dumbledore said suddenly.

Dumbledore stopped again; this time, Vega and Harry really did walk into him. Harry was about to trip into the water when Vega pulled him back, the force of which caused to almost fall forward into the dark water until Dumbledore's uninjured hand closed tightly around her upper arm, pulling her back before she could brush the edge.

"So sorry, I should have given warning," Dumbledore said to the suddenly-clumsy pair. "Stand back against the wall, please; I think I have found the place,"

Vega wasn't sure where Dumbledore was looking due to his robes obstructing the way but she more than glad to move back as he had instructed, followed closely by Harry. She felt safe with the wall pressing next to her, and her wand casting light in front of her.

The patch of dark bank in front of them was exactly like every other bit as far as she could tell, but Dumbledore seemed to have detected something special about it. This time he was running his hand, not over the rocky wall, but through the thin air, as though expecting to find and grip something invisible.

"Oho," Dumbledore said happily, seconds later.

Dumbledore's hand had closed in mid-air upon something Vega could not see. He moved closer to the water; Vega and Harry both watched nervously as the tips of Dumbledore's buckled shoes found the utmost edge of the rock rim.

Keeping his hand clenched in mid-air, Dumbledore raised his wand with the other and tapped his fist with the point. Immediately a thick coppery green chain appeared out of thin air, extending from the depths of the water into his clenched hand. He tapped the chain, which began to slide through his fist like a snake, coiling itself on the ground with a clinking sound that echoed noisily off the rocky walls, pulling something from the depths of the black water.