Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Tasks	By : QueenB Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 5179 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in anyway, shape or form. The rights of such belong solely to J.K Rowling. I do not make any money or accrue any monetary benefit on this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
The huge tome lay on Ron’s bed. It took up so much space, there was barely enough room left for Ron and Hermione to sit. Harry was forced to pull up a chair and lean over to see what they were reading.
“Ooh! Here it is!” Hermione’s finger traced a worn passage. “This will allow the caster to pinpoint any foreign spells.”
“Will it let us know whether the spells are dangerous?” Ron asked, his nose crunching as he tried to follow the cursive handwriting. Not for the first time, Harry wished the wizarding world would move into the current century and print their books out on computers. A person could go blind reading this stuff.
“Hmmm…” Hermione’s finger moved farther down the page. “No, this spell isn’t good for that. We’ll have to keep looking.”
They did keep looking for the next two days, during which Harry got more and more antsy. He was very conscious of time slipping away from them. There were less than three months left until the last year of school. Whatever his task might be, there wouldn’t be too much time to carry it out.
But Hermione’s persistence paid off. They found various spells, advanced ones, which might come in handy. There were ones that allowed them to find hidden enchantments, shrink heavy objects so they could be concealed in small bags, lighten heavy loads to featherweight and render themselves and anything they carried or touched invisible.
This last one was a tongue-twisting difficult spell. Even Hermione had trouble with it and it took her a few tries to get it right. Harry was able to do so only after constant drilling. But, in spite of numerous attempts, Ron couldn’t manage more than a partial fade.
The spell didn’t allow them to make people they were touching invisible, only objects. So Harry generously offered to let Ron hide under his Cloak. It was too small to hide all three of them now that they were no longer children but it could manage for one or even two.
Hermione instructed them continuously until they could chant most of the spells in their sleep. Finally, Harry was fed up. “I think we’ve learned all we can. It’s time we got going.”
Hermione bit her lip. “Harry, I don’t know. Just a little more study…”
“Hermione, it’s been eight days. Without knowing what’s in the forest, we’re just overloading ourselves on spells that might do no good. I say we go tomorrow, at dawn.”
“Dawn? Shouldn’t we leave at night, you know, after my folks are asleep?” Ron asked.
“You want to try negotiating the forest in the dark, Ron?” he asked. “First light is soon enough. We’ll leave a note so that your parents and mine – and yours, Hermione – know what’s going on. But if we wait any longer, they might try to stop us.”
Hermione sighed. “Fine. Dawn it is.”
She still didn’t look sure. But she made no argument as she began gathering all the supplies, papers and tools she thought they might need.
__________
They crouched low on their broomsticks as they zipped over the countryside. It felt distinctly weird to feel Ron crouched behind him without being able to see any part of him. Hermione was somewhere to Harry’s left but he couldn’t see her either; the spell made her and Ron’s broomstick completely invisible.
Suddenly they were at the outskirts of the forest. From above, it looked like nothing more than a vast, arching canopy of dark greenery. It was peaceful this early in the day but Harry knew a lot could be going on under the tree cover.
“Right,” Hermione breathed, making him start. He’d almost forgotten she was there. “Here goes.”
She chanted the spell softly, the words flowing smoothly as though she’d done this all her life. At first they saw nothing: no cool blue of benign spells or the green indicating evil. Then…
“Look,” Ron whispered.
“What? Look at what?”
“Ron, we can’t see where you’re pointing,” Hermione reminded him.
“There, to the left, just over that bent treetop.”
They could see it, now that they knew where to look. It was a faint glow just below the tree line but there it was: a wavering, pale blue light. It wasn’t dangerous then but the color wasn’t quite what they’d been led to expect.
Harry squinted. “Does that color mean it’s okay, Hermione?” he whispered.
“I – think so.” He could hear her uncertainty.
“Well, we won’t learn anything floating about up here,” Ron said, his breath puffing in Harry’s ear. “Let’s land and take a look.”
“We should stay invisible until we know what’s happening,” Hermione cautioned.
Without being able to see his feet, setting down was a lot clumsier than Harry liked. He banged his foot on the ground before settling properly and heard a muffled “oomph” from Hermione. Otherwise, the landing went off without a hitch.
The fading outline of the spell was wrapped around the base of a large oak tree. The blackness of the bark made the color even more prominent up close. Such was its intensity, Harry couldn’t see anything past the blue haze. Then, as the spell dissipated completely, he made out what looked like a massive mound of dust and cobwebs.
Ron let out a strangled gasp. Shit, they hadn’t stumbled upon a huge Acromantula sac, had they? Harry told himself they were still invisible. Acromantulas didn’t scent their prey so much as focus on them with their eight eyes and track them if they stumbled into their webs. As long as they stayed clear of the huge sac, they’d be safe – he hoped.
“So there’s a spell here…covering a huge spider web? Why?” Hermione whispered.
“The web is what has grown over me since I was trapped here over six decades ago by my fellow goblins. And that’s one.”
Harry started violently, wondering who had spoken. Now he could see it – a dark mass at the center of the web. It was small and twitched in a manner not altogether human. And it had mentioned fellow goblins…
“What do you mean, ‘That’s one’?” Ron asked.
“I am obliged through magical geas to sit here without stirring and to answer one question apiece from everybody who passes here. And that’s two.”
“Wait, hang on!” Ron protested. “I didn’t know I only got to ask one question! What if I have something more important that I want to know?”
Stony silence met him. Evidently, the unseen speaker meant what it said: only one question per customer.
Harry asked, “Is there anything that can be done to help you?”
The cobweb gave a mighty convulsive heave and the hidden figure shot from it like a Bludger. “Arrrrgh! Thank you, young seeker. You’ve already helped me!”
“I have?” Harry didn’t know what he’d done; he certainly hadn’t cast a spell.
The goblin shook his great ears and beat his clothes, the dust rising from him in clouds. “Yes, for that question is the one that releases me. Sixty-odd years I’ve been sitting in this spot waiting for someone to ask that question and you’re the first to do it.”
He pulled a caterpillar from within one ear, sniffed it and popped it into his mouth. “Mmm. That’s tasty. Now as a reward for your kindness you may ask me as many questions as you wish, my lady.”
“We’re looking for – “ Hermione began.
The goblin growled. “I meant the one who freed me. You are not she.”
“She? I’m not a girl!” Harry protested.
The creature blinked. “I have never been adept at guessing the gender of you human creatures. And your invisibility is not helping.”
“Oh,” Harry answered sheepishly. They’d forgotten that. He canceled the spell, watching as Hermione did likewise. Ron became visible as well after removing the Cloak.
The goblin looked at them one by one. “Who is the one who freed me?”
Harry waved his hand. “I am.”
The wizened, shrunken creature tilted its head from side to side as it peered up at Harry. Then he shrugged. “No. That still doesn’t help.”
Ron let out a guffaw and Harry flushed crimson. “Right,” he muttered. “Anyway, we’re on a quest to find magical items, unusual, rare…”
“Or just plain odd,” Ron added.
“Where can we find them?” Harry finished.
The goblin pointed. “Behind this oak tree lie three separate paths. Only one traveler may take each path. The road on the right leads to the fabled library of Alexandria.”
“The library of Alexandria?” Hermione exclaimed. “It was one of the Seven Wonders of the World! But it doesn’t exist any longer.”
“It doesn’t exist for Muggles,” the goblin stressed, its brows wrinkled in asperity. “Wizards have long since learned to hide its great treasures from their prying eyes and careless hands. Do they teach you nothing?”
Hermione turned pink. The goblin sniffed and continued.
“The road in the center leads to a pier. There, the seeker will find a boat that will carry the bearer to the secret island of Avalon that appears on no Muggle maps. There lies the body of King Arthur, holding the mighty sword Excalibur. An ancestor to Godric Gryffindor crafted it and it is rumored only a true son of Gryffindor may retrieve it. It is a great weapon and will make its wielder invincible in battle.”
“King Arthur? But he’s supposed to be – ” The goblin gave him a look and Ron changed what he was going to say in a hurry. “Excalibur, eh? Sounds like a great prize, all right.”
By the gleam in his eyes, Harry knew that this was just the sort of thing Ron dreamed of. Well, why not? He’d had enough of glory in winning Quidditch games and that Triwizard Tournament. Harry was perfectly happy to let Ron fetch such a fantastic award.
The goblin resumed its instructions. “The road on the left leads to the dwelling of a sorcerer skilled in the most puissant of deadly arts. His home is doubtless filled with treasures magical, rare and odd. Oh, yes, and he’s also holding a princess there,” he added indifferently, like the princess was an afterthought.
“A princess?” Harry immediately wanted to fly to her rescue. But the mention of a dark sorcerer gave him pause. Save for the wizarding duels in his DADA class, he hadn’t been up against a wizard more powerful than Remus Lupin and the grizzled man always had made sure to rein himself in so no student was ever harmed in his class.
Anxiety filled Hermione’s brown eyes. “Harry, that sounds dangerous.”
“She’s right, mate,” Ron pointed out. “You sure you want to go alone? You can wait until we come back and we’ll go with you.”
“Oh, and fetching King Arthur’s sword is going to be a walk in the park, I reckon,” Harry threw back sarcastically.
The goblin sighed in annoyance, drawing their attentions again. “Wizards. They never listen. Each path may be traveled by only one traveler. You each must go alone to your separate destinies.”
Harry had wanted to do as much since he first heard Dumbledore’s pronouncement. But, now that the moment of parting had arrived, he was reluctant to leave his friends. “Well, be seeing you both. Stay safe, all right?”
“Oh, Harry. You too.” Hermione grabbed him in a big hug and clutched him tight. He awkwardly patted her on the back with one hand, aware that Ron was watching.
But all his best mate did was give him a light punch in the arm. “You give that sorcerer a good trouncing, you hear me, Harry? And best of luck with your princess.” He winked at Harry and stood back. Suddenly, he grabbed at the silvery Cloak and held it out to him. “Almost forgot. Here, mate.”
Harry shook his head. “No, you keep it, Ron.”
“I can’t do that! It’s yours, Harry! Your dad…”
“Would be glad to know I’m using this to help my friends. ‘Sides, I can turn invisible. You can’t. So it’s better that you have it. You can give it to me when you get back.”
“If you say so.” With a final look at Harry just to be sure, Ron donned the Cloak. No master of stealth, Harry could hear when Ron circled the oak. He listened to the scuffling footsteps as the redhead passed out of earshot.
Hermione gave him a tremulous smile until he smiled back at her. Taking her cue from her boyfriend, she murmured the Disillusion Charm and vanished from a view. He heard her scurrying away and silently wished them both the best of luck.
The goblin had finished brushing off the worst of the cobwebs. “Is there anything else, young seeker?”
“Yeah, now that you mention it. I’ve never actually fought against a wizard – ”
“Sorcerer,” the goblin corrected. “Different type of magic. Dark, powerful, old. Not the stuff most wizards meddle with.”
So he was going up against unknown magic. They never covered this in DADA class. “I’d appreciate any pointers you could give me,” Harry said humbly.
The goblin scratched its pointy chin. “I don’t know everything, mind you. There are three powerful secrets. If you can get them from him, they’ll help you. You can’t steal them. He has to give them to you freely; otherwise the magic won’t work.”
“Okay. How do I get him to give them to me?”
“Offer to work for him in exchange. He cannot refuse an honest offer. He’ll set you three tasks and, if you can perform them, you may demand a reward for each. You must ask him for a comb for your hair, a mirror to look into and a ring for your finger.”
Harry waited but nothing more was forthcoming. Merlin, this was like pulling teeth from a mandrake root. “What do I do with these things once I get them?”
The goblin shrugged. “As I said, young seeker, I don’t know everything. I only know that when you rescue your princess, you should use these things to escape from the sorcerer.”
The whole thing sounded daft to him. But the goblin seemed perfectly serious so Harry silently memorized the list. “It sounds hard, all right,” he sighed. “I guess I’d better get started flying.”
“Nothing we want is easy. Look at me – I wanted my freedom and I had to wait over sixty fecking years to get it. And flying is not recommended. The sorcerer’s home lies hidden from prying eyes. Fly over it and you might well miss it.”
He noted Harry’s worried look. “Do not lose heart, young seeker. You are kind and that will always stand against the darkness. You possess courage and I sense great power. Now you must learn secrecy and craft. Your tasks and trials will only strengthen you.”
All this advice was pretty vague but it was the best he could hope for. Harry thanked the goblin for his help and made his way to the road on the left.

TBC
- 3
- 4
- 5
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Tasks