Story: The Titans of Secrets
Chapter Eight: The Test

After the familiar feeling of a tug behind her navel ended, she found herself face to face with the ground. She pushed back and sat up, observing the surroundings with narrowed blue eyes.

It was eerily dark and a cold wind greeted her, sweeping over what seemed like a closed room. Ginny groped around for a while, wandless due to her fall. Finally she smacked something and the lights came on.

To the north was a strange steel door with a bay's head shaped knob. Her wand which was lying some feet away from her but she did not move to retrieve it. She stood there, observing the mysterious door and after a few minutes, she looked around.

The room was dreadfully flat and void of any thing but there was something interesting about the south of her. There was a lone shadow, shaped roughly like a rectangular rhombus. There arose the question: what object's shadow was it?

Her brain raced through numerous lists of spells and her feet edged closer to her yew wand. Picking it up and raising it at the door, she muttered, "Specialis Revelio!"

The door dissipated through the walls and when she wheeled around, she saw that the very same door was behind her, acting as the object to the shadow.

She walked to the door and opened it. Her wand was at the ready to face any new obstacle but when none came, she walked into the new room.

The door closed behind her with a jerk and she jumped lightly. Before long, something flew by, whistling past her cheek. Her eyes widened as a troop of black bats charged towards her.

It seemed ironic that the girl who knew how to get bats out of others boogies was herself getting slammed by the very same creatures.

She flailed her arms helplessly, trying to think of a way to get rid of the flying mammals when her eyes spotted a beam of light coming from something that looked more like the 'cambera' which her dad often talked about.

Ginny threw herself on the ground and rolled over so that she was on her stomach before aiming her wand at the strange Muggle contraception.

"Reducto!" she shrieked and the object blasted into several pieces. The bats dissipated into nothing and an unfriendly silence fell upon the room.

Puffing, Ginny got to her legs and looked around. It was pitch dark and her pupils could not adjust to the blackness.

"Lumos." The tip of her wand glowed and illuminated the whole room, somewhat making it glimmer and bask in the light.

Spotting a door to the left, she approached it carefully before blasting the door apart and crouching behind the wall of the lit room. When nothing happened, Ginny peered around the corner and when she was satisfied that no flying mammals would hurt her, she walked in.

The room was like a dark forest. It was filled with thin trees which provided a shady canopy. The air was so cold that frost accumulated on her eyelashes. Ginny looked ahead and found a small clearing. A shadowy figure was standing in the midst of it.

She creeped a little closer and the figure turned around, sensing her presence. It had iridescent red eyes and stained, pointed teeth. In pure horror, Ginny realized that she was facing one of the most bloodlust of creatures – vampires.

The vampire glided towards her as the icy temperature dreadened even further. She felt absolutely numb with fear and thought it would be the last of her days on earth.

Pushing away the dreadful thought, her legs started to act on their own accord as she ran through the woods, the vampire hot on her tail. She had to think fast. What would a vampire fear? Yes, that was the only question and the answer to that will drive the creature out and she would be able to make it out alive.

The problem was that she could not, for the life of her, recollect Professor Lupin's class but running helped to stimulate her brain and she concentrated harder. The answers to her question came in a rush - garlic and sunlight.

There was no way to produce a garlic out of thin air as Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration specifically stated that food items cannot be produced even by magic. She had to go for the other alternative - sunlight.

Looking towards the dense canopy of the trees, Ginny figured out that there was very less chance of getting sunlight to light the woods up even after having several trees severed so she did the only other possible thing: she let the vampire approach her.

The cloaked creature neared her, its pointy fangs showing off. Her breathing increased rapidly and she pointed her wand at it. Hoping against hope that it should work, she shouted out the incantation. "Lumos Solem!"

A beam of light obscured her vision and an ungodly scream deafened her ears. After a tense second, she opened her changed blue eyes and saw that the vampire had disappeared. Her knees buckled and she sank to the ground.

Once a modicum of strength returned to her, Ginny staggered out of the room and into the next one, wondering why on earth she even accepted the letter.

This time, it was another hooded creature which stalked towards her. Getting irritated by this game, she slashed the air with her wand with a spell.

"Stupefy!" The red beam hit the chest of the creature which fell with a resonating thud. She scurried to the next room which housed several wagons.

A swarthy man hopped over a wagon and planted himself before them, a broadsword slung at his side and a dark wand in his hand. Ginny pointed her own wand at him.

Without any warning, the man charged towards her, his sword flailing threateningly in his hands. Ginny ducked thrice before leaping up onto a wagon. Her petite size helped her agility as she jumped from one wagon to the other in a desperate attempt to make the man tired.

She came to a halt when she found that there were no more wagons to hop on and if she were to jump down, she would injure herself which would only cause her downfall. Before she could even make a move, the man cornered her, his lips curling behind to reveal a row of all teeth but one.

Her eyes contorted with determination and she dived to the ground, rolling midway to break her fall. She landed neatly on her knees and scrambled to her feet, pointing at her wand at the man.

"Expelliarmus!" Ginny thundered and his wand, along with the sword fell in front of her with a clink. The man sank to his knees and fell to the floor.

Ginny breathed out a sigh of relief before passing through another door.

The temperature turned frigid all of a sudden and she felt as if every inch of her body's warmth was lost. Her heart pounded against her ribs weakly as a cloaked and demented figure floated towards her, sucking away all her hope.

"Ex – Expecto Patronum!" she shouted but nothing happened. Not even a wisp of hope. The dementor, as the creature was called, glided towards her effortlessly. She was going to die and she knew it.

"Thank you, Ginny. I am fortunate to be your friend."

His voice echoed in her mind.

"You are one amazing friend, girl!"

Even Hermione's.

"You are the best sister I can ask for, Ginny, my baby sister."

And Ron's.

It drove her willpower beyond anything and with all her might, she shrieked. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A white stallion rose out of her wand and tackled the dementor away. The room's frigidity began to decrease rapidly as her horse came to stand beside her as a guard. It walked with her, as she staggered, to the other door. Once out of the room, it dissipated.

"Very well done, Ginny Weasley."

Cliffhanger! Tehe.

Just a reminder that the schedule for updating this book will be TT (Tuesday and Thursday). So, twice a week. Hopefully you guys are fine with it. I'm just a bit low on inspiration.

Your thoughts on this chapter? Comment!

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x