"Do you reckon Aberforth is just as powerful?" Hermione whispered.
"Not as powerful, but close." said Harry.
"Yeah, no one's stronger than Dumbledore." Ron said fervently.
Dumbledore still had quite good hearing for a very aged wizard, and managed to wink at Ron despite his obvious exhaustion.
"I wish that were so, Mr. Weasley."
Ron jumped.
"What do we do now, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked quietly.
"Our first priority is the safety of this castle." said Dumbledore decisively. "I shall leave that enormous responsibility to you, Kingsley."
"Of course, headmaster." Kingsley said, bowing.
"Meanwhile...." his steely gaze shifted to Harry. "We shall move on."
Harry nodded. "Who's coming?"
"You, of course," Dumbledore replied. "I shall be coming too."
"And me." Ron said.
"I'm coming too." Hermione said fiercely.
But Dumbledore shook his head. "No. The path is unknown exactly. And it will be very dangerous."
"We've been through worse." Ron said sardonically, and Harry sensed that he was smiling broadly.
"That seems true," Dumbledore mused. "But I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to undertake this dangerous journey."
"We're forcing ourselves." Hermione said bluntly. "Is that good enough, sir?"
"What would your parents say?" Dumbledore said, no doubt hoping to deterr them off of their decision.
Ron was very much nonchalant, and said airily: "The usual. They'll be annoyed at first, but then treat me like an angel after."
Hermione added: "And mine don't need to know."
"I see it is pointless to argue, then." Dumbledore sighed defeatedly. "Very well. You may come along, but not without additional protection."
"I'll come." Moody growled.
"I, as well." said Lupin.
"Me too." Hagrid volunteered.
Several more Order members suddenly felt the urge to go along as well, until Dumbledore raised a hand.
"I appreciate the enthusiasm.....but Minerva, and you, brother, must stay here to defend the castle."
Professor McGonagall's face turned a tad whiter, but she nodded all the same.
"We will, Albus." Aberforth said quietly.
"How will we get there?" Harry asked.
"That, Harry, you will find out very soon." Dumbledore said, standing up unsteadily and shrugging off his brother.
Harry watched closely. "You need rest, sir."
"No rest." Dumbledore panted. "Severus, where's Severus?"
"Here, headmaster." Snape said, striding up.
"I need a healthy dose of Strengthening Solution, if you can."
Snape nodded, and strode off in the direction of the castle.
"We must go to the Room of Requirement." Dumbledore nodded at the followers. He started off, then wobbled unsteadily.
"Allow me, sir." Hagrid stepped forward and picked the aged wizard up as if he weighed no more than a bundle of firewood.
"Really, Hagrid." Dumbledore protested, but looked slightly amused all the same.
"Why're we going to the Room of Requirement?" Ron asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Not sure," said Harry. "But I think it might be the only way we can get there."
As it turned out, Harry was right.
Snape was waiting for them by the stretch of blank wall. Hagrid gently set Dumbledore down.
"The potion, headmaster." Snape said, handing the flask over.
"Thank you, Severus." Dumbledore said. He drained it in a single gulp, and straightened. Harry had expected more of an effect, but all that happened was that he seemed to stand up straighter, and his voice was considerably stronger than before.
"Ahhh....much better. My thanks to you, Severus."
Snape gave a small nod.
"And now...."
Dumbledore paced three times slowly, eyes closed and muttering incomprehensibly.
On his third pass, something appeared. It was not a door.
Harry found himself staring at a portal. It was semi-transparent, but he still could not see what was on the other side.
"Shall we?" Dumbledore said, smiling.
No one moved. Harry looked at them, and they all appeared to be rooted to the spot by the fascinating, yet frightening sight fo the swirling portal.
Harry shrugged, steeled himself, and walked into the misty swirls. He instantly felt himself being dissolved, but then felt himself being restitched back together, molecule by molecule. It was neither painful nor comfortable.
The whole process had not taken more than five seconds, and Harry found himself standing in a narrow corridor; he could see a light and an even brighter glow up ahead.
Harry cautiously stepped into the dimly lit room. It was softly illuminated by several guttering torches in the wall brackets; the more direct light came from a huge horizontal beam of green light.
To call it a beam would've been more moralizing; it seemed to Harry that it was travelling constantly at what looked like breakneck speed. He saw that the light fed from one side of the wall and rushed into the other.
Harry suddenly realised what this was for; it caused a rock to drop in his gut.
As he stood there, gripped by a growing sense of dread, a noise sounded. It was somewhere between a lightning strike and a mad sizzle.
Hermione stepped out of the entrance hallway, her helmet off and her brown hair seemingly with a life of its own, it was everywhere.
"That didn't feel too good." she muttered.
"Of course not." sighed Harry. "Guess what this is for."
Her face went pale. "Oh, no."
"Yeah, my thoughts exactly." Harry said in a low voice.
"Oh, don't look so worried, you two." Dumbledore emerged from the entrance, smiling faintly. "Really, it's not all that unpleasant."
"How so?" Hermione asked fearfully, forgetting to give Dumbledore the honorific of 'sir'.
"Well, you see, it is what it seems..."
Harry licked his lips underneath his helmet.
"...but it won't hurt at all. Well, the end is a bit harrowing, but overall, there is no physical pain."
That comforted the pair slightly.
"How do we work it, sir?" Harry asked unsteadily.
"You step in, and concentrate on your destination. Do not falter, otherwise you may be deposited elsewhere."
Before the unformed question formed on Harry's lips, it was already answered.
"The Pyramids of Furmat. Those exact words, Harry."
Harry nodded. "Now?"
"If you wish."
Harry shrugged at Hermione, braced himself, and stepped into the bright green light, focusing.
Take me to the Pyramids of Furmat.
Take me to the Pyramids of Furmat.
Take me to the Pyramids of Furmat....
Instantly, he felt himself being whipped along a route of incredible speed. It moved up, down, right, left, right again. It was so strong that Harry was amazed that all four limbs were still on him, and nearly forgot to focus.
Concentrating, he tucked his arms and legs in to form some sort of human torpedo. The emerald wind blasted him even faster along the....passageway. Harry had no idea what to call it.
Take me to the Pyramids of Furmat...
There were rings surrounding him now. Bright tentrils of white and steely blue encircled him. Thinking that this was part of the trip, he did nothing to prevent it.
Then....
Two bright flashes, and he suddenly was standing on his feet in a brightly lit hall. The transfer was so sudden that Harry wobbled and lost his balance even though the trip and planted him firmly upright on both his feet.