Battle

Vivi pulled the Basalt Compass from her pocket, and its needle pointed steadily northeast.

"Let's go."

Hagrid tightened the reins. The Thestrals spread their wings, and the carriage rose from the shore of Lake Superior into the afternoon sky.

The carriage turned southeast and flew toward Lake Michigan.

Below, the terrain shifted from the deep-blue waters of Lake Superior to the forests and farmland of Wisconsin, then from forest to rolling hills.

An hour and a half later, Hagrid brought the carriage down in a dense forest on the western shore of Lake Michigan.

The Thestrals folded their wings, their hooves rustling over the thick bed of pine needles.

Kingsley jumped down from the carriage and took the Encrypted Communicator from his pocket. The screen displayed the precise coordinates Hermione had sent for the underwater tunnel entrance.

"The tunnel entrance is about eight hundred meters to the northeast, beneath a cliff wall on the lakeshore that's completely covered by shrubs. There are at least twenty guards at the entrance, but their attention should be mostly on the lake. They're unlikely to notice anyone approaching from land."

Vivi jumped down from the carriage and pulled up the hood of her robe, hiding her silver-white hair.

Harry followed behind her, a thin film of platinum-colored magic forming around him.

Cassandra and Nasser carried the Analyzer and compass, while Hagrid tucked the Pink Old Umbrella under his arm, the storm lantern hanging at his waist.

The group moved quickly through the dense forest.

Kingsley walked at the front, a soft white light glowing at the tip of his wand and illuminating the forest path covered in shrubs and vines.

Vivi walked in the middle of the group, silver-white magic flickering faintly at her fingertips.

Harry brought up the rear, his gaze sweeping over