The Cave - 10

An Inferius gave the boat a nasty jolt, sending Ginny sprawling into Harry and nearly knocking him over the side. Harry tried to regain his balance and pull out from under Ginny but it was no use. There were too many of them, and the boat couldn't support the weight. It leaned to the side and began to turn.

Both he and Ginny tried to push their bodies to the other side to rock it back, but it was hopeless. The Inferi kept pulling until the boat flipped over, sending both Harry and Ginny splashing into the black water.

Harry kicked hard, bringing his body back to the surface. He gripped the locket so tightly in his hand it made an imprint on his skin. The water felt slimy and alive. Harry didn't even want to think about what else could be swimming in its depths. He gasped as he reached for the overturned boat.

A hand clutched his ankle beneath the cold water, pulling him down. He kicked, attempting to get away. He could see Ginny struggling not far from him.

"Ginny!" he gasped as her head went under. He reached out and grabbed her arm, tugging with all his strength. When she surfaced, he pulled her away from her captor and pushed her towards the boat.

"Hang on," he said, giving her a boost so she could cling to the capsized underbelly. The Inferi kept trying to pull him under, but he continued to fight. Finally, when an Inferius was close enough for Harry to reach, he slammed the chain of the locket around the creature's neck.

The Inferius threw his head back, writhing in a silent scream, twisting his body as if in agony. The amulet glowed a sinister red reminiscent of Voldemort's eyes. As the Inferius sank back beneath the water, Harry aimed his wand at the locket.

"Apertum," he cried. The locket sprang open. Suddenly, an unearthly scream filled the air as the inside of the locket exploded in a cacophony of color and light. Harry felt the wave of heat rushing towards him, and he flung his body over Ginny, feeling the blistering heat scorch his back.

For a moment, neither of them moved. They clung to the bottom of the upturned rowboat, breathing heavily and waiting for the next blow to fall.

"Are you all right?" Ginny asked, her voice muffled by Harry's weight.

His back felt as if he's spent too long in the sun, but otherwise was all right. He shifted his weight off Ginny and carefully raised his head. A sobering sight met his eyes: bodies lay everywhere. They were sprawled over the rock island, and floating aimlessly in the water. They were just that, however – bodies – no sign of animation remained.

"What happened?" Ginny whispered, horrorstruck. She shifted closer to Harry and buried her face in his shoulder so she was only half looking at the grotesque sight.

"I don't know," Harry whispered, stunned. "I think the sliver of Voldemort's soul reacted negatively with the cold death of the Inferi. I noticed it when one of them touched the locket. Voldemort does have an unnatural fear of death."

"What do we do now? We have to get back to the shore, but I'm not certain we can flip this boat back over – and I really don't want to get back in that water," Ginny said, her voice cracking slightly.

Harry shuddered, his drenched clothing now suddenly feeling very heavy and cold.

The boat jerked and suddenly began traveling across the water, back in the direction they'd come. Harry and Ginny clung to the bottom, their fingers aching as they tried to wriggle out of the water as much as possible.