The Road Is Long With Many A Winding Turn

The Road Is Long With Many A Winding Turn is the twenty third chapter in the Wombles Seven.

Harry appeared back in his house.  Hermione was there laying on the sofa looking very thoughtful.

“Are you okay?” asked Harry.

“I’m just trying to figure something out.” Replied Hermione. There was a pause, and then she added, “Harry, why are we trying to kill Ron and Ginny?  Can’t we just divorce them?”

Harry sighed then sat on the sofa with her and explained.

“Think of it like this.  There’s a road you’d like to go down.  It’s a very nice, clean, country road.  Then one day, things are built along the road.  It becomes an urban road instead.  You can still drive down that road easily- but it would be less peaceful and relaxing because it’s busy and the air is polluted.  So, you campaign to knock the buildings down. Once they’re gone, everything is good again.  Our relationship is like the road.  Ron and Ginny are like the buildings.”

“I suppose.”  Hermione had said this sentence a lot since she had started her relationship with Harry.  She still felt guilty for everything she was doing.  But Harry didn’t seem to care about any of it.  Hermione pondered for the first time why Harry seemed to have lost all his emotion except for his love for her.

Harry and Hermione were about to kiss (for the millionth time), when Ginny walked into the room.

“Huh?” she said, trying to get her head around what she had just seen, “Harry, you’re… cheating on me?”

“Uh-“ said Harry.

“Uh-“ said Hermione.

Ginny punched Harry in the face then went back to bed. She decided she would argue in the morning.

Hermione sighed, then said, “I’m going to go home now. It’s rather late at night.  I should get some sleep.”

“Okay.” Said Harry, and Hermione left.

When Hermione got home, Ron was standing there. Hermione was surprised.  She hadn’t expected him to escape from M and Lillian.  But there he was, completely fine.  Hermione didn’t know whether she wanted to kick him, kiss him, punch him, hug him, divorce him, confess everything to him and apologise, or kill him.  But she knew she wanted to do something to him so she ran up to him.

“Hello.” Said Ron, a bit confused.  “I-“ said Hermione.  “Yes?” asked Ron, now even more confused.  “I need to-“ “Yes?”  “I need to find out who I love.”  “Huh?” “Ron, I’d advise you keep as far way from Harry as you can for a while.  He seems rather intent on killing you.”  “What?”  “You know what I said.”  “I know what you said, but he’s my best friend!  Why would he want to kill me?”  “Well-“  “Are you sure you didn’t just have a nightmare about it?”  “Um-“  “You need to get some sleep, it’s very late.”

“Ron, you don’t understand!  He IS going to kill you if no-one stops him!”  “Well how do you know?”  “Because… I was helping him.”  “Huh?”  “Ron, listen, I realise that was a mistake now.  But Harry seems to have lost all his emotions except for- except for…” “Except for what?!”  “…His love for me.”

“Huh?!”  “Ron… Me and Harry have been in a relationship for months now.”  “But you’re both married to other people!”  “I know, but, we have feelings for each other, and there was a lot of complication about countryside roads, so we didn’t know what else to do.”  “Countryside roads?!  What do they have to do with anything?!”  “I don’t have time to explain right now.  But… Just try to keep out of Harry’s reach, okay?  In the meantime, I’m going to see a marriage therapist.”  Before Ron could question this, Hermione had already walked out and locked the door.

Then she remembered it was the middle of the night.  She was about to turn back and wait till morning, but The Flash suddenly ran up to her and pinned her against the wall.

“Batman told me all about you.” Said The Flash.  “I was hoping I could find you here.  I heard you put an innocent woman down into Room 101- which we, the Justice-Bringing League of America, just so happen to know is actually hell.”  “Yes, I know that…” began Hermione.  These words made The Flash angry.  His eyes sparked with lightning, then he ran her off to Bolivia.

Hermione tried not to throw up, then the Flash kicked her to the floor.  “YOU KILLED AN INNOCENT WOMAN!  WHY!!!!!” Hermione was terrified as The Flash’s body started to vibrate in anger.

“What is it to you?” asked Hermione, spitting blood at the same time.

“THAT WOMAN MIGHT HAVE HAD A FAMILY!  CHILDREN!  THINK WHAT IT WOULD DO TO THEM!  YOU’RE JUST LIKE EOBARD THAWNE!”

“Leo-nard?  You mean Leonard?”  “EOBARD!” “Eo-nard?”  “EOBARD!!!!!” hollered The Flash, only just restraining from kicking Hermione a second time.

Hermione held in a tear, then said, “If you’re that desperate to know, yes, Ginny does have a family and children.  The reason I did that was because I’m in love with her husband- he asked me to do it because he loves me too.  But I realise it was a mistake now!  And you can’t prove anything because Ginny is alive again!”

The Flash stopped vibrating, paused, and said, “What?”

“She’s alive!” repeated Hermione.  “I don’t know how it happened- I heard something about a demon named something like… Ettyman?”

“ETRIGAN!” exclaimed The Flash and ran off.

“Yes, that was it.” Said Hermione after The Flash was already gone.

Barry arrived at a rundown part of London.  He waited three seconds then got impatient.  He ran around the corner and came back with a dodgy-looking soldier.

“Ayyy, it’s Barry!” said the soldier.  “Now what can I do for you?  Need a new suit?  New vehicle? Oh, I suppose you wouldn’t.”

“I didn’t come to talk to you.”

“Are you sure?  Nothing from the good ol’ Mr Blood?  I heard Bruce’s Batmobile was really worth the money!  Don’t want to try something new?  Green instead of red maybe?”

The Flash slammed the soldier against the wall. “Did you know that if average humans reach certain speeds, their eyes pop out?”  The soldier gasped for breath, then slowly nodded, and said, “Yeah, yeah, okay, you’re not here for me.  Got it.”

“Good.” Said Barry, putting the man back down.  “Now, Jason, I believe you know who I’m here for.”

“Yeah.  You’re here for Etrigan.  But I’m afraid it doesn’t really work like that.  He only comes out to play when he wants to.  He doesn’t see me as his master.”

“Quite right too.” Said Barry, crossing his arms.  “You aren’t his master, he’s your master.  How could a corrupt soldier be in charge of the Super-Demon?”

Jason’s eyes suddenly changed colour, then his body gradually morphed into the shape of a large yellow monster.

“What do you want?” snarled Etrigan.

“I’m here to inquire you about Mrs Ginny Potter.” Answered Barry.

“Yes- about that.  I can’t make any direct changes to the timeline… I simply sped things up.  She would have gotten out of hell eventually anyway.”

“You can’t make changes?  Why?”

“You shouldn’t be so inquisitive.  I’m working with the Phantom Stranger.  Enough said.”

Etrigan turned back into Jason Blood.  “BRING HIM BACK!” shouted Barry, slamming Jason against the wall again.

“I-I-I can’t… He only comes out to play when-“

“Stop stalling, Jason, you know that’s not true!  The Justice-Bringing League of America know that Constantine gave you an enchantment.  NOW USE IT!”

Jason looked like he was panicking, then his expression suddenly changed.  He now looked serious.  Dark. Angry.  Barry got a strong reminder of Bruce from him.

“I underestimated you, Allen.” Said Jason in his true voice.  “I thought you’d fool for the dumb, scared, illegal businessman act, but no.  You got through to me.  Now about this enchantment.  You might want to stand back.”

Barry ignored that last remark.  Jason sighed sarcastically, then said, “Welp, if you really want to die.”

“Change!  Change! O form of man!  Free the prince forever damned!  Free the might from fleshy mire!  Boil the blood in the heart for fire!  Gone!  Gone! O form of man!  And rise the demon, Etrigan!!!”

The was an explosion and then Barry found himself pinning Etrigan to the wall.

“So you’re a rhymer.” Said Barry, releasing his grip.

“Yes, indeed, my type do rhyme.  It seems you released me just in time.  For now the Trigon’s rule draws near;  It is right that I should appear.  Since I am from the Merlin’s Crypt: A tribe of rhyming demons that are gone, tipped. I am now destined to walk the earth. The Phantom Stranger can recall my birth;  If you want help, I can tell you this:  There is a key where there is a kiss.”

Etrigan, along with Jason Blood, disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Barry to wonder what this clue meant.  He ran back home to do some thinking.