Chapter Thirty Nine

                                    

                                          
             
                          
   "Somethin' to say, have we laddie?" the captain enquired nonchalantly.  
                          
   "Yes," Draco spat, his heart racing.  "I mean...yar!"  Between the blood pulsing loudly through his ears and the waves crashing against the hull he could barely hear anything, but he was damned if he was going to get lost forever in some weird afterlife or whatever the fourth level was.  He was finding Harry and they were bloody well going home if it was the last thing he ever did, and if he had to speak like these idiots to achieve that, then so be it.    
                          
   "We be havin' no time for excuses, little landlubber," the captain said smoothly to him.  "It's best ye be keepin' what dignity ye still got, and walk the plank like a man."
                          
   That got another rowdy cheer from the crew, but Draco shook his head.  "Look, the only reason we...be comin' to your – yer – ship is, um... because we were being chased by a hoard of blood-thirsty skeletons.  We were foolish enough to let that treasure hungry miscreant-"  He jutted his chin towards Brandon who was lurking sheepishly in the crow's nest.  "Pick the destination, but I be swearin', we only just arrived on your ship, and we'll make the leprechaun give back everything he stole if you'll just let us leave."  He cleared his throat.  "Um, arr," he added for good measure.  
                          
   It sounded pathetic to his own ears, but Draco wasn't sure what else to do than to beg.  Harry was relying on him, he couldn't let him down.  
                          
   Salazar, caring about people was exhausting.  
                          
   But to his surprise, the captain was now looking at him with interest, so his pirate speak couldn't have been too awful.  "Skeletons, ye say?"
                          
   "Um," said Draco, glancing down at Bones in confusion.  "Aye.  They be the Halloween Secret Police."
                          
   A gasp went up through the crew, and Draco wasn't sure, but it felt like they edged closer to him at that.  "And pray, tell," urged the captain, blackened fingers dancing on his chin.  "Are they truly blood thirsty?  As hellish as the legends tell?"  
                          
   Draco swallowed, really not sure what the right answer was to not get him forced off the plank, so he just went with honesty.  "Yes," he said with a nod.  "I mean, aye.  I can safely say they be some of the most horrific creatures I've ever had the displeasure of setting me eyes on."
                          
   There was a beat.  And then the whole ship erupted into cheers.  They threw their hands up and began dancing around, weeping tears of joy.  "And they be followin' you lad?" the captain asked, pressing closer to where Draco stood, wonder in his eyes.  "They'll be comin' here?"
                          
   "Um," stammered Draco as Bones wined at his feet.  "Maybe?"
                          
   "What if we open up the rum?" a buxom female pirate cried out, waving a pair of cutlasses about.  "Get them portals goin', yar!"
                          
   Several of her fellows whooped and clapped in agreement, running towards the lower cabin where Draco and Bones had emerged.  A dozen of the pirates burst loudly into song, swinging around the upper deck in glee, whilst others were all of a dither, running about with several weapons in hand, unsure which one to pick.  "This one be sharpest," one skinny looking chap bemoaned.  "But this one be prettiest!"  
                          
   "Use both!" his mate suggested.  
                          
   "Here," an older man said tearfully to one of the young girls who didn't look much older than Draco.  He presented her with a silver knife, engraved at the hilt, which she took reverently with two hands.  "It's time ye had yerself a proper blade, lassie."  The girl choked back a happy sob, and flung her arms around the old man.
                          
   The blaggard behind the helm was swinging the wheel this way and that, making the deck even more unstable than it have been before.  "Yo ho ho!" he sang at the top of his lungs.  A chorus of people chimed in around him.  "Drink up me heartys, yo ho!  Yo ho oh, a pirate's life for me!"
                          
   "Uhh," Draco breathed out slowly, and turning his attention to the captain once again.  "I'm sorry, but...what exactly be goin' on?" 
                          
   "Will we still be walkin' the plank?" Bones chipped in from beside his ankle.  
                          
   "Ah nonsense, nonsense," the grizzled captain laughed, beckoning them forwards and away from the sea bellow.  "Ye won't begrudge a cap'n his fun now would ye?" he chuckled, slinging his arm around Draco's shoulders and walking him up to where the wheel was still spinning madly.  It was a wonder no one had been thrown overboard yet.  
                          
   "I guess not," Draco said unsurely.  Bones was eyeing everyone up warily, his peg leg clacking on the floor as he kept up with Draco and the captain.  "So, you actually want the HSP to come here?" he questioned.
                          
   "Why yar, to be sure little landlubber," replied the captain eagerly.  "We ain't had a scuffle in so long, it'll be a pure joy."
                          
   "A fight!" an excitable youth screamed as he ran past, his fists bunched up to his chest.  "A real fight!"