"Cheer up, mate," said Ron, his mouth filled with pancakes. "At least none of our classes are outside."
"But Quidditch practice will be nasty," replied Ginny, sliding to a seat next to Hermione, who was studying for Transfiguration.
"Ginny, you're not supposed to sit with us," said Harry. "It gives the wrong impression." He was referring to their apparent break-up, which was somehow supposed to deter Voldemort from using Ginny against him. Hermione kept pointing out that if Voldemort didn't know they had broken up, it hardly made a difference.
"I can still ask Hermione a question, which doesn't involve talking to you," she retorted.
Flurries of sopping wet owls were thrown into the Hall by a blast of wind and water. Harry found Hedwig, splotched with mud, and watched her teeter over to his table. She dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of Hermione, then landed on Harry's arm. "Thanks, Hedwig. Take care of yourself, okay?" he said, smoothing some of her feathers with his hand. She hooted softly, nipped his fingers affectionately, and took off for the owlery.
"Anyone we know dead?" Ron asked Hermione, who was busy skimming the paper.
"Stop asking that Ron," Ginny snapped. "It's not exactly comforting."
"More dementor attacks…" said Hermione with an air of old news, "Inferi in Bristol…giants in Kent…Muggle killings…oh those poor people!"
"What?" cried Harry, Ron, and Ginny.
"'A plane disappeared over the Pacific two months ago, and has yet to be found despite the constant search. Although mostly Muggles, two wizards were on board…'" read Hermione, trailing off as she continued to peruse the article.
Harry, Ron, and Ginny exchanged exasperated looks. "Hermione, you really need to figure out which news is bad news," admonished Ron.
BOOM! Everyone in the Hall stopped talking and looked towards the shadowed Entrance Hall. Dark shapes swooped past the door. Nobody moved.
Two of them appeared at the open doors. They loomed in the doorway for several moments, their robes billowing behind them. They raised their wands.
"GET DOWN!" Harry bellowed, and pushed the girls off the bench just as red jets flew over their heads. He ducked under the table, where other Gryffindors were taking cover.
"We can't get out," Ron yelled over the screams from other tables. "They've blocked the only exit."
Harry looked around, with an oddly clear head. Some students were running up and down the aisles, and were the easiest targets. But the Death Eaters might come in to make sure they'd gotten everyone. The staff table was empty, which he hadn't noticed until now.
"There!" he yelled, and pointed to the door behind the staff table where he'd entered after his name came out of the Goblet of Fire. "I have my cloak with me, we might be able to make it!"
He started to crawl down the hall, trying to keep under the table. He didn't look back, knowing the others would follow him. After what felt like hours, they had reached the end of the Gryffindor table, had crossed the distance between their table and the staff table, and were at the door. Harry glanced quickly toward the entrance. The Death Eaters were prodding the fallen students, sometimes stunning those that moved.
Alohomora! he thought as he tapped the lock with his wand. He twisted the handle, but couldn't open the door. A slight panic began to rise in his chest. "Alohomora!" he tried, but the door refused to open.
"Let me try," whispered Hermione.
"Over there!" one of the Death Eaters shouted to his companion. It was now or never.
Losing his head completely, Harry yelled "Lemon drop" at the door, which still didn't budge. A jet of red light shot right in front of him.
Without thinking, Harry grabbed Ron's arm with one hand and Hermione's with the other, and turned. At the last second, he felt something slam into his back. Then he Apparated.
Off balance, Harry fell over, taking Ron and Hermione, and whatever was clinging to his back, with him. The whatever-it-was rolled off, and he could breathe.
Hermione screamed, "Harry how did you do it! You're not supposed to be able to Disapparate from Hogwarts, but you did, oh I've never been so happy to be wrong!" She hugged him, then stood up. Ron grumbled as he picked himself off the ground, which was covered in large tropical plants.
"I never want to Apparate," cried a shuddering Ginny. "It's so uncomfortable."
"Ginny!" exclaimed Harry. "Thank goodness, I didn't even think about it! I just grabbed Ron and Hermione out of reflex." He stood, helped her up, and looked around.
"Is it even possible to Apparate with three other people?" asked Ron, who was still sore that someone hadn't given him a hug.
"Apparently," said Harry, not really listening. They seemed to be in some sort of jungle. Everything had that damp just-rained look. "Er…where are we?"
"Not exactly London, is it?" asked Ron as he inspected a large leaf.
"London!" cried Hermione. "Harry, we need to find the Order! We need to tell the Order about Hogwarts, you can Apparate us to Grimmauld Place, if you can get past the spells on Hogwarts, I'm sure you can get past the ones there!" She pulled Ginny over and grabbed his arm.
Ron looked skeptical. "I dunno, Hermione. What if it was only a one-time thing?"
"He can at least try!"
Harry sighed. He made sure everyone was holding on, then turned, keeping Number 12, Grimmauld Place in mind. Then fell over. The others let go just in time.
"Harry, you're not trying," Hermione scolded him gently.
"I am!" he replied angrily. "I can't Apparate." He glared at her from the ground as she thought for a second, then closed her eyes. She turned as well, but didn't fall over. After she'd made a complete circle, she opened her eyes.
"I can't even Apparate over there," she said, pointing ten feet away.
"Great!" snapped Ron. "Now what? We must be thousands of miles from home. You think we should just walk there?"
Harry shrugged. "It beats just standing here." He stood up again, picked a direction, and started walking.
"Where are we going, exactly?" asked Ginny as she fell in step with Harry. Ron and Hermione were bickering behind them.
"Towards civilization, I hope."
They walked for several hours. It rained a couple of times, but never for more than a few minutes. There was still no sign of people anywhere.
"I'm hungry," Ron complained for the umpteenth time.
"So eat something," Ginny snapped.
"I don't have anything to eat, thanks Ginny," he retorted.
"There's something over there," said Hermione. "Coconuts, maybe?" she pointed a little ways off the trail.
Ron rushed over toward the coconuts. He picked one up and tried to break it on one of the rocks next to it. "Ron, you don't know where those have been!" cried Hermione.
"Then I won't give you any to eat," he replied. Harry and Ginny back tracked to join Hermione.
"Coconuts?" asked Harry doubtfully. "That's kind of random."
Ron gave up on his current coconut and reached for another one to try instead.
The next thing they knew, all four of them were hanging six feet above the ground in a small rough-rope net. "Ron, you prat!" cried Ginny, "Why'd you have to go for the coconuts?"
"I can't believe you just said that," laughed Harry. He tried to get his wand, which was securely situated in his back pocket, but he couldn't reach it, he was at a weird angle. "Can anyone reach their wand to get us out of this thing?" he asked with another laugh.
"Why are you laughing?" asked Hermione as she tried to reach her own wand. "This isn't exactly funny."
"This trap means we're close to people, which means we're closer to getting out of this stupid jungle," he happily replied.
"I got mine!" said Ron. ("We're doomed," whispered Ginny.) "I'm going to try to cut the rope." Harry waited patiently, trying not to think about the falling part of getting out of this net. "It's not working!" Ron cried. ("Big surprise," hissed Ginny.)
"Give it to me!" Hermione ordered. Harry saw a couple of sparks out of the corner of his eye, but nothing else happened. "That's strange," mused Hermione. "The spell's working, but it's not cutting the rope. I think I'll try…"
Movement in the ferns made Harry tense up. "Hermione, wait," he whispered. A woman stalked out of the underbrush. She had wild brown hair, wide eyes, and a gun. She circled below them, eyeing them skeptically.
"Excuse me," tried Harry, "but could you let us down?"
She silently disappeared into the foliage. "Nice going, Harry!" Ron said.
"It was worth a shot," Harry defended himself. "Hermione, try again, before she comes back. We can't afford to let her see us do magic."