Author's Note – PLEASE READ! You know, I don't consider myself a review-whore, but you would think between all of the traffic and story alerts this fic has received someone would have left a review. Come on, people, let's be courteous and review.

A is for Atom

"Will the rest of London look like this?" Millicent asked as Percy stood up. "Would it be better just to wait until the Ministry or the professors arrive?"

"If they arrive." Penelope said darkly. "How do we know that what happened here didn't happen at Hogwarts too? We don't know who did this. We don't know how they did this. For all we know they could be coming back to finish us off! I am not staying here! I am not going to die in this train!"

"We're not going to die." Percy said quietly, hoping that it would bring some sense of calm to panicked girl. Penelope didn't look like she heard him, however; her feverish eyes were glancing around the charred remains of the train as though it were her tomb. "Who still has their wands?" Percy asked. He had to bring some sort of order to this situation.

Fred pulled his out of his back trousers pocket. "I've got mine."

Both Malfoy and Penelope shook their heads. "I'm left-handed." The shaking boy offered lamely while stealing a glance at his charred stump. Percy turned to look at Millicent who seemed to be rummaging around in the debris. Percy couldn't see exactly what she was doing, however.

"Millicent?" Percy asked.

The girl grunted before straightening up. She held up a wand dyed bright red. "Lumos." She whispered and watched as the tip of the wand lit up. "This one will do." She stated. "I've got one. And I've got my bat."

"That's… great, Millicent." Percy said haltingly. He turned to the others. "Please, move away from the wall."

Percy lifted his wand and pointed it at the side of the train. "Confringo." He commanded. He watched his spell hit the burnt metal, causing it to explode outward. It left a large hole, big enough for a person to squeeze through. One by one, the children filed out of the train with Penelope in the lead.

"Oh… Merlin…" Penelope breathed. Percy pulled himself out of the train with Fred's help and looked up to see what had caused such a reaction in Penelope. His jaw was left hanging open at the sight.

There was nothing left. Although Percy couldn't see very well without his glasses, he could definitely see that what was supposed to be there wasn't. The ground was just a sea of rubble; burnt bodies and skeletons were strewn across the blocks of brick and stone like they were nothing. Parts of a few buildings still stood; lone walls stood stark against the bright sunny day. It reminded Percy of the old, ancient ruins that you could find out in the country. Everything looked the same, Percy couldn't tell the difference between what was once Wizarding London and what was once Muggle London. Diagon Alley, Gringotts, the Ministry of Magic… everything was laid to waste. Percy had known that his mother had probably not survived, after all King's Cross had been obliterated; they were standing on all that was left of it. But he had hoped that the Ministry of Magic had managed to escape the… whatever, and with it his father. He needed his father; hell, at this point, he just needed an adult. What was he supposed to do? Where was he supposed to go?

"Fred! Percy!"

Percy turned his head to see a dark blob running towards them, occasionally stumbling on the rubble as it ran.

"Angelina?" Fred asked, curiosity coloring the dark and dull tone that his voice had taken on since the destruction of London.

Angelina came into view, panting and nodding at Fred's question. "I thought I was the only one left." She said.

"Are you hurt?" Percy asked. She shook her head.

"No. I'm alright… I'm alright." Angelina looked surprised as she said it, as though she just realized for the first time that she had survived. "What are we going to do?" She asked looking between Percy, Penelope, and Fred.

"I want to go home." Malfoy stated with a note of pathetic petulance.

"And what do you expect to find there?" Penelope demanded. "Your parents are just as dead as the rest of ours."

Malfoy shook his head. "No, my house-elf escorted me to King's Cross this year. Father and Mother couldn't make it because Aunt Lucretia suddenly took ill. They had to leave for Paris."

Penelope snorted. "So, they're in Paris. That still doesn't help us."

"Penelope!" Percy yelled, shocked at how blunt and cruel Penelope was being to a twelve year old boy who had just lost his arm. She had been the nicest person he had ever met; Never sarcastic or mean, never had a bad thing to say.

"Where do you live?" Angelina demanded.

"Wiltshire."

Angelina turned to Millicent. "What about you?"

"Lancashire." Millicent answered, confused as to what Angelina was getting at.

"London used to be my home." Angelina suddenly in a soft voice, before shaking the thought away. "And you're from Scotland, aren't you Clearwater? And I know the Weasleys are from Devon. It sounds like Malfoy's home is the best place to go. Wiltshire is closer, and he's got more resources at his disposal."

"Don't you think the Headmaster will be looking for us?" Millicent threw a glare at Penelope. "Shouldn't we just find shelter here and wait until he and the other professors come?"

Percy watched as Angelina's expression flit to fear before shifting into a carefully neutral expression. It was just a brief a second, he doubted anyone else caught it.

"No." Angelina said slowly and quietly. "I think it would be best if we got out of here as soon as possible."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Angelina seemed to know what she was talking about and Percy was glad that at least someone did. It was strange; he had wanted to become a Prefect because he had always liked bossing his younger siblings around. He was good at it, he knew how to keep them out of trouble, what it was that they needed to do. He wanted to be important, wanted people to look up to him. But this… He just felt infinitely relieved that he wouldn't have to lead them by himself.

As the group began to walk, he and Angelina fell a little ways behind the others. "Do you know what happened?" Percy asked in quiet whisper. "You seem like you understand what's going on."

Angelina looked guilty. "I do. I just… I don't want to worry anybody."

Percy shot her a look. "Do you mean we're still in danger?"

Angelina nodded. "Yes."