Chapter 6: The Orphanage
Harry felt his throat tighten as they apparated to the location of the orphanage. The building was almost the exact same as it was in Dumbledore's pensive memory. It was just as shabby and just as gloomy.
They entered the front door to find that no one was around. Or so it seemed for then as they walked down the dirty hallway came an elderly woman and a bottle of gin.
'Down the hatch it goes my fair friend!' she cried happily chugging some of it. Hermione forced herself to ignore the woman and point to a flight of stairs. The shadows around them seemed to creep closer as though enclosing them into a web of darkness. However the sun was shining brightly outside; the windows were very, very dirty and provided little light for them to see with. All of them pulled out their wands except for Harry who seemed to know the way.
They walked down the hallway and stopped at the first door, Ron was about to open the door when a shout from behind made them all jump.
'Don't go in there!' the old lady cried rushing forward, she shoved both Ana and Hermione out of the way to reach Ron before he opened the door, 'Don't do that!' she snarled at him as he back away from her looking flabbergasted at her sight. Her dress was torn and raggedy and her hair flew in every direction and was a steel grey.
'Please!' she said, although she now seemed to be speaking to her bottle, 'It never is good you know, to do that. Bad, very bad indeed.'
'What's bad?' Harry asked cautiously, 'Going into Tom's old room.' said the old woman.
'Why is it bad?'
'He came back long ago, yes he did, gave me a bottle of gin just like what old Mrs. Cole drank…before…before, oh you know what I mean!' she said smiling now at her gin bottle. Ron seemed unnerved and backed away from her.
'What happened to this Mrs. Cole?' Ana asked softly, the old woman's eyes grew bright and wide as she muttered very fast, 'Oh what does she want-beggar I think not! Cole knew he'd comeback, got no where to go, filthy dirt bag he was, he came and why stick your nose in other people's business?'
'Tom Riddle came back then?' Hermione asked her, the woman settled herself on the floor in front of the door and only nodded vigorously.
'When he came back, did he put something in this room?' she then asked, the old woman shrugged, 'He argued indeed with Mrs Cole, he did, he did! And she got mad but he grew quiet, then she did too. Haven't seen her since.'
'Since she went into his room?' Hermione asked sounding perplexed, the old woman nodded, 'I had to take over, only had a few kids but when the first bang came, I ran and hid…'
'Did Tom make the bang?' Harry know asked, the woman suddenly stood and pierced him with her bright brown eyes, they seemed to bulge, 'He came out when I was feeding Charley but he didn't see me, he made light appear and then the bang happened, out of a stick he did made no sense, none at all he just laughed and left laughing he was.' The old woman then lapsed into silence.
'Please move.' Ana said softly. The old woman did not seem to hear but was mumbling with her bottle.
'So he came and killed them all?' Hermione whispered, Ron grimaced, 'Except her.' He muttered drawing his wand higher in case of attack.
'It seems so.' Ana said softly opening the door to Tom's old room. And with a deep breath, courtesy of Ron, they entered.
The room was as bare as Harry remembered. The wardrobe was shut tight and the bed was covered only in a blanket of dust. The window was barred shut magically and the only light in the room was a glowing lock holding the wardrobe shut.
'How do we open it?' Ron asked, Ana smirked, 'Allow me.' and with that she drew her axe, it glowed in her hands and she swung it against the lock. Suddenly, as though lighting had struck within the room, the lock broke loudly and fell to the floor. The dust became unsettled and rose to their knees and above.
'Holy crap!' Ron said weakly, Hermione was shaking and she steadied herself by holding onto him. Harry blinked then muttered, 'Is it open?'
'I used my think that, yes it did work. I believe but we must wait for this insane amount of dust to level out first.' She said.
Suddenly as the dust began to settle, something moved within the now opened wardrobe. It shook as something began to crawl out of it.
'What is it?' Hermione asked shrilly, all four stepped back as an old woman unfurled herself out of the wardrobe, as she came out they saw that she was far beyond dead, her skin was waxy and a grey tinged green. Her hair was stuck to her face and stringy and her mouth was halfway opened. When she opened her eyes they were no pupils and only white for eyes. They seemed to stare right through them but Harry felt as though they were looking for him.
'It's Mrs Cole!' he said gasping, 'Obviously an inferi now!' Hermione yelled, 'Stun it!' she and Ron tried to stun it but it kept moving for them, 'No use fire!' Harry yelled, Hermione quickly muttered a spell and a jet of blue fire shot from her wand burning the inferi to ashes. As the ashes flew around them in the air something heavy clattered to the ground where the inferi once stood. It was a small gold cup with an emblem of a badger upon it.
'The mark of Hufflepuff!' Hermione squealed rushing to pick it up, she carefully wrapped it in her cloak and stood again, 'Now what?' Ron asked staring between Ana and Harry.
'We must find a way to destroy them.' Myra said, Hermione nodded and stated, 'I say we get back to your room.'
'Well then, lets start to move on, I fear this isn't as safe now.' Ana said they turned to leave but as Harry and Ron were first to hit the door they quickly shut it as the old woman and her bottle were snatched by the appearance of children.
'More like inferi times ten!' Ron shouted as Harry and he attempted to keep them out as they hit and banged the door violently. But suddenly the door burst on them and they were pulled into the hallway's darkness.
'Ron!' Hermione shrieked.
She and Ana rushed at the door springing it open they hurtled down the hallway following the struggle between Harry, Ron and the inferi. Although they were children mainly they seemed to have incredible strength.
'Hang on!' Ana shouted as Hermione burned several away, it was becoming harder to keep track and as Ron screamed as one bite him hard on the neck Harry felt a slimy hand touch his arm he spun around to come face to face with a fully grown adult inferi.
'Shit!' he yelled as it grabbed him by the throat, he felt its clutches tighten around his neck, strangling him, his breath unable to continue.
Ana swung her axe furiously against them hacking away bits of their form. As she did Hermione finally managed to free Ron, he was bleeding and seemed unable to fight back as he stayed slumped in the inferi's arms. Hermione and Ana both aimed fire at it as it fell back then they sprang into a run towards the door. Harry filled his head with such anger, anger at Albus for not helping him more, and most of all for Voldemort, the man that stole his chance for a family once, and now again.
Harry closed his eyes unable to fight anymore. The building shook as the ground beneath them shook with Ana as she sent spell after spell with Hermione by her side. Finally Ana spotted the electrical box and swung her axe as hard as she could, Hermione at the same time sent a spark from her wand at the box, making it erupt into flames. A fire started and continued and Hermione used her wand to guide the flames towards the inferi and Harry collapsed to the ground after the inferi burned away.
'Harry!' Hermione screamed, then she yelled as loud as she could manage, 'Aguamenti!' and a burst of water streamed from her wand, Ron tried to do the same but turned green as he moved. Harry was lying face down on the ground barely able to breath; Ana calmed herself down enough to grab Harry and run. As she did and as they left the building she began to feel the true wrath of what they were facing; her face fell as she lowered Harry down once they reached an alleyway one street over, she glanced around and though of what would happen if Harry had died…all because of her.
She would have failed.
And with her fear and sadness rain lightly began, she allowed herself now to cry, first slowly then uncontrollably as the rain grew heavier. By the time the firefighters arrived the fire was nearly out and five faces scene entering the building by witnesses were gone.
They had side apparated the two injured to Ana's room at the Inn. All was quiet considering it was still daytime. Ron shook his head barely awake himself now as Ana brought in Harry to the living room area.
'But is it safe at all?' Ron managed to asked setting down on the floor and collapsing as Ana placed Harry on the couch.
'What now?' Harry moaned; they jumped looking startled at Harry abrupt wake and were shocked to see him manage to sit up.
'What happened?' Harry said, 'We caused enough fire to stop them, but I am not sure about staying here. We may have to bring him to Hogwarts for healing.' Hermione whispered, Harry nodded and rubbed his painfully hurting neck. Ana then bent down and placed a cloth to his neck putting on pressure to the wound.
'But we have it?' Harry asked, he tried to ignore the incredible scent next to him. Anastasia reminded him of being in Aunt Petunia's garden with various flowers, but also of something else he couldn't place.
Hermione smiled slightly and she pulled out of her pocket the small cup. They all stared at until Ron stirred slightly, but after a tense moment watching him his breathing kept up as he rested still, 'Let's heal you both up before we get rid of the wretched thing. Pass me that book over there Hermione, it has some healing spells in it.'
They worked endlessly it seemed on Ron. The wounds from the inferi wound would not stay shut. Eventually Ana made a herbal concoction that kept the wound from bleeding but he was still very pale and could hardly keep his eyes open.
'It's as good as its going to get.' She said finally later that night. Hermione had sneaked out to grab food and now returned with a grim face and an added item.
'It's a newspaper from yesterday, look!' she cried tossing it before them. Harry, who was now feeling better glanced down at it and felt a weight drop into his stomach, the headline read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY CLOSED DUE TO ATTACK!
'The article goes on about how they don't know how many survivors there are…it seems it was death eaters and they have control over the school now.' Hermione read with tears forming in her eyes.
Suddenly something below made them stop, the lonely and seemingly always empty inn's door bell jingled as someone entered it.
