Chapter 10: Strange Kids
Previously:
BANG! Suddenly the Great Hall's doors burst open to reveal a short Professor Flitwick out of breath and panicking. "D-Deatheaters in-in th-the c-c-c-castle!" he shouted before passing out.
Suddenly pandemonium struck the great hall and people started shouting and panicking. "Silence!" Dumbledore shouted. Everyone stopped and looked at him. "All fifth years and down follow the professors to the dungeons. They will get you to where you need to go. All sixth years to your common rooms. There will be a professor there ready to help you get to where you need to go also. All seventh years can floo from my office to where you need to go."
"Why can't we fight?" someone shouted.
"Yeah, we should fight!" someone else shouted. Everyone looked to Harry whom they thought would encourage this.
Harry looked at Dumbledore who gave him a look that said, 'This is not the time' Harry nodded and said to everyone, "Listen to Professor Dumbledore, he knows what he's doing." With that every turned and headed out the door to where Dumbledore stated.
Hermione stayed behind and tried to get everyone out before getting out herself. She was going to stay longer and help the professors fight off the deatheaters but got pushed out the door with the others. As she turned her head she saw that it was Draco who pushed her. He nodded for her to just go. She gave him a pleading look but he returned it with a look of defiance. He wasn't going to budge. She sighed and went with the others out to the entrance hall. As she started toward Dumbledore's office she felt a tug on her hand. Hermione frowned and looked down to see a little girl. A little girl? Hermione thought.
She had her silvery blond hair up in a ponytail and had tears streaming down her face. Her brown eyes were red from crying and seemed to be about five or six. "I c-can't find m-my b-brother! I d-don't know w-where t-to go!" she said.
Hermione's heart immediately went out to the girl and she knew she just had to help her. "Come with me. I'll get you someplace safe." Hermione said to the girl. The little girl gave her a small smile. Hermione returned it and picked up the little girl, place the little girl on her hip. She gave the little girl a reassuring smile and said, "Just hold on to me as tight as you can, okay?" The little girl nodded and tightened her grip on Hermione. Hermione hugged the little girl and started to run towards Dumbledore's office.
****************
Draco took one last look at Hermione's retreating form. He knew that she would want to fight but he couldn't risk it. Other people need her. Draco thought. Yeah that's it…I think. Draco sighed and went back to helping the last students left. When he was sure that there were no more students left he ran out of the Great Hall and started toward Dumbledore's office. As he left the entrance hall he could see some of the professors fighting with deatheaters. Draco picked up his pace and started running. As he turned the corner he heard voices. Deatheaters Draco thought. He quickly hid behind a suit of armor only to see that there was a small five or six year old boy hiding there as well. The boy had brown hair and he was staring at Draco with his big blue eyes. Draco didn't say anything and instead listened to the voices that were heading their way.
Draco peered from behind the suit of armor to see two deatheaters heading down towards the entrance hall. He held his breath as they passes by the suit of armor that hid him and the little boy. As the voices died off he carefully stood and walked out from behind the suit of armor. He looked down the corridor to make sure no one else is coming. He sighed and looked back at the kid but he was gone. "Huh?" Draco said as he looked down the corridor and saw the little boy running. "Hey wait!" Draco called but the boy kept running. "Damn it." Draco muttered. "Hey kid! Come back!" Draco called again as he ran after him.
As Draco turned a corner he halted, he saw there in the middle of the corridor was the little boy being held up against the wall by a deatheater. "L-let go of me!" the little boy yelled.
The deatheater just laughed, and said, "Your funny little boy, but you will do as I say."
"No!" the little boy yelled.
"Let go of him!" Draco yelled as he drew out his wand.
"Why if it isn't dear old Lucius' traitor of a son." Said the deatheater, who drew his wand also and pointed at the little boy.
"Just let him go." Draco said.
"No I don't think I will, I think I'll just take him with me back to the Dark Lord." The death eater smirked.
"No!" the little boy screamed. Draco and the deatheater looked at him. The little boy's hands started glowing red. Suddenly the deatheater screamed and let go of the boy, who fell to the ground, his hands were burned. Burned? But how could he…Draco thought but couldn't ponder it too long because the boy fell to the ground and was panting. Draco ran to him and picked him up. The boy looked at Draco and Draco said, "Don't worry I'll take you someplace safe." The little boy just nodded before passing out.
************
Hermione was panting by the time she entered Dumbledore's office. She noticed that she was one of the last to enter. She walked over to a chair and sat down while she waited for her turn. She looked down to see that the little girl was nodding off. "You can go to sleep. Don't worry I'll make sure your okay." The little girl smiled a little before drifting off to sleep. Hermione sat and waited patiently for about twenty minutes before it was finally her turn. Just as she was about to stand up Draco entered the room carrying a small…boy? Boy? Hermione thought. She didn't have enough time to ask any of the questions that were popping in her head though because all of a sudden someone threw powder into the fire and shouted "Grimluad Place!" before pushing her in. Suddenly she was engulfed in green flames and almost fell at her sudden halt. Hermione carefully walked out of the fireplace and into the kitchen. She sat down on a chair and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Hermione why are you-" Ron started to ask but didn't have enough time to finish because Draco stepped out of the fireplace and started to shake off the soot. "Okay now I'm more confused. Hermione, why are you and Malfoy holding children?"
"I have no idea why Malfoy is holding one but I found this little girl crying and I couldn't very well leave her alone could I? Not with deatheaters in the castle." Hermione replied.
"What about you Malfoy? Explain yourself." Ron asked.
"Look Weasly, I found this kid too. He almost got himself captured by a deatheater." Draco replied with a sneer.
All of a sudden the little boy jumped out of Draco's arms and said, "Abby wake up!" to the little girl in Hermione's arms.
"Just five more minutes Chris." She mumbled.
"Abigail!" the little boy Danny screamed.
"What is it Christopher?" Abby said as she sat up and looked down at him from Hermione's arms.
Chris gave her a look and Abby looked at her surroundings. Her eyes got wide and she jumped out of Hermione's arms. "Oh Chris! I was so scared! This lady here helped me but I didn't know where you were!" she said as she hugged Chris.
"Ugh, Abby I told you to follow me." Chris said as he returned the hug. "Next time listen okay little sis?" he smiled.
"You are only older by a minute and a half." Abby replied angrily.
"The best minute and a half of my life." Chris said smirking.
Everyone cracked up at this.
"So why were you rugrats in Hogwarts anyway?" Ron asked.
"Ronald don't call them that." Hermione scolded. Both kids yawned as she said this. "Besides," she continued, "they're probably exhausted. Let's let them get some sleep and we'll talk in the morning." Hermione proposed.
"I agree with Granger. I'm tired too." Draco added.
"Fine." Ron agreed annoyed. "But the kid sleeps in your room." No way was Ron sharing a room with Malfoy and a rugrat.
"Fine. C'mon kid follow me." Draco said through gritted teeth.
"Abby you can sleep with me okay?" Hermione said to the little girl.
"Okay." Abby said and followed her upstairs.
Once on the second floor Harry and Ron said goodnight to Hermione and headed to their room. Draco and Hermione walked to the third floor. Luckily Ginny was sleeping upstairs with her parents. Just before they entered their rooms Abby and Chris gave each other a hug goodnight. Draco and Hermione just looked at each other and smiled before saying goodnight as well. Finally each walked into their respective rooms before laying on their beds and falling into a deep sleep…