Harry Derailed
Gabby was saved and spent a month in St Mungos recovering from what was the first ever organ transplant in wizarding history – Susan also spent time there in the insanity ward because she was beginning to lose the plot with Harry… After a very satisfying honeymoon for Harry and Nyssa, involving a lot of sex and touring round Europe, things settled down and Nyssa wondered what she wanted to do with her life. She knew she wouldn't be wanting for anything, but she wanted to go to college and university and get good grades and a good job. Harry, for his part, helped her study as much as he could when not working or attending to some matter of business at the Ministry. Looking at the clock, Nyssa finished the last of her tea and then went upstairs and woke Harry up as it was time for him to wake up and get ready for his night shift. After learning most of the lines around the island, Harry had moved to the overnight trains where he would be watched and questioned on his performance by Inspectors and the Fat Controller. Tonight, Harry was working the Up Sleeper as far as Barrow where they would hand over to an Other Railway engine and return with the Down Sleeper. The only thing that Nyssa found hard to do was to keep the fact she was married a secret known only to those in the magical world and Thomas – but she knew it had to be a secret for a good reason. Even now, the girl found herself smiling about the fact she had found somebody who loved her, comforted her and was very willing to kill to defend her. She still had the occasional nightmare about what had happened months before with the rape, but her discussions with the Mind Healer were going, she thought, quite well.
#
Nyssa looked up as Harry came into the kitchen, kissed her head and then sat down to have a breakfast of bacon, sausages and eggs with a mug of tea. Despite being married to Harry and having his ability to clean up everything with the wave of his wand, Nyssa had said she still wanted to appear as his housekeeper to the outside world.
"Did you do my bait bag?" he asked as he finished.
"Put it in the hallway" Nyssa said, putting a marker in her text book and standing. "I did you some sandwiches you can put in the fire to warm up or toast depending on how you feel"
"Thanks… Ballahoo junction is out so we're skipping that and taking the main line straight through to Barrow" Harry told his wife as she led the way to the door. "Do you want me to pick up some fish from the boats as they come in?" he asked.
"Some nice bits of haddock would be nice" Nyssa said, "I can do a nice fish pie for your tea tomorrow"
"Sure… Two or three nice big fish should do it, right?"
"Right" Harry picked up his bait bag and some of his kit and picked up his car keys. "I don't know what time I will be back, but it might be a bit earlier than normal if we're missing out a stop. Mind you, we might end up taking the first train to Brendam when we get back – depends on the situation"
"How come?"
"Just some extremely good catches means they need extra vans for the Kipper" Harry shrugged. "If it happens, we only take it as far as Knapford before running back light engine, but I should be back home in time to have your breakfast ready and take you to school"
"Will another engine take it there?"
"Yeah, but only on the back of the early ECS moves because its saves having to make a special trip"
"Sounds about right… You know, I'd love to come with you one day on these overnight trips" Nyssa said as she stood in the doorway and watched Harry open the door to his treasured car.
"I'm off tomorrow, but I'll see if the rosters are in when I book on tonight and find out what I'm doing. If I have another sleeper run on Friday, I'll see about you coming on – at least it wouldn't bother your school work" he added and shut the door, started the engine and drove away.
#
"Alright, mate, what am I taking?" Harry asked the signing on clerk as he stepped up to the little window.
"Got Henry for tonight's Up Sleeper" the man replied. "You should have had Gordon, but he's been stopped for an examination due to faulty brakes. The rest of the information is in the notices cases, but I thought I should let you know in advance"
"Thanks" and Harry booked on and went over to read the bulletins, notices and late notices. Checking up on who his fireman was going to be, Harry settled into the drivers's mess room and made a cup of tea and occasionally glanced at the wall mounted TV at some late night film that was quietly sounding in one corner. After twenty minutes or so, Harry and his Fireman were called out and told that Henry had been failed with a stuck injector valve and that the only engine that was spare and to hand was James. Boco was on shed, but his steam heat boiler was isolated pending repairs. The diesel had been restricted to freight only workings, but under the circumstances…
"Maybe we could kill two birds with one stone" Harry said. "Jim here is a Passed Fireman, so he can fire and work James's controls whilst I drive the sleeper from BoCo. I know its not the normal thing to do, but it's the only way to get the sleeper out on time"
"I'll speak to the shedmaster and see if he approves" said the running foreman, "But I'm sure he'll agree it's the only way possible" and he hurried away to get an answer.
#
It was agreed and BoCo and James slowly backed on to the rake of sleeper coaches waiting at Tidmouth station. Once he was satisfied with everything, Harry left BoCo and went to speak with the Fireman. "Right, we're not going to be in contact with the other so this is what we're going to do… When I am going to brake for some reason, I will sound BoCo's horn three times – you set James's brakes on. For the most part, I expect a good run with all you having to do is feed the fire to make steam for the steam heating on the sleeper set. When we get to Barrow, we'll get James on the turntable and spin him before setting him on the down portion so I can run BoCo round. There is a chance that if Gordon's brakes are alright, he'll take over the down portion at Crovan's Gate and then we can come back on the seated portion"
"How will Gordon get to Crovan's Gate if he is here?" asked James.
"There are some coaches that need works attention, so I guess they'll try him on that as he heads there anyway" the Fireman said.
"Oh" James was thoughtful, "That would make sense"
"I'm going to walk back and tell the train crew what's going to happen – they might need to know after all" and Harry left the engine and walked back to speak to the guard and the man in charge of looking after the passengers whilst on the island part of the train. He explained everything and said that there would be a possible delay to the journey if the junction had been left until daylight to be fixed. He got back to BoCo's cab and waited for the signal to clear so the sleeper could leave.
#
"I am beginning to be worried about Harry and what he might do" said Hermione. "He's damned protective of Nyssa"
"And there isn't anything he can do to stand in" Susan rubbed her nose and groaned. "When do we have to tell her?"
"No later then the middle of next week so she has time to form a reply… Damn, Susan, Gillyflower will kill her"
"I know" the other woman tried to think of a way out of the mess. "Hermione, do the rules state only magical things are to be used?"
#
"You are keeping quiet tonight, BoCo" Harry said to the engine as they sped along the darkness.
"I was thinking" said BoCo. "One of the drivers from the Other Railway said that out of all of my brothers, there is only one more like me. I know there is a time when some engines have to be scrapped, but it is terrifying to know you are the last of your kind"
"I know how that feels" Harry muttered. "Maybe people will build new versions of your type… They have built new steam engines after all"
"But if that happened, steam engines would be retired here"
"Not really" Harry replied as he carefully checked the speed as he saw a caution aspect ahead. "Known the Fact Controller, he'd hire diesels to take the really hard jobs or maybe just some little diesel shunters" he added as something was beginning to bother him.
"That signal just went to danger before going to caution" BoCo said.
"I saw that too" Harry replied. "I'm going to stop and call the signaller to see whats happening" and Harry gave a short blast on the horn before coming to a stop next to the signal. "Can't see which signal I'm at, so I'll have to use the SPT" Harry stepped out the cab and down the three runged ladder and walked over to the SPT which he found to be wrecked.
"Vandals… My normal driver told me all about them" BoCo said.
"Well at least I know which signal I'm at" Harry said as he got back into the cab. "Hello, Signaller, this is the driver of One Charlie Nine Nine standing at your Charlie Kilo Two Two signal" Harry was quick to make the call using the emergency button on the cab radio handset.
"Hello driver of One Charlie Nine Nine standing at my Charlie Kilo Two Two signal" came the reply from the signal box. "I show you to have a clear aspect at that signal"
"Well I have it flickering between a caution and a danger aspect" Harry replied. "I decided that I better call you and find out whats going on. Also" he added, "The SPT has been smashed so I had to use my cab radio"
"I understand that the signal is showing contradicting aspects and that the SPT at Charlie Kilo Two Two signal has been destroyed. My circuit boards show a clear path between your location and Cronk Junction – are you willing to go forward and examine?" asked the signaller.
"Sure" Harry replied.
"Right then, driver… You are to treat the signal as a danger aspect. You are hereby authorised to pass Charlie Kilo Two Two signal at danger and proceed at caution to examine the track. Be prepared to stop short of any obstruction and report back on location if found. Report when passing Killdane"
"I understand that I am to treat Charlie Kilo Two Two as a danger aspect. I am authorised to pass Charlie Kilo Two Two at danger and to examine the track stopping short of any and all obstructions. Out" and he put the radio back onto its hook.
"It might be vandals or it might be some naughty children" BoCo said. "Edward was stuck on a late night goods because some naughty children had stolen wires for the signals"
"That's the trouble with kids these days"
"I bet you were naughty – though not as much as these idiots"
"Actually, I was regularly beaten and starved until the age of 11 when I was taken to live at a school where I learnt to make some friends. But because I was small and weak, BoCo, a few of the teachers picked on me, physically and verbally abused me" and BoCo wisely decided not to comment.
Nobody could have guessed what was to happen next…
As the sleeper service went along the line, Harry was watching for obstruction on the track as well as looking out for the signals that might revert to danger. Just as they passed over the junction, a broken bit of rail shattered and derailed BoCo. Before either of them could say another word, the diesel started to tip over and Harry, by instant, cut power and slammed on the brakes – but it was too late. The weight and speed they had carried them off the track, poor James and the Fireman following and the sleeper stock bringing up the rear and the train slid down the embankment and into a mess of metal, wood, glass and a multitude of other things. Just as quickly as it happened, there was a sudden silence – punctured by the ringing of the fire alarm bell from BoCo's console. Harry sluggishly reached over, winced through the broken bone, and triggered the fire extinguishers before grabbing the cab radio.
"Hello, this is the Wellsworth Area…" Harry cut him off.
"Stop all trains in the area – there has been a derailment at Cronk Junction. The sleeper has come off and gone down the embankment. Send help… Send help as fast as you can" and Harry passed out and let the handset drop to the floor.
#
"Something up?" asked one of the other signallers.
"Yeah – sleeper's had a major accident. Slam everything to danger on the main and the branch. Alert fire and ambulance" the first one said.
"Where am I sending them?"
"Right at the junction, I think. You get on it whilst I ring the breakdown gang and have them turn out. When that's done, I guess I better ring up the old man"
#
Nyssa was slightly concerned that Harry had not got home by the time that she'd woken for school. The girl had tried ringing him on his mobile phone, but it just went straight to answer phone. Not majorly concerned, it could after all be Harry having to work overtime, she set about making her breakfast and getting ready for the day ahead. She was just doing up the buttons of her school shirt, she never wore the blouses designed for the girls, when the front door bell went off. Quickly checking the shirt was done up in the front, she went over to answer it and saw the Fat Controller stood with an uneasy look on his face.
"Sir Topham!" she squeaked. "Is Harry going to be late to take me to school? He hasn't asked you to take me?"
"No… No he hasn't. Look, I think I had better come inside" and Nyssa let him in, closed the door and showed him to a chair. "Nyssa, the reason I am here is very serious. Harry took the Up portion of the sleeper last night–"
"I know that" Nyssa interrupted.
"What you don't know" the head of the railway went on as if not interrupted, "Is that he was derailed and had a very serious accident indeed. He managed to get a radio message out before he passed out from his injuries. He's been airlifted to hospital and the Doctor's had to put him in a coma to stop his brain from swelling. I don't know the full details, but from what BoCo has told me, Harry did everything he could to prevent an even worse disaster then what actually happened"
"Is anybody else hurt?" asked Nyssa, shocked at the thought of losing her husband so soon after marriage.
"Yes, but not as seriously as him. Needless to say, I have already arranged time off for you from your Headmaster, but we need to get a message to Harry's friends and see if there is something they can do"
"Friends?"
"I know all about magic" said the Fat Controller, "How else do you think I can fit into size 9 jeans?"
"That's a woman's size…"
"Me and Lady Hatt like to crossdress" the Fat Controller shrugged. "Anyway, can you get a message to Harry's friends? I know of their Healers and their vast knowledge – they should be able to help him a little"
"A little?" Nyssa paused as she reached for the necklace she wore when out the house.
"Apart from the brain injury, he's suffering from a punctured kidney, a burst spleen, broken ribs, major loss of blood – how he is still alive is anybody's guess" the man shrugged. "I thought accidental magic should have kicked in to save him, but maybe Harry was powerful enough to use it to protect the others on his train"
"Sounds like him" Nyssa sobbed as she wrote a tear stained letter and sent it away using the necklace Portkey. "So now what do we do?"
"Now we sit and wait" the Fat Controller said. "And pray it's not too late"
"The praying part I have covered" Nyssa said as she dropped to her knees, clasped her hands together and bowed her head as she spoke. "Almighty and Everlasting God, the eternal salvation of those who believe in You, hear us on behalf of Harry, my husband, who is sick, for whom we humbly beg the help of your mercy, so that, being restored to health, he may render thanks to you in your Church. Through Christ our Lord. Amen" and the pair waited there – the Fat Controller sitting and hoping and Nyssa on her knees and firing off as many prayers as she could think of that would help Harry.
#
"I must help the poor man" mused a bearded man up in heaven. "Perhaps if I were to r–"
HAVEN'T YOU 'HELPED' ENOUGH, ALBUS DUMBLEDORE?
"Yes, Lord… Sorry, Lord"
A/N:
Man, you wouldn't believe how hard it was to get the right prayer for the sick when Nyssa started praying! And yes, that is exactly who you think it is up there slapping Dumbledore back into place…
Another slice of Harry's working life, but this time with a bit of a twist
Pixel and Stephanie Forever
