24. The hole in the sky

The 23rd floor of Muirton Tower was a vast, echoing rectangular space, its partition walls removed, leaving behind a disconsolate collection of abandoned office furniture, empty metal filing cabinets, cardboard boxes and assorted rubbish. Around fifty witches and wizards had gathered on the threadbare grey carpet, the atmosphere hushed and sombre. Some crouched or sat in small groups of family or friends, others looked down out of the long, dirty windows at the view of London below, now a sea of lights in the gathering darkness. A cold November night had set in, the wind whistling all around the building. From time to time, the sound of steps echoing up the stairwell reached the wizard placed on sentry duty. Then after a few minutes another small group of wizards would trudge into view, out of breath after the long ascent.

It had been late afternoon when the first wizards reached the tower. They had crept inside in twos and threes so as not to draw attention to themselves, but the building was silent, and even the security guard had seemingly abandoned his post. The rest skulked in small groups in doorways and alleys on the surrounding streets, awaiting their turn. Fortunately, the streets around the tower had been drained of people by the spectacle over at the Ministry.

'At this rate we'll have to start occupying the next two floors as well,' Ron muttered, examining his bandaged hand and touching the air at the point where his lost finger should have been, as a couple of witches drifted past looking for an empty section of floor.

'Quite possibly,' said George. 'Now stop playing with your hand and make your move. You'll get used to the loss soon enough.'

George and Mrs Weasley were already on the 23rd floor when Ron, Ginny, Percy and Mr Weasley reached there. Luna had been with them too, along with Lee Jordan, whom Ron hadn't seen in a few years, and a woman who turned out to be Lee Jordan's sister. Mrs Weasley had followed a particularly circuitous route from the Burrow: unable to enter the Ministry, she had made it instead to George's shop on Diagon Alley. He was barricaded inside, because muggles had got into Diagon Alley and were smashing up the shops. From Diagon Alley they had gone back to the Burrow, but muggles were roaming Ottery too, looking for wizards. They had gone instead to Luna's father's house, which was at a more remote location. From there they had ended up back in London, at Lee Jordan's sister's flat in Elephant & Castle. It was there that Mr Weasley's patronus found them, calling them to the 23rd floor of Muirton Tower. Luna had come with them. She was hoping to hear what was happening at Hogwarts, where Neville was, but there was no news yet. Mr Weasley had even heard from Bill, Fleur and Charlie, who were all safe and a long distance from London. Everyone had heard the news about Harry.

Ron nodded to George, picked up his hand of cards and shuffled them in an overly demonstrative manner that he recognised as being faintly ridiculous. Finally he selected a card and played his hand in the game of whist he was playing with George, Percy and his father. Why are we even playing cards? A pack of cards was a classic muggle item, and he wasn't sure he was all that keen on the muggles anymore. His father just happened to have them on him.

The Weasley family was occupying an area almost in the middle of the floor, stretched out on dismantled cardboard boxes. Mrs Weasley had managed to throw together some supplies in the way of blankets, two flasks of tea, two rounds of cheese sandwiches and some biscuits. For the time being, no magic was allowed: everyone was waiting for Kingsley Shacklebolt to give the all clear. He was off carrying out tests with Isaac Edwards and Argenta Coyle, whom he seemed to have been appointed as ad hoc deputies, perhaps to make up for years of not taking them seriously. From time to time he would reappear to give an update, first having implored everyone to keep their voices down and not use their wands. No one was exactly sure how high the magical cordon being cast over London reached, but the last anyone had heard the borderline lay somewhere between the 17th and 18th floors.

Ron reached for the flask of tea, took a sip then glanced down at the half-eaten chocolate biscuit sitting on his corner of the cardboard. He continued to scrutinise his hand, tutting at the card Percy had just put down. Whist was the only card game Ron knew, and his knowledge and skills in the game far outstripped the others, who had scarcely ever held a playing card in their hand before. But his card-playing prowess seemed worthless to him.

His gaze drifted around the random gathering of wizard society spread out over the floor before returning to Ginny, who saw in silence a short distance from her family. She returned his glance for a moment then looked away. He had been the one to tell her what had happened to Harry. She hadn't opened her mouth since. Mrs Weasley had been left to make conversation with Luna, which was not entirely to her taste.

Hermione was present on the 23rd floor too, only she wasn't sitting with the Weasleys. Although present wasn't really the right word to describe her. She seemed almost transparent with grief, her gaze not registering at all when Ron tried to look at her. She sat in a corner, looking down at the dirty carpet beneath her or at the bare wall just across from her, along with Demelza Robins, another girl from Hogwarts whose name Ron didn't know, and a dark-haired girl with glasses who was apparently not even a proper witch but a former follower of Lillian Herrick.

Hermione mechanically reached into her pocket and looked at the illuminated screen of her mobile phone. No new messages. A good twenty minutes had passed since Caius's message had reached her. It said simply:

'Made it to hospital. He's stable. We're on our way.'

Dimly she realised that mobile phone networks had probably been disrupted by all the chaos. She glanced down at her arm, lifting her sleeve slightly to expose her wrist. The enchantment's still working; he's still alive.

As soon as she had received Caius's message, she had made for an empty corner of the building, to enter the Circle, to see Harry again, in whatever state he was in. She had crept into the room where they were keeping him and stood in the corner, an unseen presence to the nurses. Harry was unconscious, but evidently stable. She had even used the Circle to get one nurse to ask a doctor when he might wake up. No time soon was the reply. Once the nurses had done their rounds, and he was alone in his room, she had ventured out of the corner to come to his bedside, to hold his hand and stroke his cheek. She had descended deeper under the red sky, to see if she could reach his island, to speak to him there. But she could only get as far as a grassy promontory overlooking a choppy sea, a rugged island visible some way off shore. No matter what she tried, she couldn't get beyond the sea. All that was left to do was return to the hospital room, watch him sleep, stroke his hair some more. After a few minutes the sound of a nurse entering the room was almost a relief. She had kissed him on the cheek one last time and fled back to Muirton Tower.

The smoke from Rachel's cigarette had an oddly reviving effect on her. She looked across at Rachel. The girl was sprawled on her side, gazing into space. Demelza was sitting in front of her, talking quietly to a witch named Alison Affleck who had been in her year at Hogwarts and who had apparently fled Diagon Alley that afternoon. She worked in the magical creatures trade, a business Hermione knew only too well. She couldn't bear to listen to the description of new vow wizards and muggle looters rampaging through the alley. Maybe Diagon Alley already looks like it did in the vision Lillian showed me. Maybe there are wizards locked up there too.

Demelza and Allison were obscuring the view to where the Weasley family was sitting, although from time to time Hermione could hear one of their voices. She had no inkling of how she felt about them, or what they thought of her. Nothing's getting through the static.

Some time had passed before she realised that Isaac and Argenta had returned and sat down next to her.

'How are things?' she asked vaguely, turning her head stiffly to look at them.

'Well, this floor is outside the anti-magical zone,' said Isaac. He didn't sound particularly upbeat about it. 'At least for the time being.'

'Is their enchantment rising?' Hermione asked.

'It goes up in little jolts. We'll have to see if they've got the capability to cover everything.'

'I bet they have new recruits already,' Argenta added tersely. 'So they'll have more people to boost their signal, so to speak. But we suspect that they're working on a special magical device that could amplify the effect of the enchantment. Then it'll run on its own.'

'And how likely is it that they have something like that?' said Hermione.

'We've heard them talking about it in the past,' replied Argenta. 'We just don't know how close they are to having something that works.'

'Apart from that,' added Isaac, 'it won't be long before they realise that a tall building like this might be a good hiding place for wizards. We won't be able to stay here for very long.'

'Which is a great shame of course,' said Argenta, glancing around at their dismal surroundings.

'It was only ever intended to give us a place to regroup,' Isaac continued. 'We should make the most of the opportunity to use magic while we still can. Kingsley will make the announcement in just a minute. We'll be able to apparate in and out of here if we maintain a trajectory at this altitude.'

Kingsley was making his announcement to the assembled wizards and witches when Caius walked in. Once he had finished telling the assembled company how to apparate safely out of the building, Kingsley went straight up to him, shook his hand and spoke quietly with him for a few moments. No one was in any doubt as to what they were talking about. Caius looked out at the faces staring up at him with a rather nonplussed expression. His usual sense of the theatrical temporarily lost, he shuffled into the corner where Hermione was sitting.

She looked up as he sat down.

'Hello Caius,' she said, trying to sound as bright as possible.

He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it a bit.

'How did it go?' she asked.

'I couldn't think of where to go at first,' he replied. 'The hospitals in central London are very busy. This magical detection area doesn't yet extend that far out of central London for the time being, but it's growing. I thought of taking him out of London altogether, going to the nearest hospital to home, but everyone knows everyone around there, and I would have attracted too much attention. Then I remembered the hospital near where I used to live in south London. It's out on the edge of London, quite suburban and anonymous. They said he was in better shape than they expected for someone in his condition.'

'He didn't wake up at all then?' she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

'No,' said Caius, shaking his head. 'They don't know when he'll wake up. But they said he has a decent chance.'

A decent chance. She looked again at her wrist. Keep turning. Keep turning. They sat in silence for a moment.

'I went to see him,' she said suddenly. 'In the hospital. Just for a few minutes.'

'Through the Circle?'

She nodded.

'I tried to reach him, but I couldn't get close enough. I just ended up looking at his closed eyes.'

She looked down, driving her nails into her palms to force back the tears.

'Hermione,' said Caius gently. 'He'll be alright.'

Her eyes were on her wrist again. She felt oddly certain that he would wake up.

'I know,' she replied. 'I really do have hope.'

She looked up after a few moments.

'Where are the others?' she asked in a more composed voice.

'They're back at Garmon's, getting ready in case there's any trouble up there. Since we're ok to apparate out of here, I'm going to head back myself. If anyone wants to come, they're welcome. Still, things might get interesting up there as well if we've been outed as wizards.'

'If anyone wants to get out of London they should do it sooner rather than later, preferably tonight,' said Argenta.

'It's pretty chaotic out there right now,' said Caius. 'Apart from all the people in the streets, public transport is totally thrown out. The tube is completely out of action. When the ground moved, the tunnels stayed intact, but the tracks all got warped in central London, derailing trains and everything. They reckon it'll be months before it's running again normally.'

As they spoke, they heard the sound of somebody disapparating in the background.

'They've already started,' said Isaac. 'This place should operate as a relay point from now on, until the witch-hunters get wind of it.'

Hermione turned to Demelza.

'What are you going to do, Demelza?'

Demelza shook her head.

'I'm really not sure. My parents live well out of central London. It's too far to walk and I'm not sure whether the zone extends out that far. I was thinking a good place to go would be my grandmother's house in Redruth. That should be far enough from here.'

'Come up to Garmon's if you like, at least for a few days until things calm down a bit,' said Caius. 'We've got room.'

'Could I come too?' said Alison Affleck in a nervous voice.

'Sure,' said Caius.

Caius, Demelza and Alison went to speak with Kingsley, who was in charge of apparations in and out of the tower. They glanced around the room, which despite a series of departures now seemed fuller than before. In a few moments they came back.

'We're going to go quite soon,' said Caius. 'The Minister is going to stay here to coordinate things for as long as this place remains operational.'

'Argenta and I will be assisting him,' said Isaac. 'Probably a few others as well. Kingsley is keeping a record of everyone who comes in and goes out. That way we can pass on information to people who come here looking for their loved ones.'

'What about you two?' said Caius to Hermione and Rachel.

Rachel looked at Isaac.

'I'd like to stay here too. I really don't have anywhere to go, and maybe I could help out in some way.'

'What about you, Hermione?'

She stared at him, her brow furrowed in thought. What about me, Lillian? What are you going to do with me now? You pull my strings, after all. I hope you're pleased with how things turned out today. She listened for a reply but none came.

'I have absolutely no idea,' she replied quietly.

'If anyone needs to stay hidden, it's you,' said Isaac.

'Do I really want to hide?' she replied. 'I should have gone down fighting today as well.'

'You were fighting, Hermione, believe me,' said Caius. 'You were pretty scary.'

She almost smiled at that.

'Seriously Hermione, hiding or not hiding, you at least need to rest,' said Isaac. He turned to Argenta.

'If you can hold the fort here for a while with Kingsley, I propose to take Rachel and Hermione to a safe place I know.'

'Why should I get preferential treatment?' said Hermione.

'It's not preferential treatment,' said Isaac. 'Everyone is going to go to ground over the next few days. Everyone who wants to.'

'And what about all the people shut in the Ministry?' said Hermione.

Isaac looked grave. Graver even than usual.

'We've heard that the police and the army have taken charge at the Ministry. They stopped any vigilantes from getting to them at least.'

'Do we know how many got out?'

'Not exactly. We only know for definite about the ones who have come here. Apparently some got out but fled elsewhere.'

'What about Vantricia?'

'We don't know yet.'

Hermione sighed. I should have gone back inside, not her.

'What else is happening?'

'Everyone's suddenly very interested in speaking to Mr Morley. He's the new expert on wizards.'

'I saw him for a moment on television while I was waiting in A&E,' Caius added. 'But I couldn't bear to watch.'

'I can imagine what he's saying,' said Hermione.

'There's a lot of talk about Voldemort,' said Argenta. 'How wizards are the real reason for goodness knows how many unexplained deaths.'

'And I suppose they're talking about unmarked graves being uncovered too,' said Hermione.

'Yes, they are.'

'But oddly,' Isaac continued, 'everyone seems particularly outraged that most wizards don't officially exist. The authorities have basically said that they'll have to treat wizards like illegal aliens for the time being. The Ministry has become a kind of de facto detention centre.'

'Oh, and the muggle government resigned,' added Caius. 'Seems the Prime Minister knew all along about us. There's some kind of cross-party caretaker government being set up. It's going to be a big old mess for a while.'

Hermione started to get up.

'What is it you want me to do?' she started to ask.

'Get some rest,' said Isaac.

'You really do need it,' Rachel added quietly.

'I don't know if I can,' Hermione replied, her head in her hands.

'Sorry to interrupt,' came a voice from behind Caius. Caius stepped aside. It was Ron.

'I was wondering if I could have a word with Hermione.'

There was silence. Hermione looked up at him, quizzically, but calmly.

'Sure.'

The 24th floor had already been colonised by an overspill of wizards. About a dozen of them were huddled around in a group in the middle of the floor conversing in low voices, so they climbed to the 25th floor, the tower's top floor. It was empty and desolate, littered with the same detritus as the other empty floors, but even lonelier without the now familiar sight of wizards camping out there. It was now completely dark outside, but an enchantment was in place so that from the outside the top three floors appeared to be in total darkness. They stood near a dirt-grimed window.

'How's your hand?' said Hermione in a thin voice.

'Doesn't hurt too much now,' he said. 'Thanks for sorting it out.'

'I couldn't do much apart from seal it. I'm not sure that counts as sorting it out.'

'Well, thanks anyway. And thanks for warning us today about … all this. It was completely weird. Down in the Ministry you couldn't even tell we were surfacing.'

'It's all completely weird,' Hermione said. 'And thanks for keeping your promise, particularly when it was such a lost cause.'

'Maybe it's not a lost cause', said Ron.

'Maybe not completely.'

'I know this is a bad time,' he continued, swaying slightly on the spot, 'but I have to speak to you. About a couple of things really.'

Hermione looked at him. Her face was deathly white and her eyes dark. She knew what he wanted to talk about.

'Ask me whatever you want,' she replied. 'I promise I'll tell the truth.'

He nodded slightly.

'What you did was wrong,' he began. 'You admit that, I suppose.'

'I do, absolutely.'

'And that's part of your deal with Lillian Herrick.'

'Doing wrong is a key part of it, yes.'

'But I was playing my part just as well, or just as stupidly, by not believing you.'

She looked down at her feet.

'We were all playing the part that was prepared for us.'

'But I didn't believe you. I owe you a major apology for that.'

She looked up.

'Apology accepted, for what it's worth.'

'Still,' he said, 'things are never going to be the same.'

'No,' she nodded, a tear forming in her eye. 'Would you accept my apologies? For everything I mean?'

He shrugged.

'You can't help how you feel about Harry.'

'No, I can't.'

'But can I ask … how do you feel about him? I'm not sure I get it.'

'I don't know I do either.'

'Are you …'

'No.'

'But then how come you can't …'

'Live without him?'

'Something like that.'

'Ron,' she began, her voice almost a whisper, 'I wanted so much to save him. It pretty much was my life. Trying to work out how to change his fate, thinking about how I couldn't fail him, then realising that at some point he would have to do it alone. And that night at Hogwarts he walked away alone into the woods to face Voldemort. I couldn't go with him. He wouldn't let me. He thought he was saving me or something.'

'But he came back,' said Ron. 'He came back and everything was alright.'

'It was, in a way. And I told myself that it shouldn't matter that he walked away alone and died out there. It wouldn't matter because he came back and everything worked itself out. But it does matter. It never stops mattering. It matters because I was supposed to go with him, right to the very end. I was supposed to go wherever his soul went, because I put all of mine into his. And no matter what happens, no matter how much time passes, I'm still there, watching as he walks out to die alone. So don't ask me if I'm in love with him, Ron, there's no room for being in love in my world.'

Ron's silence continued well after she had finished speaking. Finally he formed his mouth into words.

'Did we lose him again today?'

Her face was pale and dry, desiccated almost.

'He hasn't died.'

'So you have some hope?'

'If I didn't, I'd be thinking about jumping out of the window right now.'

'I get it,' said Ron. 'In fact I've always got it. It's just that you tried to talk me out of it, years ago.'

'You're right,' she replied, looking past him into the gloom. 'Credit where credit's due. When it comes to this issue, you're the perceptive one.'

'Are you making fun of me now?' said Ron, his eyes narrowing.

'No, I was being serious,' Hermione replied, her voice breaking up. 'I've made a complete mess of things. But if I had to do it all again, I would. What was it you used to say? 'Mental, that one.' You were right after all.'

'We were kids when I said that,' Ron replied in a low voice, looking away slightly, as if the memory embarrassed him.

'No, your first instinct was the right one,' said Hermione. Her voice was scarcely audible and there was a distant look in her eyes.

'I can't bear to see you like this,' said Ron suddenly. 'I'll admit, I wanted you to feel sorry for what you've done, but this,' he said, gesturing vaguely in her direction, 'this is too painful to watch.'

'I'm a perfectionist. In this too.'

'And where does it end?'

'I don't know yet. My story's still being written. So the best thing to do is just to put my foot out and follow the path that's being laid out for me. It'll take me to where I need to go. Then I may even find out what exactly it is I'm supposed to do.'

'You're talking about this Lillian Herrick,' said Ron.

Hermione nodded, almost apologetically.

'And what am I supposed to do?' said Ron. 'Just let you slip away?'

'It's not my place to tell you what to do anymore. God knows I've lectured you enough over the years.'

He looked at her with an expression that was part pleading, part defiance.

'Give me an idea of what to do. Anything.'

She looked at him in silence for a few moments.

'Well,' she said finally. 'I have to deal with Lillian Herrick, Harry's got to … well he's got to wake up. So you have to organise the resistance.'

'Me?' he said with a spluttering laugh.

'Yes. I'm guessing you don't want to be a state-registered wizard or whatever else the authorities are dreaming up for us right now. You have some experience of living underground. I think you'll do a good job.'

'You reckon, do you?' he said, a half-smile on his face.

'Absolutely,' she replied, mirroring his smile. 'We'll fight back on more than one front.'

'You'll be fighting back as well?'

The dark, almost pained look returned to her face.

'You can count on it,' she said with grim determination.

She hugged Ron, kissed him on the cheek and walked away. He stood there in semi-darkness, watching her as she headed for the stairs.

When Hermione came back downstairs she found Isaac Edwards and Kingsley Shacklebolt conversing in low voices.

'Sorry to interrupt,' she said in a rather official-sounding tone, as if they were all back on the corridors of the Ministry. 'I just wanted to ask Isaac something.'

Kingsley nodded and took a step back, partly out of politeness, and partly because Hermione, with her white face and blood stained clothing, didn't seem like someone to be crossed.

Isaac stood in front of her, his head slightly bowed.

'If your offer still stands, I'm ready when you are,' she said.

'No time like the present,' he replied. 'I'll see you at the window in ten minutes.'

In the meantime little pieces of news had filtered through to the 23rd floor. Luna had heard from Neville. He had left Hogwarts, temporarily as he put it, and had made it as far as a boarding house in Inverurie. Vantricia Bellu had returned from the Ministry with a handful more wizards, evidently the last to leave before the opening was closed. One of the wizards who came with her was none other than Luther Penhaligon. Hermione saw him crouching meekly at the side of Myra Tremayne, who was huddled in a corner, still suffering the effects of a painful curse. Apparently even Tobias Destrument had been seen briefly on the 23rd floor. No one knew what he had discussed with Kingsley, but apparently a few wizards had left with him.

Caius, Demelza and Alison Affleck were just about ready to leave. Hermione quickly said her goodbyes, hugging Alison with tears in her eyes despite having only met her once before. Caius reminded her that her things were still in the cottage. She promised to come and get them at some point.

Leaving Rachel at the window that had been designated as the disapparation station, Hermione crept over to the Weasley family group. Ron was not among them. She stood nervously over them, and they looked up at her in unison.

'I just wanted to say goodbye and good luck,' said Hermione, her voice trembling. 'Do you have anywhere to go?'

'We'll be alright,' said Mrs Weasley affably, almost as if nothing serious had happened.

'All we have to do is keep a low profile,' added Mr Weasley. 'I'm not particularly worried about a visit from the witchfinders in the night. But I have to say I don't fancy being a state-registered wizard.'

'You're probably right,' said Hermione. 'But be careful anyway.'

'You're the one who needs to be careful, dear, more than any of us,' said Mrs Weasley. There was no trace of the acrimony of their last conversation.

'I will be careful,' said Hermione. She hesitated before adding, 'I've said goodbye to Ron already.'

'I'm glad you did,' said Mrs Weasley. 'He'll be alright too.'

Behind them she could see Isaac crossing the floor.

'Um … see you later then.' I hope I do.

'Yeah, you will,' replied George. Somehow it was the most comforting thing she had heard all evening.

Suddenly Ginny jumped to her feet. She and Hermione looked at each other in silence for a moment.

'He'll wake up,' said Ginny finally. Hermione nodded slightly. 'If he's not virtually indestructible, I don't know who is.'

She couldn't help smiling at that.

'I think you might be right.'

'You need a rest, Hermione,' Ginny added after a short pause, looking her up and down.

'I know,' Hermione replied.

They looked at each other in silence.

'Good luck anyway,' Ginny added at last.

'Good luck to you too,' replied Hermione. They stared at each other for a moment longer. Then Hermione made her way quickly to the disapparation point.