Chapter 3: The Black Man
Harry, Ron, and Hermione fell through a tunnel of swirling colors for a couple seconds before falling with a thud on hard ground. The impact of their fall caused the Time Turner's chain, which Hermione had been working higher and higher on her neck as Malfoy talked, slipped off her neck and Ron's, and completely onto Harry's neck. Harry opened his eyes, feeling slightly sick, then closed them quickly until the moment of sickness had passed. Harry opened his eyes and forced himself to stand up and look around him. Hermione was still laying on the ground, moaning softly, rubbing the shoulder she had fallen on, and Ron was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, Harry's legs felt like jelly, so he stumbled over to a small clump of trees a couple feet away from where they had fallen, grabbing a tree branch just in time to save himself from falling. He then noticed Ron was already there, supporting himself by a tree trunk as well. "I suppose we should take a little time to rest and recover our strength before we make the trip back. We should probably go to that city, and get food and rest," Ron said thickly. Just then Harry noticed the towering white city to his right about seven hundred feet away." "You're right," Harry replied, "Let's go get Hermione, the sooner we get to that city, the better!" Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. It sounded like, but it couldn't be, or could it be- "Hermione!" Harry and Ron whispered. They found they could walk and crawled to the edge of the clump of trees, peering through the many branches. Hermione was cowering on the ground, a figure hooded in black, with an unadorned crown of dull silver resting on its head, was holding a large sword an inch away from her neck. Ron gasped, and both he and Harry ducked as the Black Man's gaze flickered their way, or so they thought, as they could not see it's face, but it couldn't see them, so it turned it's attention back to Hermione. She whimpered and was crawling backward as the Black Man was adavancing. But, oh no, she didn't see the large, sharp boulder behind her, and knocked her head on one of its many edges. Her eyes widened for a moment and she gasped, then fell to the ground, unconscious. The Black Man stepped forward, Harry imagined he was wearing an evil grin, and raised his sword. Harry and Ron looked at each other, both faces filled with panic, if they didn't do anything Hermione would die! The Black Man raised his sword, flames were running now running down the blade, he was about to bring it down when, at the same time, Harry and Ron made up their minds. They ran into the clearing, yelling, and tackled the Black Man. He shook them off as easily as if he were shaking off a fly. They went sprawling, but so far they had averted his attention from Hermione. Harry took out the pocketknife Sirius had given him, and Ron pulled a half buried, rusty sword out of the ground near him. They both turned toward the Black Man, and saw he had his sword in the air, preparing to behead them both with one stroke. They didn't think, they had no time to, Harry threw his pocketknife at it, and Ron lodged his sword in its neck. The Black Man stopped in mid- swing, let out a shrill shriek of surprise, then vanished. Its robes, sword, and sword-belt fell to the ground, the crown fell and hit the still-unconscious Hermione on her left cheek, near her eye. Harry and Ron shared a look of surprise and weariness. Harry retrieved his pocketknife, cleaned its blade on the grass, then returned to find Ron picking Hermione up. Ron looked at Harry, "Let's try and get to the city before it gets dark, just incase there are anymore of those things around." He shuddered as Harry nodded his agreement. So they made their way to the white walls of the city, Ron carrying Hermione and Harry cursing anyone who ran at them with a sword with Jelly Legs.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione fell through a tunnel of swirling colors for a couple seconds before falling with a thud on hard ground. The impact of their fall caused the Time Turner's chain, which Hermione had been working higher and higher on her neck as Malfoy talked, slipped off her neck and Ron's, and completely onto Harry's neck. Harry opened his eyes, feeling slightly sick, then closed them quickly until the moment of sickness had passed. Harry opened his eyes and forced himself to stand up and look around him. Hermione was still laying on the ground, moaning softly, rubbing the shoulder she had fallen on, and Ron was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, Harry's legs felt like jelly, so he stumbled over to a small clump of trees a couple feet away from where they had fallen, grabbing a tree branch just in time to save himself from falling. He then noticed Ron was already there, supporting himself by a tree trunk as well. "I suppose we should take a little time to rest and recover our strength before we make the trip back. We should probably go to that city, and get food and rest," Ron said thickly. Just then Harry noticed the towering white city to his right about seven hundred feet away." "You're right," Harry replied, "Let's go get Hermione, the sooner we get to that city, the better!" Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. It sounded like, but it couldn't be, or could it be- "Hermione!" Harry and Ron whispered. They found they could walk and crawled to the edge of the clump of trees, peering through the many branches. Hermione was cowering on the ground, a figure hooded in black, with an unadorned crown of dull silver resting on its head, was holding a large sword an inch away from her neck. Ron gasped, and both he and Harry ducked as the Black Man's gaze flickered their way, or so they thought, as they could not see it's face, but it couldn't see them, so it turned it's attention back to Hermione. She whimpered and was crawling backward as the Black Man was adavancing. But, oh no, she didn't see the large, sharp boulder behind her, and knocked her head on one of its many edges. Her eyes widened for a moment and she gasped, then fell to the ground, unconscious. The Black Man stepped forward, Harry imagined he was wearing an evil grin, and raised his sword. Harry and Ron looked at each other, both faces filled with panic, if they didn't do anything Hermione would die! The Black Man raised his sword, flames were running now running down the blade, he was about to bring it down when, at the same time, Harry and Ron made up their minds. They ran into the clearing, yelling, and tackled the Black Man. He shook them off as easily as if he were shaking off a fly. They went sprawling, but so far they had averted his attention from Hermione. Harry took out the pocketknife Sirius had given him, and Ron pulled a half buried, rusty sword out of the ground near him. They both turned toward the Black Man, and saw he had his sword in the air, preparing to behead them both with one stroke. They didn't think, they had no time to, Harry threw his pocketknife at it, and Ron lodged his sword in its neck. The Black Man stopped in mid- swing, let out a shrill shriek of surprise, then vanished. Its robes, sword, and sword-belt fell to the ground, the crown fell and hit the still-unconscious Hermione on her left cheek, near her eye. Harry and Ron shared a look of surprise and weariness. Harry retrieved his pocketknife, cleaned its blade on the grass, then returned to find Ron picking Hermione up. Ron looked at Harry, "Let's try and get to the city before it gets dark, just incase there are anymore of those things around." He shuddered as Harry nodded his agreement. So they made their way to the white walls of the city, Ron carrying Hermione and Harry cursing anyone who ran at them with a sword with Jelly Legs.