(A/n this is a more serious type chapter now…sorry lost the plot there! Right, well basically I'm back on track and he's the next part…I own nothing, don't sue me la la da de da. I'm actually in a bit of a stress here 'cause there's a rumour that my GCSE English teacher's leaving and I'm basically panicking! I hope you like the chapter…gotta go, see ya!)
Nunquam Praeclarus
Chapter 7
Phantoms of Friendship
The bitter wind stung Hermione's and Ron's red faces as they walked down to the Three Broomsticks. It was a Hogsmead visit and they were going for a Butterbeer. For just after Summer, it should have been a lot warmer than this, they thought as they wrapped their cloaks tighter around themselves. Sirius was still living in the cave just outside the village and they decided to go and see if there was any news to be had concerning Harry.
As they walked, a particularly violent gust of wind blew over them and Hermione's hair flung around and flew into her face. Leaves were spiralling about in the air, and on top of that, rain had started to fall, following a loud roar of thunder. They were had just climbed over a fence and were walking through the muddy grass. Hermione signalled to Ron to follow her and they took refuge under a near by tree. By this time, it was raining so hard they couldn't see two feet in front of them. Ron shouted over the noise of the rain to Hermione,
"Come on! We might as well run to Sirius's cave…we're already soaked." He was right. Under the tree, dribbles of rain were pouring down, soaking them both. They ran out and went in the direction that they were going in before they had sheltered. Or so they had thought…When the rain had eased, they found themselves not near Sirius's cave, but somewhere completely different.
"Oh no," said Hermione, wearily, "Where are we now?" They heard a voice nearby. They jumped in surprise but making no noise. They ran and hid behind a large bush as a figure emerged. Neither of them could believe it…it was Wormtail. He was muttering to himself, and as he was, he was leaning down to pick a plant of the ground. Ron and Hermione looked at each other in shock, but said nothing. He looked around quickly, as he started to walk away. Ron beckoned to Hermione and she leaned closer.
"What?" She whispered and Ron made a gesture to follow Wormtail. She looked at him for a second and then nodded her head. They slowly got up and followed after him stealthily. As he walked quickly they had to nearly run to keep up with him. As the rain beat down hard again, it covered their sound. Occasionally he turned round expecting to see someone, but they jumped behind bushes, out the way…They eventually followed him to a clearing in the forest, or wherever they were. There they saw something that made their blood run cold. It was a large house, more of a low castle. Its walls were of a black stone, darkened by the process of age. And, hovering above it, looking more grotesques than they'd ever seen it before - the Dark Mark. There was a massive cauldron outside, and in it, a muddy grey liquid was swirling. Wormtail walked up to it, shivering slightly, and dropped the plant that he had picked half an hour ago, into it. As he did so, the two tremendous doors that were at the top of a flight of stone steps, opened. There was silence. The only sound was Wormtail's frequent splutterings of terror, and then a tall, thin figure emerged from the doors, clad in black and looking murderous, was Lord Voldermort. Hermione made a choking sound as she tried to hide a scream, and Ron was whiter than he'd ever been in his life. What were they going to do, they thought frantically. But they didn't think any longer, as fear clenched their hearts, and all they could do, was to watch.
***
Harry sat in the Year 11 common room, his expression on his face worried. It was raining outside, and rain as heavy as this was unusual in California. He looked out of the window, and sighed. He hadn't heard from his best friends in over a week now, and to be honest, he was starting to get slightly worried. Maybe, they just didn't want to write, or they couldn't be bothered, which was even worse. Well, obviously this started chewing over these, and inevitably his mood went from worried to unhappily depressed. He put his head in his hands and sat there like that for what seemed like hours. He was brought from his paranoid thoughts, by Alesi prodding him.
"You've got a letter, Harry…" Harry groaned,
"You read it - go on, I can't be bothered." She looked uncertain,
"Harry - it might be something important…" but Harry was close to dozing again so resided and opened it and started to read,
"Dear Harry, I hope you are doing well, unfortunately, I have some bad news - ," Harry's head jerked up and stared at the letter, "Carry on, Alesi," he said, now paying much more attention. She took a deep breath and read…
"We have not heard from Ron and Hermione since they wandered off during a visit to Hogsmeade on Friday. We've organised countless search parties, but to no avail. I knew I had to tell you, but I was inclined not to, as I know you will come back to help look for them. I do not want you to, yet I know you will. So I am now telling you to come back to Hogwarts, as I know you will. Travel by Floo-powder and show this letter to the Headmaster. Your faithfully, A. Dumbledore."
Harry looked up at Alesi…his face changed from grievous to determined, and he got up, his green eyes sparkled in the candle light.
"Well - I'd better.." But before he could finish, Alesi said abruptly,
"I'm coming with you!" Harry looked shocked. He struggled to find the words,
"N-no! You can't! You belong here! You can't come with me!" But she looked obstinate.
"If you think that my place is here then you've got another thing coming! I mean look at this place! The people I hang with are either prostitutes who are obsessed with their freak boyfriends, or annoying little adolescents who can't tell their arse from their elbow and to top it all off, we've got a senile old tit for a headmaster who fancies Jerry Springer! I'm coming with you whether you like it or not." He stared at her, exasperated, and she stared defiantly back at him. Eventually, after much mental debating, ran up to his room, grabbed his invisibility and his wand ( Dumbledore would summon his trunk when he got back) and ran back downstairs. He handed the cloak to her and she put it on,
"Cool!" She exclaimed, as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door. They ran down the head's office and Harry knocked on the door, there was no reply so Harry stepped gingerly inside. The headmaster jumped at the site of Harry, and quickly rammed a magazine, which looked suspiciously like porn, into a draw of his desk. He glanced up at Harry, red in the face from anger and embarrassment, and yelled
"Don't you know how to knock?" Harry looked uncomfortable and he edged closer and handed Mr Armitage the letter from Dumbledore.
He skimmed over it, and handed it back. His embarrassment forgotten he gave Harry Floo-Powder and shook his hand. Fortunately, he didn't walk with Harry into next door's fireplace, so Alesi could get away with Harry, unnoticed. He gave some Floo Powder to Alesi and told he told her to go first.
"Just shout 'Hogwarts'," he said and indicated that she said it. She disappeared and Harry took his turn. They were soon spiralling their way back to Harry's home, and with just the thought of it in his mind, he felt a wave of happiness come over him, which he hadn't felt since he arrived at View Point.
Nunquam Praeclarus
Chapter 7
Phantoms of Friendship
The bitter wind stung Hermione's and Ron's red faces as they walked down to the Three Broomsticks. It was a Hogsmead visit and they were going for a Butterbeer. For just after Summer, it should have been a lot warmer than this, they thought as they wrapped their cloaks tighter around themselves. Sirius was still living in the cave just outside the village and they decided to go and see if there was any news to be had concerning Harry.
As they walked, a particularly violent gust of wind blew over them and Hermione's hair flung around and flew into her face. Leaves were spiralling about in the air, and on top of that, rain had started to fall, following a loud roar of thunder. They were had just climbed over a fence and were walking through the muddy grass. Hermione signalled to Ron to follow her and they took refuge under a near by tree. By this time, it was raining so hard they couldn't see two feet in front of them. Ron shouted over the noise of the rain to Hermione,
"Come on! We might as well run to Sirius's cave…we're already soaked." He was right. Under the tree, dribbles of rain were pouring down, soaking them both. They ran out and went in the direction that they were going in before they had sheltered. Or so they had thought…When the rain had eased, they found themselves not near Sirius's cave, but somewhere completely different.
"Oh no," said Hermione, wearily, "Where are we now?" They heard a voice nearby. They jumped in surprise but making no noise. They ran and hid behind a large bush as a figure emerged. Neither of them could believe it…it was Wormtail. He was muttering to himself, and as he was, he was leaning down to pick a plant of the ground. Ron and Hermione looked at each other in shock, but said nothing. He looked around quickly, as he started to walk away. Ron beckoned to Hermione and she leaned closer.
"What?" She whispered and Ron made a gesture to follow Wormtail. She looked at him for a second and then nodded her head. They slowly got up and followed after him stealthily. As he walked quickly they had to nearly run to keep up with him. As the rain beat down hard again, it covered their sound. Occasionally he turned round expecting to see someone, but they jumped behind bushes, out the way…They eventually followed him to a clearing in the forest, or wherever they were. There they saw something that made their blood run cold. It was a large house, more of a low castle. Its walls were of a black stone, darkened by the process of age. And, hovering above it, looking more grotesques than they'd ever seen it before - the Dark Mark. There was a massive cauldron outside, and in it, a muddy grey liquid was swirling. Wormtail walked up to it, shivering slightly, and dropped the plant that he had picked half an hour ago, into it. As he did so, the two tremendous doors that were at the top of a flight of stone steps, opened. There was silence. The only sound was Wormtail's frequent splutterings of terror, and then a tall, thin figure emerged from the doors, clad in black and looking murderous, was Lord Voldermort. Hermione made a choking sound as she tried to hide a scream, and Ron was whiter than he'd ever been in his life. What were they going to do, they thought frantically. But they didn't think any longer, as fear clenched their hearts, and all they could do, was to watch.
***
Harry sat in the Year 11 common room, his expression on his face worried. It was raining outside, and rain as heavy as this was unusual in California. He looked out of the window, and sighed. He hadn't heard from his best friends in over a week now, and to be honest, he was starting to get slightly worried. Maybe, they just didn't want to write, or they couldn't be bothered, which was even worse. Well, obviously this started chewing over these, and inevitably his mood went from worried to unhappily depressed. He put his head in his hands and sat there like that for what seemed like hours. He was brought from his paranoid thoughts, by Alesi prodding him.
"You've got a letter, Harry…" Harry groaned,
"You read it - go on, I can't be bothered." She looked uncertain,
"Harry - it might be something important…" but Harry was close to dozing again so resided and opened it and started to read,
"Dear Harry, I hope you are doing well, unfortunately, I have some bad news - ," Harry's head jerked up and stared at the letter, "Carry on, Alesi," he said, now paying much more attention. She took a deep breath and read…
"We have not heard from Ron and Hermione since they wandered off during a visit to Hogsmeade on Friday. We've organised countless search parties, but to no avail. I knew I had to tell you, but I was inclined not to, as I know you will come back to help look for them. I do not want you to, yet I know you will. So I am now telling you to come back to Hogwarts, as I know you will. Travel by Floo-powder and show this letter to the Headmaster. Your faithfully, A. Dumbledore."
Harry looked up at Alesi…his face changed from grievous to determined, and he got up, his green eyes sparkled in the candle light.
"Well - I'd better.." But before he could finish, Alesi said abruptly,
"I'm coming with you!" Harry looked shocked. He struggled to find the words,
"N-no! You can't! You belong here! You can't come with me!" But she looked obstinate.
"If you think that my place is here then you've got another thing coming! I mean look at this place! The people I hang with are either prostitutes who are obsessed with their freak boyfriends, or annoying little adolescents who can't tell their arse from their elbow and to top it all off, we've got a senile old tit for a headmaster who fancies Jerry Springer! I'm coming with you whether you like it or not." He stared at her, exasperated, and she stared defiantly back at him. Eventually, after much mental debating, ran up to his room, grabbed his invisibility and his wand ( Dumbledore would summon his trunk when he got back) and ran back downstairs. He handed the cloak to her and she put it on,
"Cool!" She exclaimed, as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door. They ran down the head's office and Harry knocked on the door, there was no reply so Harry stepped gingerly inside. The headmaster jumped at the site of Harry, and quickly rammed a magazine, which looked suspiciously like porn, into a draw of his desk. He glanced up at Harry, red in the face from anger and embarrassment, and yelled
"Don't you know how to knock?" Harry looked uncomfortable and he edged closer and handed Mr Armitage the letter from Dumbledore.
He skimmed over it, and handed it back. His embarrassment forgotten he gave Harry Floo-Powder and shook his hand. Fortunately, he didn't walk with Harry into next door's fireplace, so Alesi could get away with Harry, unnoticed. He gave some Floo Powder to Alesi and told he told her to go first.
"Just shout 'Hogwarts'," he said and indicated that she said it. She disappeared and Harry took his turn. They were soon spiralling their way back to Harry's home, and with just the thought of it in his mind, he felt a wave of happiness come over him, which he hadn't felt since he arrived at View Point.