Harry Potter and the fight for freedom
Hi we're back, this is chapter 2, enjoy! Thanks for everyone who gave us reviews!
Chapter 2
Harry stared at Ron "look, he's probably at another hospital, you know, there's loads" Harry said comforting him. "here I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll find Hermione and Carlos right? Then I'll come with you and help you in every way I can, just like you would for me" he casually rubbed his nose. He turned back to the lady behind the desk "could you tell me where Carlos Potter is please?" he asked as politely as he could.
"er yes, bear with me please" she replied quickly typing into her small pc. It was a very irritating sound, fingers repeatedly snapping onto plastic keys, it was worse than Ron biting his fingers.
"Right, he's in the children's ward, floor 4. Go to the lifts, just follow the signs from there on." Harry nodded his thanks.
Hermione looked back at her boy. 'He looks so innocent' she thought. Her eyes stared at the gash on his head. It took him till he was eleven to taste his first real bit of evil.
She heard loud voices. Male voices. She looked at her watch. 'I've been here two hours, where's Harry?' She bit her lip 'Leo, he's with Ron.'
She heard a deep conversation going on, there seemed to be a lot of arguing. For some reason she didn't want to know what about.
She watched Carlos' chest rise up and down with his weak breathing. At least he's alive. I'm lucky; he's lucky. She smoothed the blanket covering the lower half of his body removing every crease she could. 5000 people in that mall, 3000 won't see tomorrow. The voice kept drumming through her head. If it wasn't Voldemort, who was it? Why Govan?
Govan was a small town with a population of about 36,000 people. Its near Leeds. Hermione and Harry live in Nalsa a small wizarding village about six miles from Govan.
The mall in Govan is the main attraction. One of the best shopping centres ever. Designer shops with cheap prices is anyone's dream, and that's exactly what its got.
Carlos and Leo went with Jake, who's just turned 13, to Govan, as it was Jake's birthday.
Jake lives next door to Ron and Elena. Leo and Jake are pretty good friends because they see so much of each other. Ron was very uneasy about Leo's friendship with Jake at first. He couldn't see how anyone in his family was friendly to a Malfoy. He wanted Leo and Carlos to be like him and Harry, and they were indeed very much alike.
Leo had red hair, his dads personality but his mothers face. He was 11 years old and a bigger mischief maker than Ron had ever been. Perhaps he had a little too much Fred and George's blood in him.
Jake was Draco Malfoy's son. He had the blond hair, but not the cruel face. He had his own face just like Carlos has his. He had his own new personality.
Draco had changed a little, he was still the same cold person, but his wife was slaughtered and this had changed him deeply, he still missed her loads. So had his son Jake, he was nine when his mother died. She was murdered with a knife by a crazed muggle, it was Jake who found her dead on the wooden floor of their home. Draco was actually pleasant to talk to now, though his hate for muggles and muggleborns had increased.
It was Easter holidays. Jake was home from Hogwarts, he was in his second year. He was also in Slytherin, he planned to spend as much time with Leo and Carlos as possible.
Draco loved Jake move than anything. He was the only thing he had left to love. Draco's father is in Azkaban. His mother is dead. Lucius had killed her, in front of Draco's own eyes three years ago just to get in a higher rank with the Dark Lord.
Draco had had no one to turn to except a young muggle lady called Simone. Draco felt she was different to most muggle's, she was beautiful and had a kindness no one had ever shown him before. They fell in love and eventually married, but she was cruelly taken away from him. He had no one to turn to for help or anything. His attitude changed almost instantly, he no longer wanted to go to the dark side. He wanted to be just Draco Malfoy and live quietly away from all the havoc. He moved from Malfoy Manor, it was just too painful to live there. He moved to Nalsa, unaware that he had just moved next door to his Weasley friend from Hogwarts.
Draco let Jake become friends with Leo even though Leo was quite a bit younger.
The boys became strong friends, and Jake soon became to know Carlos that's when he realised that he lived next door to Ron.
Draco had sat back and watched it all happen. He somehow preferred it that way, since Harry or Ron would never hurt Jake, unlike Crabbe and Goyle or Pansy Parkinson if they had been next door to him.
He came on speaking terms with Harry and on looking terms with Ron. Hermione would be polite as she always was and Ginny would smile at him when ever she saw him.
When Jake got his Hogwarts letter Draco was over the moon. Pleased that his son was a wizard and not a muggle like his mother. Draco knew that Voldemort was after him. That's partly why he was in hiding. Dumbledore was his secret keeper. He was the only man in the world Draco deeply trusted, Draco knew no one could get at Jake while he was at Hogwarts, not even Voldemort.
Harry and Ron walked through the same green doors as Hermione had about half an hour ago. They approached a large white desk. Behind it were three nurses, all with tabards on which donned pattern that amazed all children. They were full of colour which made the depression lighten up a little. Also behind the desk were two doctors wearing plain white coats.
Harry leaned over it. "hi I'm Harry Potter, I've been told my son Carlos is in this ward." One of the nurses looked up.
"Bomb victim?" she asked looking at both the young men
"er yes, quite" Harry replied coolly. The nurse turned round to face one of the doctors.
"These young men hear wish to see Carlos Potter, one claims to be his father…"
"I am his father!" Harry squawked an annoyed tone in his voice. One of the doctors walked up to him.
"I'm Doctor Thomas Jones, now, Carlos Potter is in a very bad state, and his mother is already there at his bedside, how do I know your not the media wanting to take photos?" The doctors eyes travelled up and down Harry's black work suit. Harry was an agent for Dumbledore as he didn't agree with the ministry.
"look, my name is Harry Potter, Carlos is my son, what's hard about that little bit of information?!" Harry was flushed from anger, he was beginning to hate muggle hospitals with a passion, why were they being so awkward?
"ok, I guess your wondering why we're being like this?" Harry and Ron nodded at the doctors words. "Its because in the past we have had children taken away by people who claim to be there parents"
"but surely I look like his parent?!" Harry protested
"well that's the thing as well, you look anything but his father" the doctor said solemnly.
"he has the same eyes as me!" Harry told them utterly confused at there behaviour
"his eyes are closed!" the doctor snapped back. "look, he has his mother there"
"how do you know Hermione's his mother, they have different surnames and look nothing alike!" He was getting very angry and impatient now. The Doctors eyes flashed at Harry dangerously.
"because she phoned up confirmed his date of birth and gave us his full name was deeply concerned and upset just like any ordinary mother of a child would be. I get two young men both who look barely old enough to be parents who come in, in black suits pens and paper in blazers and claim the only boy from the bomb attack that is named is there son, now would you believe that?" the doctor banged his fist on the desk.
"you don't understand do you" Harry snarled through gritted teeth.
"understand what?" the Doctor breathed
"what its like to go home to an empty house, and finding no one there when there meant to be, no note, no message on the answer machine no nothing. You sit down assuming that they've gone shopping just like any ordinary parent and child would. Then you get a phone call from your girlfriend, she's crying so much you can hardly make out what she's saying, you panic instantly, you don't understand what's happened, only that your little boy's in hospital. You don't know if he's alive or dead all you know is that you've got to get to the hospital a.s.a.p. You instantly get in your car but are stopped because the traffic problems. The roads are jammed. You turn round and go back home, still panicking your little boys dead. You find your best friend on your door step" he nodded towards Ron "he doesn't know where his son is, two lost sons two frantic parents. We try and contact Hermione my girlfriend, nope no answer from her. I explain to my friend here the story I've got. His son and my son went to Govan with another boy. None of them have returned. We haven't even found Ron's son yet and now your delaying that process because you won't let me see my son." He drew his face up close to the doctors "now, can I see my son……please"
The doctor pulled away "no" he said coolly
"oh for fucks sake!" Ron cursed "what is your problem?!"
"my problem is I have two very rude young men interfering with my job" he replied
"look can I at least try and prove I'm his father?" Harry pleaded
"well go on" the doctor sighed impatiently
"right his name is Carlos Ronald James Potter, he's eleven years old and his date of birth is the thirty first of August 2007. He has blond hair and green eyes. He is apparently sitting with his mother who has bushy brown hair……"
"ok, ok that's enough I believe you" he cracked his fingers " I apologise I'm sorry, very sorry its just….."
"look just let me see my son……….please" Harry interrupted.
"certainly third door on the left" Harry immediately set off down the long white corridor, Ron hard on his heels.
Hermione leaned back in her chair, she could hear footsteps coming, slapping on the cold tiled floor. She heard them getting louder.
"great, so what'll we do, pull back each curtain?" she heard a deep voice say, she recognised it instantly as Rons. She stood up and walked up to her screen carefully pulling the fabric open. She pushed her head round it.
"I'm here" she whispered over to him. Ron saw her and nudged Harry in the ribs. Harry's gaze met Hermione's. She motioned them both over.
"where have you been?" Hermione asked looking up at them both when the reached her.
"let me see Carlos" was Harry's reply. Hermione let him past the curtain screen. She watched as he approached Carlos's bed.
"oh God…" she heard him whisper. His eyes were fixed on his little son, tracing every cut, bruise and bandage on his now frail body.
"Hermione we need to talk" he said still looking at his boy
"what about?" she asked watching him
"Leo's not here, we have to find him. He could be anywhere." Harry said turning around. Hermione looked at Ron.
"oh Ron, I'm so sorry for you, I hope he's ok"
"Hermione, I hope he's alive" Ron croaked.
"look, what I'm saying is that Ron and I are going to look for him."
"what about Jake?" Hermione questioned looking at both of them.
"I haven't seen Malfoy, so I don't know, oh God, why does this have to happen, I hate Voldemort with passion" Harry snarled
"it wasn't you-know-who" Hermione said
"pardon?" Harry said surprised
"it wasn't you-know-who" Hermione repeated her brown eyes expanding
"then who was it?" Ron asked "I mean who else would do this? Innocent people, little children, nine little boys were taken here Hermione, six of them are dead. Six. Who else would do this?" Ron ruffled his red hair.
"we don't know Ron, no one does yet, I don't even really know what happened, only from what doctors have told me"
"which was?" Harry asked her
"well, the doctor I had was actually a wizard…"
"what's he doing here?!" Ron blurted
"oh I don't know, but listen here. There was a dark mark in the sky and it wasn't the usual one" Hermione stroked her chin pondering on what to say. "I thought you-know-who changed his perhaps, but now it seems more likely some new evil is out a new mark. Its scary, because you-know-who was never really capable of blowing something that big to pieces, it's take some of the best magic ever. I think this person was only practising on that mall, you know for a joke."
"hmmm its strange that, Voldemorts been away for ages, he hasn't done much has he, do you think he's scared of this person, you know been told to step down." Harry looked back down at the unconscious Carlos. "I think we should take it how it comes, because if there is a new dark wizard what's going to happen to the safety of children"
"Dumbledore….." Ron started
"may not be feared by the new comer" Harry finished for him.
"but surely there can't be a wizard darker than you-know-who" Ron said
"Can't there?" Hermione said to Ron "why not?"
"because he-who-must-not-be-named was just as evil as you get, no mercy for people, killing for fun…"
"no Ron" Harry injected "killing for power, remember Voldemort was greedy for power" Harry took off his glasses and rubbed them on his shirt. "now, Leo, Hermione is it ok if I leave you hear with Carlos, I'll ring you as soon as we find him. Is that ok?" He gave her a pleading look.
"yes I suppose, but don't ring me, you mustn't use mobile phones in hospital, they interfere with the machinery. I'll see you at home about eleven, that's is I can pull my self away" Harry nodded. He bent down and kissed Carlos on the forehead, then kissed Hermione gently goodbye. "see you later" he took one last look at his boy and then turned with Ron and disappeared behind the curtain.
Draco Malfoy sat at home. Where is he? Kept going through his head like a bullet. Draco sat in a soft arm chair. He reached over and turned on the radio, wizards hour was about to begin, after the news. He carefully turned the knob of the small box. He leaned back and shut his eyes, listening to the end of a small ballad. The news started.
"the news at six. This is Calleus Frodo today's stories." Draco prickled his ears to listen to the sound creeping from the speakers. "This morning a dark attack took place in the wizarding habitude of Govan. The infamous mall in the centre of the town was blown to smithereens and a new mark appeared in the sky. So far the death count is 1897 and still rising. It is believed that at least six thousand people were in the mall at the time of the explosion. Victims have been taken to various hospitals in the north east. Any relatives concerned should contact the Ministry's medical advisor Amicus Dondowell. Now next we move on to……." Draco switched off the radio
"oh shit………" he groaned burying his head in his hands. "Jake…….." he rose from his comfy chair and moved to the fire place. He picked up a pinch of powder laying in a jar on the mantel piece. He gently sprinkled his portion into the crackling flame.
"A-Amicus D-Dondowell" he stuttered shaking all over from shock of what he had just found out. The wizards face appeared almost instantly. It was flushed as though he had been doing a lot of work.
"ah Mr Malfoy, er……Jake is it?" Malfoy nodded amazed that this man knew exactly what he was after. "he's at Leeds, that's all I can tell you, I must go, Mr Brown has called" his head disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Draco ran down the hall and grabbed his coat and pulled it on. Wand need wand. He dug his hand deep into his trousers and wrapped his fingers round the magic stick of wood. It felt warm in his fingers. Typical, you just had to end up in a muggle hospital Jake. He swiped his wand round him and apparated to the hospital holding his son in Leeds.
Harry and Ron hurried to Rons small house in Nalsa.
"Elena!!!" Ron yelled as he entered the doors "Elena??!!!!!!!" no reply came. Ron frantically ran through to the kitchen. A note was pinned against an empty wine bottle on the table.
Ron, Govan attacked, Leo involved, found him at the wizarding medical clinic here. Don't panic he's fine just cuts and bruises. Meet me there. I have Scorpio with me
Love
Elena xx
Ron looked at Harry a very relieved expression on his face. "thank God for that, lets go" Ron gasped. He quickly nodded at Harry and apparated to the small building near the village green.
Harry and Ron dashed in. Ron was relieved it was a place operated by wizards, as the muggle doctors were a little slow, as well as hard on his best friend Harry.
They walked into the reception room. The man behind the window separating the it from the waiting room, acted as though he was waiting for them.
"ah Mr Weasley, Mr Potter, straight through, room 6 if you please" he pointed over to the glass doors leading off into a blue corridor with stars in it.
Harry pushed open the glass doors, letting Ron through first, then followed him through. They reached door six a few seconds later. Ron knocked twice on the door before entering.
Inside he saw Leo sitting on the bed, a nurse bent over him attending to his wounds. Elena was in a small chair next to him holding his hand while Scorpio sat on her knee. As Ron walked in, Harry following, Scorpio slid off his mothers lap and ran toward them screaming "Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Harry!!!!!!!!!!" Ron scooped him up in his arms and hugged him. Then put him carefully down and made his way over to Leo, Scorpio clinging to his blue jeans. He pulled up and chair, sat down and turned to his son.
"I saw it dad I saw it all……"
Draco ran up the stairs to children's ward following the instructions the receptionist had just given him. He entered the ward shaking and sweating from head to toe.
He walked straight to the desk.
"My names Draco Malfoy, I'm here about my son Jacob. Can I see him please?" the smile on the nurses face fell off.
"yes you can see him, but I don't think you'd recognise him, he's at deaths door waiting to be swept in." She stood up and said "follow me"
She entered a room with one bed. The room was cold and very still. The only sound to be heard was the mechanical breathing of the life support machine, the only thing tying his soul to his body.
Draco went over to his son and collapsed sobbing into the chair next to his bed. The nurse turned away, she was right Draco could hardly recognise his own son, his Jake.
The nurse slipped quietly out of the room, leaving a very distressed Draco alone to gather his own thoughts.
After what seemed like an eternity the swung back open. Draco looked up. He saw a face he knew very well, the face of one of his very best friends, Hermione Granger.
"oh Draco……. I'm so sorry…"
"What do you care? What have you lost? What's it matter to you?" He snarled looking back at his pride and joy "oh what does it matter anyway?" tears streaming down his face. Hermione glided over to him and sat down next to him.
"it does matter Draco. It's the start of a fight, a fight for survival, and only the strong will pull through, an attitude like that won't help anyone" Hermione told.
Draco collapsed sobbing into her shoulder.
"You saw what?" Ron asked trying not to stare at his son's cuts.
"I saw my friends fall, I was lucky dad, extremely lucky" Ron looked up at his son. "what happened?" he asked.
"we were coming out of the gadget shop, talking about getting all these muggle toys." He took a deep breath as though holding back his feelings. "And then it happened, there was a loud rumble, the building shook violently. The floor fell in" he choked a sob. "I saw them hit the ground, Jake first then Car." Tears were streaming down his childish face. It brought memories to Harry of Dumbledores office after the third task.
Reliving the hell he had just escaped, guilty about his friends.
"I didn't fall. I don't know why… I saw bodies everywhere, it was like a slaughter house. I climbed over the rubble trying to dodge falling rocks as I did so. I screamed as I saw a small rock tear down towards Car. It landed on his left hand with a sickening smash. I hurried over to him. He wasn't awake. I shook him, he wouldn't wake up" he wiped his eyes, crying openly now. Ron sat up on the bed and put an arm round him, hugging him tightly.
"ambulance men came pouring in. They saw me and came rushing over, carrying stretches behind them. I showed them Jake and Car. I watched as they, stony faced, did their job. I caught a tear in one of their eyes. As I followed these good men, it was then I realised that we weren't the only ones. The mall was packed of people screaming for help, it hurt so much just to walk straight past them" he broke down completely burying his head in his fathers chest. " I haven't seen them since, I don't even know if there alive dad, I just count my blessings that I walked out."
Harry turned away. He didn't want to be seen crying. He thought of when he was Leo's age and as if Ron and Hermione were lying down helplessly in front of him. Ron was having the same thoughts.
Hermione held Draco for ages. She couldn't bring herself to let go. The hours past by. She wondered where Harry and Ron were, and if Leo was alive. She had seen Carlos, alive. She had seen Jake, at deaths door. Surely Leo had already reached it. She thought of Ron, one of her closest friends, what would he be feeling now, where was he now. She knew that where ever he was Harry would be there with him. It warm her slightly knowing that their friendship would be the light shining strong in the dark era they had all just been plunged into.
The hours past; eleven…twelve…..one…..two…. two thirty.
A doctor walked in. he reached over to do his usual inspection. His face dropped and he turned to Draco. Hermione guessed what was coming and embraced him tighter.
"Mr Malfoy" the said almost a whisper. Draco looked up unable to say anything.
"we have been monitoring your son, Jake, very closely." He looked up at the ceiling trying to gather the right words. When he looked down again he could not look Draco in the eye. "even if your son defeats the billion to one chance and pulls through, he will never fully recover. Were asking you to do what you believe is right. We can keep his heart beating and his lungs breathing, but he's already gone. I ask you now, will you turn off his life support machine?"
Draco choked as if unable to believe the words he had just heard.
"I.. I …."
"Draco, you have to do this, its cruel to keep Jake alive, would you like it if you didn't know what world you were in?"
"Do it then! Kill my son! Take the last gift I was given! Take my most precious possession!" Draco bawled unable to control his emotions. The nodded and started to shut down the different machines. Draco stood up and went over to his son. He kissed him on the forehead and clutched his hand tightly as though it was the last thing on earth as the doctor shut down the last machine.
Jacob Malfoy died three hours after his birthday. He was thirteen years old.
A/N- ok we say thanks to all those great reviewers. To answer some questions some of you asked.
Carlos is so named because of Joy's favourite footballer (soccer player) Roberto Carlos. Some of our grammar may be a bit different, but this is English not American, although our grammar could be a little better! :P
Harry and Hermione's lack of marriage is due to our love of writing…….you'll find that out a little later.
Reviews are always welcome………
Next chapter under way…….
Oh yeah…….most of this belongs to her (JKR)
Thanks for reading! WE LUV YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joy, Ian and Kay.