Dreams Come True

Chapter 3; Attack and escape.

"Never mind that," came a completely new, yet distantly familiar voice, "we have to hurry." A bony girl with streaming red hair was struggling through the window.

"Ginny!" exclaimed Ron.

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"Hi" she said. She tumbled in and stood up, dusting herself off.

"My God, Ginny!" said Harry unbelievingly. He looked so surprised that a wisp of a movement in the air might just have knocked him down. Fortunately for him, the air remained still - or as still as air can be when it is literally vibrating with shock, hope, relief, confusion, joy, and anything else that might be felt. "You're here!" he rushed forward.

"Forget that." she said sharply, "Look." she said, pointing out the window. They all looked, accordingly. There, on the Hogwarts grounds, were three or four cloaked figures. Another one appeared out of thin air, and another. Although the magic remained in the Hogwarts castle, keeping people from apparating directly into the school, there was nothing to keep the dreaded Death Eaters from apparating onto the grounds. The three, now four friends looked at each other urgently.

"Listen Hermione," said Ron, "we'll explain later, promise, but right now, we have to run."

"How?" she asked in quick reply, "if we try to sneak out, they'll definitely see us, if we don't, they'll most definitely find us."

"It's ok," said Harry, opening a bag and pulling something out, "we have this. See?" No, Hermione did not see, she thought the desperation of the situation had somehow confused their brains. This scheme would never work, no matter how many times it had saved them in the past.

"Are you crazy?" she said furiously "that's ONE invisibility cloak! We're FOUR people, plus Fawkes! You don't think we'll be going without Fawkes, do you? And we'd never be fast enough-"

"That's why we have brooms." said Ron stolidly "and calm down!" They waited in utter silence as Harry efficiently conjured up a pair of scissors and started cutting the cloak in half.

"Harry, what are you thinking? The invisibility cloak is nearly irreplaceable!" Hermione felt helpless, coming here might not have been the best idea after all. She had met here with them because she had missed them and was curious. She knew how terrible things had become for them, but it couldn't be anything they couldn't get under control. She knew they would always survive, meanwhile, the rest of the world had to know, which was where she came in. Now it appeared they had lost their minds. Even Ginny seemed to have left touch with sanity.

"Hermione" said Harry firmly "this is the plan, you will go with Ron on his broomstick - don't worry, even if it's only a Cleansweep, we've enchanted it so it will fly like the wind - and take this half of the cloak. Ginny and I will take the other half, and being the smaller pair we'll take Fawkes as well. Got that? Then we'll fly to the cave Sirius used to stay in, Remember the cave? There, we've left a portkey that will take us to safety, alright? Just please stay quiet?" His tone was comforting. Hermione realized that she was the one who had lost her mind while the other three had logically summed up the situation and had moved to an already planned idea. What was wrong with her? In times past she had always been the cool-headed one, now she felt left behind.

She climbed behind Ron who was waiting on his broomstick and watched as Ginny did the same, cradling Fawkes. They mantled the half-cloaks. The tip of the broom stuck out, but couldn't be helped. Hermione hoped it would pass unnoticed. They surveyed the land below, more and more Death Eaters were appearing.

"Be careful to tuck your legs in." Ginny warned.

Then they were off, through the very window Ginny had crawled through moments before. They were hovering in the air and were just about to speed up, when suddenly, Ron's broom went very still.

"We have go by very slowly until we get to the Forbidden Forest." whispered Ron in front of her. "See that?" he said, pointing carefully - his finger just outside the invisibility cloak - to what looked like a scepter one of the figures were holding. "That's a Ripple Detector. It can detect movement in the air, ground, or water, from distances away. It can't work in the forest though, too much movement." They inched slowly by. Hermione couldn't see how far Harry had gone, but had no doubt he had seen the scepter as well and was likewise crawling through the air.

The Death Eaters were waving the scepter through the air, observing it intently. Then, they put it against the ground. "It's our chance!" whispered Ron excitedly, he accelerated his old broom and it whooshed through the air. Hermione felt the rush of flying again. It had been so long. . . then there was a shout coming from the ground. They had been spotted! Death Eaters were gathering underneath them, using the small bit they could see as guide. Hermione saw a flash of green behind them. Probably the Avada Kedavra. They flew through the air at an incredible speed, dodging curses. Hermione held onto Ron tight and wondered if Ginny was doing the same, with Harry, or Fawkes.

A burning red spell just barely missed them as they raced for the protection of the forest. Hundreds more spells flashed around them like lightening, shouts and angry cries sliced the air, Hermione hugged Ron tighter. They were almost there, almost at the forest. Just before they reached safety, a spell hit the broom that blew it off course, but Ron quickly steadied himself and the four along with Fawkes were finally safe.

"You ok Hermione?" whispered Ron.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." whispered Hermione back. Ron seemed reassured, for the rest of the trip to Sirius' cave was made in silence.

The cave was not as decrepit as she remembered it. It actually seemed furnished to some extent. There were torch-holders on the side that flamed up the instant they stepped inside, there was a comfortable if somewhat ragged sofa in one corner, and a couple of blankets set in the side. Besides this, were an old table, a couple chairs, and what might be called a fireplace. Hermione figured wizards and witches came here often.

"It's one of the few places they can't find us." said Harry as if reading her mind. Hermione nodded in acknowledgement. Harry and Ron went deeper into the cave.

"Come on" said Ginny, and she went also. Harry and Ron were facing the wall of the cave.

"It's here right?" wondered one to the other.

"I'm not so sure, I haven't been here since . . . yes, this is it." Ron tapped his wand lightly against the wall. A little hole which Hermione hadn't noticed at first grew larger and larger, just the way Diagon Alley had opened up. This opened up to a room with shelves all around, full of food.

Ron went to one of the shelves. He was a minute looking for something while the others stood and waited. Then, he fished out what looked like a basket of pencils and brought them over.

"What are those for?" asked Hermione.

"Right," said Harry, "we keep forgetting you're not used to this. These pencils have names of places on them, they're portkeys and they take you to that place. So, to let them take you, all you do is wave them like wands and say 'take me' and that's it. But right now we have find pencils that say Godric's Hollow. That's where we want to go." Hermione noticed that Ron and Ginny were already sorting through them, Harry motioned for her to join.

The four people examined the basket, which was rather large, while Fawkes slept on an old rug in a corner.

"Since this seems like it'll take a while," said Ron, "A while meaning a few hours, why don't you tell us what happened?" this question was directed at Ginny.

"Yeah" she said, and started her tale.



A/n So? Good? Like it? I hope so, I've been working hard at it. This one's longer than the other ones I think. Please review everyone. Or I'll get discouraged and stop writing.