This is where it starts to get serious.
Chapter 22- Attack!
"You know what I said about skipping potions more often? I've changed my mind." Daphne said, pouring pickle juice into a small jar. Lori added the goat's bile, and they both covered their noses and mouths with their sleeves as the foul smell crept over them both. When it had gone slightly, Daphne picked up a pair of tongs, and then, as fast as she could, she opened a container, picked up a dead, rotting mouse, placed it in the jar, and then Lori slammed the lid on and screwed it tight.
It was the fifth pickled mouse they had done that night, and they had about five more to do. Ten doesn't seem like a lot, but the smell of the pickle and bile mixture combined with a rotting animal carcass was enough to make anyone feel, or be, sick. Trust Snape to give them such a lousy detention.
Snape had caught up with them at lunch time in the courtyard- he didn't ask them why they weren't in the lesson and he didn't tell them off, he just handed them yellow detention slips and left. Now stuck in the icy dungeons with dead mice to pickle, Daphne and Lori both wished they had been yelled at instead.
Daphne picked up another jar and opened it. A lingering smell of what had been in the jar before came off with the lid, and as Lori's eyes watered, she said, "I heartily agree."
~*~
"How can he do that?" Hermione asked in disbelief, watching Seamus Finnegan help himself to beef casserole and then cover the whole lot in tomato ketchup. Ron saw what she was looking at and shrugged. "Quite easily. You just pick up the bottle and squeeze."
Harry laughed as Hermione glared at Ron. "Remember what I told you Ron- no sarcastic jokes with Hermione around, it's dangerous." He said.
Hermione and Ron's laughter was drowned out and then caught short, however, by an almighty crash on the other side of the hall. The three of them looked up in alarm to that in the corner of the hall behind the teacher's table was now a huge, gaping hole in the wall, through which an icy chill came in. Every student and teacher was silent, staring at the hole for what seemed like an eternity but what was in actual fact just a few seconds. For, suddenly, through the hole came
"DEATHEATERS!"
The cry rang out from the other end of the Gryffindor table nearest the hole and was almost lost in the screams that rang out throughout the hall as seven cloaked figures entered through the hole. Within minutes the place was in an uproar. Students were running everywhere, screams rang out, teachers were running around through the students, trying to get to the Deatheaters, who in turn were now also running, and different coloured flashes of light were coming from their wands.
Harry grabbed Ron by the scruff of the neck and pulled him under the table. Hermione, sitting opposite, joined them. "What do we do?" Ron asked, horrified that anything like this could actually be happening. "We have to do something." Hermione said desperately.
The screams were louder now- they had to shout to be heard. Harry nodded. "Right, we split up and." Ron and Hermione shook their heads. "No way." They yelled together. Harry rolled his eyes. "Alright, just try and stun them- we want them alive."
Ron looked like he was about to say he disagreed with that statement, but didn't get a chance as Harry was already crawling out through the tablecloth. He and Hermione followed. They straightened up to find they were almost alone- as they were quite near the hole in the wall. They couldn't see any of the Deatheaters lost in the crowd, and students were running in every direction, including a fair few running their way. Chairs were turned over and there was food scattered all over the floor.
A large group of students were gathered at the doors of the Entrance Hall- in their agitation they couldn't get it opened. Harry suddenly spotted three Deatheaters through the crowd, making their way determinedly to that group. "Come on." Harry cried, running towards them.
~*~
Draco Malfoy stood completely still at the Slytherin table, exactly where he had been standing since the first Deatheater had appeared. He knew that he wouldn't be hurt by them- and so he watched as they made their way through the hall.
Draco had spent enough time around Deatheaters in the past five years to know that things weren't going well for them. He also found their attack strategy rather odd- instead of blasting people apart with huge spells like they usually did, they were working their way through the crowd, looking at people. Draco could clearly see Lucius Malfoy doing just that, though he was also stupefying people and knocking them over as he went. Nobody thought to try and stop him.
It was then that Draco noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione running towards three Deatheaters who were approaching a large group by the doors. They looked furious- Draco was sure they'd beat back the Deatheaters. Oh well, it wasn't as if he actually cared.
Just then, Draco felt a rough hand on his shoulder and he was turned around to find a Deatheater standing right next to him. "Where is she?" Draco recognised the voice immediately- McNair. Draco scowled and shrugged his hand off of his shoulder. "Where is who?" He asked feeling confused. They were looking for someone- that made sense, but a girl? Draco had assumed they were here for Potter. Again.
"Your sister. The Moyen." McNair sneered.
Draco felt as if all the wind had been knocked out of him on hearing those four words. *Lucius knew.* Thoughts and feelings rushed through his mind at lightning speed and all came to rest on one sure point. Lucius Malfoy.
Draco turned and walked away from McNair, hurrying instead into the crowd, looking desperately around for Leonora. Her only chance was for him to find her before his father did.
~*~
Lori and Daphne were halfway across the entrance hall when they heard screaming from inside the Great Hall. The doors were closed, so they couldn't see what was causing all the commotion. Their curiosity was satisfied, however, when they heard cries of 'Deatheaters!' followed by even louder screaming.
Lori's hands flew to her mouth to stifle her scream. Daphne stood rooted to the spot, unable to move or even think clearly. She knew very clearly what Deatheaters were, and after this morning, she knew what they were here for as well. Lori turned to Daphne with tears in her eyes. "Daphne I- I have to go in there." She said quietly.
Daphne snapped out of her little world and stared at her best friend. "Are you kidding? You can't go in there!" She cried, grabbing hold of Lori's arm. Lori didn't try to pull free; she just looked at Daphne sadly. "Don't you see Daph? They're here for me, and, and if they can't find me then they'll, they'll hurt people. I can't let that happen." She said, gently prising Daphne's fingers off of her arms.
Then she turned and walked not towards the main doors, but to a door off to the side of the hall. Daphne frowned and followed her. If she was really going to do this, she wasn't going to do it alone. They found themselves in a small, cosy lounge-like room, full of paintings, which the subjects of which had obviously just left in terror.
They ran to the other door, leading to the hall, and after an alohomora charm from Daphne, they were in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. They took it all in in an instant. The terrified students, rushing around haphazardly, the teachers trying desperately to regain control, the deafening screams, and the masked figures prowling among the students.
Lori spotted her father straight away, he was pushing over two girls, who were screaming and trying to run away. Lori felt sick to her stomach watching him, and though she was terrified she knew what she had to do.
Taking out her wand, she ran into the middle of the hall, Daphne hard on her heels. She lifted her wand in the air, and, making sure she was in clear view of her father, she sent showering yellow sparks into the air.
Lori watched as if in slow motion as her father's masked face turned towards her and spotted her. She watched as he spoke to another Deatheater near him and nodded towards her. Feeling sick, she watched as her father walked towards her.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Dun, DUN, DUN!!!
Chapter 22- Attack!
"You know what I said about skipping potions more often? I've changed my mind." Daphne said, pouring pickle juice into a small jar. Lori added the goat's bile, and they both covered their noses and mouths with their sleeves as the foul smell crept over them both. When it had gone slightly, Daphne picked up a pair of tongs, and then, as fast as she could, she opened a container, picked up a dead, rotting mouse, placed it in the jar, and then Lori slammed the lid on and screwed it tight.
It was the fifth pickled mouse they had done that night, and they had about five more to do. Ten doesn't seem like a lot, but the smell of the pickle and bile mixture combined with a rotting animal carcass was enough to make anyone feel, or be, sick. Trust Snape to give them such a lousy detention.
Snape had caught up with them at lunch time in the courtyard- he didn't ask them why they weren't in the lesson and he didn't tell them off, he just handed them yellow detention slips and left. Now stuck in the icy dungeons with dead mice to pickle, Daphne and Lori both wished they had been yelled at instead.
Daphne picked up another jar and opened it. A lingering smell of what had been in the jar before came off with the lid, and as Lori's eyes watered, she said, "I heartily agree."
~*~
"How can he do that?" Hermione asked in disbelief, watching Seamus Finnegan help himself to beef casserole and then cover the whole lot in tomato ketchup. Ron saw what she was looking at and shrugged. "Quite easily. You just pick up the bottle and squeeze."
Harry laughed as Hermione glared at Ron. "Remember what I told you Ron- no sarcastic jokes with Hermione around, it's dangerous." He said.
Hermione and Ron's laughter was drowned out and then caught short, however, by an almighty crash on the other side of the hall. The three of them looked up in alarm to that in the corner of the hall behind the teacher's table was now a huge, gaping hole in the wall, through which an icy chill came in. Every student and teacher was silent, staring at the hole for what seemed like an eternity but what was in actual fact just a few seconds. For, suddenly, through the hole came
"DEATHEATERS!"
The cry rang out from the other end of the Gryffindor table nearest the hole and was almost lost in the screams that rang out throughout the hall as seven cloaked figures entered through the hole. Within minutes the place was in an uproar. Students were running everywhere, screams rang out, teachers were running around through the students, trying to get to the Deatheaters, who in turn were now also running, and different coloured flashes of light were coming from their wands.
Harry grabbed Ron by the scruff of the neck and pulled him under the table. Hermione, sitting opposite, joined them. "What do we do?" Ron asked, horrified that anything like this could actually be happening. "We have to do something." Hermione said desperately.
The screams were louder now- they had to shout to be heard. Harry nodded. "Right, we split up and." Ron and Hermione shook their heads. "No way." They yelled together. Harry rolled his eyes. "Alright, just try and stun them- we want them alive."
Ron looked like he was about to say he disagreed with that statement, but didn't get a chance as Harry was already crawling out through the tablecloth. He and Hermione followed. They straightened up to find they were almost alone- as they were quite near the hole in the wall. They couldn't see any of the Deatheaters lost in the crowd, and students were running in every direction, including a fair few running their way. Chairs were turned over and there was food scattered all over the floor.
A large group of students were gathered at the doors of the Entrance Hall- in their agitation they couldn't get it opened. Harry suddenly spotted three Deatheaters through the crowd, making their way determinedly to that group. "Come on." Harry cried, running towards them.
~*~
Draco Malfoy stood completely still at the Slytherin table, exactly where he had been standing since the first Deatheater had appeared. He knew that he wouldn't be hurt by them- and so he watched as they made their way through the hall.
Draco had spent enough time around Deatheaters in the past five years to know that things weren't going well for them. He also found their attack strategy rather odd- instead of blasting people apart with huge spells like they usually did, they were working their way through the crowd, looking at people. Draco could clearly see Lucius Malfoy doing just that, though he was also stupefying people and knocking them over as he went. Nobody thought to try and stop him.
It was then that Draco noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione running towards three Deatheaters who were approaching a large group by the doors. They looked furious- Draco was sure they'd beat back the Deatheaters. Oh well, it wasn't as if he actually cared.
Just then, Draco felt a rough hand on his shoulder and he was turned around to find a Deatheater standing right next to him. "Where is she?" Draco recognised the voice immediately- McNair. Draco scowled and shrugged his hand off of his shoulder. "Where is who?" He asked feeling confused. They were looking for someone- that made sense, but a girl? Draco had assumed they were here for Potter. Again.
"Your sister. The Moyen." McNair sneered.
Draco felt as if all the wind had been knocked out of him on hearing those four words. *Lucius knew.* Thoughts and feelings rushed through his mind at lightning speed and all came to rest on one sure point. Lucius Malfoy.
Draco turned and walked away from McNair, hurrying instead into the crowd, looking desperately around for Leonora. Her only chance was for him to find her before his father did.
~*~
Lori and Daphne were halfway across the entrance hall when they heard screaming from inside the Great Hall. The doors were closed, so they couldn't see what was causing all the commotion. Their curiosity was satisfied, however, when they heard cries of 'Deatheaters!' followed by even louder screaming.
Lori's hands flew to her mouth to stifle her scream. Daphne stood rooted to the spot, unable to move or even think clearly. She knew very clearly what Deatheaters were, and after this morning, she knew what they were here for as well. Lori turned to Daphne with tears in her eyes. "Daphne I- I have to go in there." She said quietly.
Daphne snapped out of her little world and stared at her best friend. "Are you kidding? You can't go in there!" She cried, grabbing hold of Lori's arm. Lori didn't try to pull free; she just looked at Daphne sadly. "Don't you see Daph? They're here for me, and, and if they can't find me then they'll, they'll hurt people. I can't let that happen." She said, gently prising Daphne's fingers off of her arms.
Then she turned and walked not towards the main doors, but to a door off to the side of the hall. Daphne frowned and followed her. If she was really going to do this, she wasn't going to do it alone. They found themselves in a small, cosy lounge-like room, full of paintings, which the subjects of which had obviously just left in terror.
They ran to the other door, leading to the hall, and after an alohomora charm from Daphne, they were in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. They took it all in in an instant. The terrified students, rushing around haphazardly, the teachers trying desperately to regain control, the deafening screams, and the masked figures prowling among the students.
Lori spotted her father straight away, he was pushing over two girls, who were screaming and trying to run away. Lori felt sick to her stomach watching him, and though she was terrified she knew what she had to do.
Taking out her wand, she ran into the middle of the hall, Daphne hard on her heels. She lifted her wand in the air, and, making sure she was in clear view of her father, she sent showering yellow sparks into the air.
Lori watched as if in slow motion as her father's masked face turned towards her and spotted her. She watched as he spoke to another Deatheater near him and nodded towards her. Feeling sick, she watched as her father walked towards her.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Dun, DUN, DUN!!!