Heart pounding, face pale, he ran. His feet carried him in different
directions. He could hear more explosions and screams from the distance.
Panting, he rushed to the hospital wing. She wasn't there. He ran back to
the common room as fast as he could and caught up with Ron, who was talking
quickly to Fred and George, who looked pale and panicked.
"Ron!" Harry called, sprinting around a cluster of crying first years and knocking into a third year girl who was running in the opposite direction.
"Harry! Where's Hermione? Didn't you find her? Isn't she okay?" Ron shouted back to him, wheeling around to face him.
"No, I don't know where she is. We have to look, come on!" He grabbed Ron's arm and led him away, letting go once they had got out of the common room.
"Are Fred and George okay?" Harry shouted over the noise in the corridor as they hurried.
"Yeah - but they didn't see Ginny anywhere," Ron called back.
"You don't think - is she okay?" Harry asked.
"Some first year saw her in the pitch," said Ron, throwing open the doors.
They ran outside, towards the pitch. All the teachers and most of the older students were fighting the Death Eaters. They pulled out their wands and rushed into the battle.
"STUPEFY! STUPEFY!" they both shouted over and over, dodging curses, ducking behind bits of wood. They didn't stop to see if they had Stunned any of them.
Professor McGonagall had fallen, but was unhurt. She didn't see two Death Eaters right behind her.
"PROFESSOR!" Harry called, running forward. "LOOK OUT!"
Harry leapt and slammed into Professor McGonagall. She stumbled, but stayed upright. Harry landed hard on the ground and tried to aim at the two advancing Death Eaters. He Stunned one of them and McGonagall got the other.
"All right?" he called to her. Professor McGonagall nodded.
Harry saw more of the Death Eaters coming, more approaching the pitch. There were already at least twenty in the pitch, fighting the students and teachers, and there was at least thirty more coming. Professor McGonagall looked at Harry with an expression of terror upon her face that Harry had never seen before. Then she straightened up more and leapt forward to battle.
"Harry!"
Harry wheeled around to see Ron bending over a pile of wood just outside the pitch, trying to move it, but struggling greatly. He rushed over and saw that Ron was shaking. There was someone underneath the heavy pile of wood, but they didn't know who it was. All they could see was an arm. They pulled, pushed, and lifted until their backs were sore and their fingers were full of splinters. The last piece of wood was moved, and Harry jumped. Underneath the wood was Hermione.
"Hermione!" Ron shouted, kneeling next to her and shaking her slightly.
She was unconscious. Harry couldn't tell whether she was breathing or not. He bent down and tapped her face gently. She didn't move.
"Is she - she's not - you don't think-" Ron blabbered.
"I don't know," said Harry, his stomach writhing.
"They've killed her! They've killed her! I'll kill them!" Ron shouted wildly, starting towards the Death Eaters, but Harry held him back.
"No, Ron, come on.we have to help Hermione first," he said shakily.
"I'll kill them!" Ron shouted again.
"Come on," Harry pulled Ron roughly towards Hermione. Ron looked at him with a mixture of fear and anger on his face, and nodded.
Ron picked her up carefully and they ran, fast as they could, to the castle. Hermione's face had deep gashes and cuts all over it, and her left arm looked as though it was broken. Her robes were soaked with blood and torn badly. Ron's eyes were terrified as they ran for the hospital wing at top speed. Harry felt himself shaking.
"Madam Pomfrey!" Harry shouted as he opened the hospital wing door. "Help!"
Madam Pomfrey gasped and went pale, then rushed over. Ron wouldn't let go of Hermione at first, but Madam Pomfrey was able to guide him over to a bed and get him to lay her down. There wasn't anyone else in the wing.
"Is - is she going to be okay?" Harry asked in a choked voice.
"I don't know," said Madam Pomfrey, very quietly.
Ron reached down and held Hermione's hand. He was biting his lip.
"Come on, Hermione, wake up," Ron whispered, so quietly that only Harry heard.
Hermione was lying there, looking very small, and with all those cuts bleeding terribly. Harry felt a lump in his throat, which he swallowed. Madam Pomfrey rubbed some potions and powders on Hermione's face and arms.
"You two, I'll have to ask you to leave. You're to go to your common room. Miss Granger needs care," said Madam Pomfrey, beginning to put up a screen around Hermione's bed.
"But-" Harry began, but she cut him off.
"You may come back later, when it's safer. Go," she urged them, gesturing with her free arm, the other still fixing the screen.
"Ron!" Harry called, sprinting around a cluster of crying first years and knocking into a third year girl who was running in the opposite direction.
"Harry! Where's Hermione? Didn't you find her? Isn't she okay?" Ron shouted back to him, wheeling around to face him.
"No, I don't know where she is. We have to look, come on!" He grabbed Ron's arm and led him away, letting go once they had got out of the common room.
"Are Fred and George okay?" Harry shouted over the noise in the corridor as they hurried.
"Yeah - but they didn't see Ginny anywhere," Ron called back.
"You don't think - is she okay?" Harry asked.
"Some first year saw her in the pitch," said Ron, throwing open the doors.
They ran outside, towards the pitch. All the teachers and most of the older students were fighting the Death Eaters. They pulled out their wands and rushed into the battle.
"STUPEFY! STUPEFY!" they both shouted over and over, dodging curses, ducking behind bits of wood. They didn't stop to see if they had Stunned any of them.
Professor McGonagall had fallen, but was unhurt. She didn't see two Death Eaters right behind her.
"PROFESSOR!" Harry called, running forward. "LOOK OUT!"
Harry leapt and slammed into Professor McGonagall. She stumbled, but stayed upright. Harry landed hard on the ground and tried to aim at the two advancing Death Eaters. He Stunned one of them and McGonagall got the other.
"All right?" he called to her. Professor McGonagall nodded.
Harry saw more of the Death Eaters coming, more approaching the pitch. There were already at least twenty in the pitch, fighting the students and teachers, and there was at least thirty more coming. Professor McGonagall looked at Harry with an expression of terror upon her face that Harry had never seen before. Then she straightened up more and leapt forward to battle.
"Harry!"
Harry wheeled around to see Ron bending over a pile of wood just outside the pitch, trying to move it, but struggling greatly. He rushed over and saw that Ron was shaking. There was someone underneath the heavy pile of wood, but they didn't know who it was. All they could see was an arm. They pulled, pushed, and lifted until their backs were sore and their fingers were full of splinters. The last piece of wood was moved, and Harry jumped. Underneath the wood was Hermione.
"Hermione!" Ron shouted, kneeling next to her and shaking her slightly.
She was unconscious. Harry couldn't tell whether she was breathing or not. He bent down and tapped her face gently. She didn't move.
"Is she - she's not - you don't think-" Ron blabbered.
"I don't know," said Harry, his stomach writhing.
"They've killed her! They've killed her! I'll kill them!" Ron shouted wildly, starting towards the Death Eaters, but Harry held him back.
"No, Ron, come on.we have to help Hermione first," he said shakily.
"I'll kill them!" Ron shouted again.
"Come on," Harry pulled Ron roughly towards Hermione. Ron looked at him with a mixture of fear and anger on his face, and nodded.
Ron picked her up carefully and they ran, fast as they could, to the castle. Hermione's face had deep gashes and cuts all over it, and her left arm looked as though it was broken. Her robes were soaked with blood and torn badly. Ron's eyes were terrified as they ran for the hospital wing at top speed. Harry felt himself shaking.
"Madam Pomfrey!" Harry shouted as he opened the hospital wing door. "Help!"
Madam Pomfrey gasped and went pale, then rushed over. Ron wouldn't let go of Hermione at first, but Madam Pomfrey was able to guide him over to a bed and get him to lay her down. There wasn't anyone else in the wing.
"Is - is she going to be okay?" Harry asked in a choked voice.
"I don't know," said Madam Pomfrey, very quietly.
Ron reached down and held Hermione's hand. He was biting his lip.
"Come on, Hermione, wake up," Ron whispered, so quietly that only Harry heard.
Hermione was lying there, looking very small, and with all those cuts bleeding terribly. Harry felt a lump in his throat, which he swallowed. Madam Pomfrey rubbed some potions and powders on Hermione's face and arms.
"You two, I'll have to ask you to leave. You're to go to your common room. Miss Granger needs care," said Madam Pomfrey, beginning to put up a screen around Hermione's bed.
"But-" Harry began, but she cut him off.
"You may come back later, when it's safer. Go," she urged them, gesturing with her free arm, the other still fixing the screen.