Harry Potter and the Hidden Truth
Chapter 4 One Small Step
AN: The first chapter has been rewritten, so anyone who has already read it may want to go back and read it again. The original chapter was the first thing that I have ever written, and was not a very good first attempt. But I feel the second goes better with the rest of the story.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed.
Hermione and Ron struggled to get to their feet. She started to rush to Harry, but he held out his hand for her to stop. The look in his eye, told her not to go against his wishes, and she stopped where she was, with Ron coming up behind her.
Hermione didn't know what to think, Harry Potter, the boy who went missing, was standing not more than ten feet away from her. He did not move, but he kept his eyes trained on Malfoy's body. His eyes were blazing with an intensity that she had never seen. She had to admit to herself, that seeing Harry like this truly scared her. The display of magical ability which she just witnessed was beyond anything she could imagine. Looking at Harry, she realized that he still had an overwhelming sense of power around him.
"Harry. What's wrong Harry?" she said while she inched closer to him.
Harry finally turned his eyes from Malfoy, and looked at Hermione. She noticed that the intensity in eyes was gone, and the Harry she knew was back.
"Hermione, don't touch me, or you could get hurt!"
The crowd of people was starting to get larger, they had come running after the explosion of glass, whispers about "You-Know-Who" and "Death eaters" were on everyone's lips.
Harry walked over to where Malfoy's body laid amongst the debris. Hermione noticed for the first time, that in the blast Draco and his goons were blown back too. All three were off to the side of Lucius's body, not one of them was moving. Harry pulled his wand from his robes, and pointed it at them. "Ennervate", Harry said calmly. They began stirring immediately, moans escaping from their mouths.
Harry then went over to Lucius, and pulled the wand from the bloodied hand, stuffing it in his pocket. Then he used his wand to bind the man up with rope.
She and Ron watched as Harry stood over Siruis, and released him from his body bind. He then turned and started to make his way to where they were.
About that time, several distinct popping noises came from all around them. Soon they all were surrounded by what she assumed were Aurors. They all were wearing ministry badges. None of them seemed to know what to do; they stood there looking from one person to another. The silence was broken by the sound of Professor Moody walking over to them. Hermione noticed he too was wearing a ministry badge on his cloak, as he got closer she could make out the word Auror. She thought that he had retired from the ministry, but guessed he must have gone back.
Mr. Weasley was now trying to push his way through the crowd, followed by Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Figg, and Mr. Fletcher. All five adults reached them about the same time.
Mrs. Weasley looked from one child to another, not sure which one she should hug first. She decided on Harry, and grabbed him and refused to let him go. Hermione heard her mumbling, but couldn't make out what she was saying.
Moody made a noise from beside them, and Mr. Weasley grabbed his wife's arm, "Molly. Dear, you need to let him go. We have to talk to him."
Molly released him, grabbing a tissue from her bag, and went and stood next to Ron. The rest of them turned to Harry.
Mr. Weasley embraced Harry, but not nearly as long. After he let go of Harry, he stood back, "Harry. Are you hurt? Can you tell us where you've been, and what happened here?"
Everyone stood there staring at Harry, waiting for him to say something, anything. By now the word had got around that the commotion had not been caused by Death Eaters, but by Harry Potter, who had been missing for over two months. Hermione noticed several people whom she assumed were reporters, but she didn't see Rita Skeeter. She was probably in her animagus form. The rest of the Weasley's were also in the crowd. Draco and his goons, she noticed, were trying to loosen the ropes holding his dad, but were having no luck.
Sirius still in his dog form, became anxious, and stepped in front of Harry, and began to bark. Moody looked around the crowd, his human eye going one way, and his magical eye going the other. He finally spoke. "Andrews!"
"Yes Sir." A short stocky auror standing behind Moody stepped toward the group.
Moody turned to face the auror. "We need to disperse this crowd. I want your team to begin interviewing anyone who may have seen what took place here, and send them on their way. Also call a medi-witch to look over Mr. Malfoy."
"Yes Sir!" Andrews replied. He turned, and motioned to some fellow aurors, and began calling out orders. Soon they had most of the area cleared. Hermione watched as a medi-witch arrived with a pop. She and the aurors were trying to revive Mr. Malfoy, but like Draco they were not having any luck. They were able to heal his cuts and bruises.
Mr. Weasley turned to his wife, "Molly dear, why don't you take everyone back to their rooms. Ron and Hermione, you need to stay here."
"Yes. Of course." She replied. She gave Harry another hug, and then she shooed the rest of the Weasley's toward the Leaky Cauldron.
Every pair of eyes once again settled on Harry. He began to shuffle his feet, looking at the ground. She observed that he didn't look much different from the last time she had seen him. He was perhaps a little taller, and still skinny. His hair was longer as well, and still messy. All in all, she thought that he looked healthy.
"Well if you don't want to tell us where you have been, can you at least tell us what happened here?" Mr. Weasley asked.
Harry still appeared rather nervous. With everyone staring at me, I would be nervous too. Hermione thought. She decided that she would try to save Harry from answering, at least for a little while.
"I can tell you what happened here. Ron and I saw the whole thing."
"Very well Hermione. Tell us what happened." Mr. Weasley said, turning to her.
Now everyone's eyes were on her, except Ron, who was watching Harry, and Harry, who was still watching his feet.
So she began. She told them about her and Ron admiring the Lightning Bolt, their encounter with Draco and then his father. About Lucius stunning Snuffles, pushing Ron to the ground and then slapping her. At that point Mr. Weasley asked her if that was why she had a red mark across her face. She hadn't realized it was there, but nodded anyway. Mr. Weasley took out his wand, and healed her face, and then asked her to continue.
"Well," she said hesitantly. "This is where it gets weird. I fell to the ground after he slapped me, then the wind started to get stronger. Soon the ground started to shake. The shop windows all exploded at the same time, but the glass, which was flying everywhere didn't cut anyone but Mr. Malfoy. It tore him up really bad. And then he just flew through the air, and collided with the building. Draco and his friends must have been blown back at the same time, but I didn't see that. I noticed them afterwards. The wind and the glass began to swirl around forming a massive funnel. Then there was a bright light, I had to turn my eyes from it. When I turned back around, I" she paused looking at Harry. He still hadn't looked up.
"What happened next Hermione? Please continue." Mr. Weasley prodded.
"Well, when I turned back around, the funnel was gone, and Harry was standing there." She heard gasps of shock from several people. And Harry still was not looking at anyone.
"Is that all Miss. Granger?" Moody asked.
"No." She replied, and then told them everything that Harry did afterwards.
Mr. Weasley turned to his son, "Ron, is this what happened?"
"Yeah Dad, just like she said." Ron said nervously.
"Andrews! Get over here." Moody growled. Andrews ran over from where he was interviewing a witness. "Yes Sir."
"Have any of them been able to tell you what they saw?" Moody asked.
"Yes Sir. For the most part everyone seems to be saying the same thing. Mr. Malfoy had words with these two," he said pointing to Ron and Hermione. "They say he got very upset. He stunned the dog, and then hit both of the children. Then they talk about wind and light, and Mr. Potter appearing from nowhere."
"Thank you Andrews, continue what you were doing. Mr. Potter. Could I please have Mr. Malfoy's wand."
Harry removed the wand, without saying a word, or looking at anyone, he handed it to Moody. Moody took out his own wand and performed the Prior Incantano spell on it. It showed the last spell issued from the wand was the "stupefy" spell. Moody then put away his wand and gave the other one to another auror to use for evidence.
Moody turned back to the group. "It looks like your story checks out. Mr. Malfoy will be detained for hitting a minor, and for discharging a Class C dark spell in a public place. I'm warning you now, that not much will happen to him. He will probably be fined and released."
The medi-witch who had been trying to revive Lucius came over and joined the group.
"I'm sorry to interrupt Sir, but we can't seem to revive Mr. Malfoy. We have tried everything." She said.
Moody took out his wand again, and muttered some spells, trying to wake Lucius. After a few minutes, he turned back to address Harry.
"Mr. Potter, can you please revive Mr. Malfoy?"
Harry looked up for the first time, making eye contact with Moody. "Yes Sir." Harry turned towards Lucius, and with a wave of his hand, Mr. Malfoy began to stir again.
Hermione saw several shocked looks pass between the adults, but nobody said anything.
"Andrews, detain Mr. Malfoy and his son, and transport them back to the ministry for questioning. I will be along shortly." Moody said. "Arthur, can I trust you to keep an eye on Mr. Potter and question him about what happened here. You should contact Dumbledore as well."
"Yes, of course Alastor." Arthur replied
"Mr. Potter I may still need to speak with you in the future. Is that clear?" He asked.
"Yes Sir."
Moody turned, and spoke to an auror, and then apperated out of Diagon Alley. The other aurors had just finished up their investigation, and soon all but two left. Hermione guessed the last two aurors stayed to keep an eye on things.
Everyone seemed to be in a trance, no one really knowing what to say or do next. Finally Mrs. Figg decided to end the standoff.
"Arthur, perhaps we should get Harry back to the Leaky Cauldron? And we still need to inform Albus of Harry's return."
"Yes, I think that would probably be wise. Come with us Harry." Mr. Weasley went over to Harry, and walked next to him with his arm around his shoulder. Snuffles was on the other side of Harry, with Mr. Fletcher in the front, and Mrs. Figg bringing up the rear of the group. Hermione noticed that they had formed a protective circle around Harry, and not one of the wizards communicated this to the others. They just did it instinctually. She grabbed Ron's arm, and they began to follow the group back to the Leaky Cauldron.