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Chapter Thirteen: No-one's Coming
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"Hello, Potter. We were just about to kill your girlfriend. Incarcerous!"
Ropes leapt from the air to bind Harry. "Protego!" The ropes changed direction and wrapped themselves around Malfoy. Nott raised his wand. "Silencio!" cried Harry. Unable to speak, Nott could not utter an incantation. "Stupefy! Stupefy!" Crabbe and Goyle fell to the ground, Stunned. The girls fled into the forest.
"So, Malfoy," said Harry. "Just you and me. A duel, like in first year."
"No, Potter," murmured Malfoy. "A death, like in fourth and fifth year. A death that was your fault."
"My fault?" Harry was curious against his instincts.
"Yes, Potter, your fault," was the silky reply. "She had to die to get to you. The Dark Lord's orders."
"You're young to be a Death Eater," noted Harry.
"Yes," Malfoy said darkly. "Petrificus Totalus!" Harry was off his guard and could not block that one. His limbs snapped together; he was as stiff as a board.
"Now, I suppose I'll have to do this myself!" said Malfoy, heaving a huge mock sigh. "Avada Kedavra!"
"No!" A bright orange blur sped from the trees and leapt in front of Hermione, taking the green jet straight in the stomach. It was Ron. With the last breath in his body, he sighed, "Stupefy!" Malfoy fell to the ground.
Just then, Harry realised the full seriousness of the situation. Hermione was bound, Ron was - there was nobody to take off the Full Body Bind. *And,* thought Harry, *No-one's coming. Only the Slytherins know we're here, and they won't tell.*
"Harry?" Hermione's weak voice came from another part of the clearing. He tried to mumble a response, but his lips were affected by the Bind, too. "Oh yes," she breathed. "I forgot. But I'm going to try and get these ropes off."
After a few minutes (which seemed like an age to Harry) Hermione got rid of some ropes and managed to grab her wand. "Libertious!" she cried and the last of the ropes disappeared. Hermione then took the curse off Harry. Tears filled her eyes as she said, "Mobilicorpus!" Harry set Malfoy's wand in the ground, sending up sparks to allow a rescue later on.
Slowly they left the forest, and stepped onto the Hogwarts grounds near a Care of Magical Creatures class. The fifth-years' attention shifted to Harry, Hermione and Ron. "Ron!" came a scream. The second orange blur Harry had seen that day. *Those Weasleys are fast!* he thought. The procession to the hospital wing gained another member: Ginny Weasley. Her class came too, followed by Hagrid. The Herbology class caught sight and joined them, too.
The bell had just rung when they reached the school. On entering the corridor that led to the hospital wing, they were met by Madam Pomfrey, who had heard the racket made by half the school behind Ron.
"What on earth-" Madam Pomfrey saw Ron. "What happened?" she asked.
"A killing curse," sobbed Hermione.
"A - a - a killing curse?" she stammered. Harry nodded. Tears escaped his eyes faster than he could wipe them away.
"How long ago?"
"Twenty minutes, maybe more," sniffed Harry. Madam Pomfrey gave a curt nod, them looked up and clapped her hands loudly for attention.
"That is ENOUGH!" she shouted. "All of you go to class!"
Madam Pomfrey took Ron into the hospital wing, closely followed by Hermione, Ginny and Harry. All three were crying. No words could fit the occasion. Ron was gone.
*Mum, Dad, Sirius, Ron,* thought Harry. *I'm cursed. Almost all the people I've ever cared about are dead.*
He glanced at Hermione. How long would it be before she, too, was ripped out of his life?
Chapter Thirteen: No-one's Coming
::::::--------------
"Hello, Potter. We were just about to kill your girlfriend. Incarcerous!"
Ropes leapt from the air to bind Harry. "Protego!" The ropes changed direction and wrapped themselves around Malfoy. Nott raised his wand. "Silencio!" cried Harry. Unable to speak, Nott could not utter an incantation. "Stupefy! Stupefy!" Crabbe and Goyle fell to the ground, Stunned. The girls fled into the forest.
"So, Malfoy," said Harry. "Just you and me. A duel, like in first year."
"No, Potter," murmured Malfoy. "A death, like in fourth and fifth year. A death that was your fault."
"My fault?" Harry was curious against his instincts.
"Yes, Potter, your fault," was the silky reply. "She had to die to get to you. The Dark Lord's orders."
"You're young to be a Death Eater," noted Harry.
"Yes," Malfoy said darkly. "Petrificus Totalus!" Harry was off his guard and could not block that one. His limbs snapped together; he was as stiff as a board.
"Now, I suppose I'll have to do this myself!" said Malfoy, heaving a huge mock sigh. "Avada Kedavra!"
"No!" A bright orange blur sped from the trees and leapt in front of Hermione, taking the green jet straight in the stomach. It was Ron. With the last breath in his body, he sighed, "Stupefy!" Malfoy fell to the ground.
Just then, Harry realised the full seriousness of the situation. Hermione was bound, Ron was - there was nobody to take off the Full Body Bind. *And,* thought Harry, *No-one's coming. Only the Slytherins know we're here, and they won't tell.*
"Harry?" Hermione's weak voice came from another part of the clearing. He tried to mumble a response, but his lips were affected by the Bind, too. "Oh yes," she breathed. "I forgot. But I'm going to try and get these ropes off."
After a few minutes (which seemed like an age to Harry) Hermione got rid of some ropes and managed to grab her wand. "Libertious!" she cried and the last of the ropes disappeared. Hermione then took the curse off Harry. Tears filled her eyes as she said, "Mobilicorpus!" Harry set Malfoy's wand in the ground, sending up sparks to allow a rescue later on.
Slowly they left the forest, and stepped onto the Hogwarts grounds near a Care of Magical Creatures class. The fifth-years' attention shifted to Harry, Hermione and Ron. "Ron!" came a scream. The second orange blur Harry had seen that day. *Those Weasleys are fast!* he thought. The procession to the hospital wing gained another member: Ginny Weasley. Her class came too, followed by Hagrid. The Herbology class caught sight and joined them, too.
The bell had just rung when they reached the school. On entering the corridor that led to the hospital wing, they were met by Madam Pomfrey, who had heard the racket made by half the school behind Ron.
"What on earth-" Madam Pomfrey saw Ron. "What happened?" she asked.
"A killing curse," sobbed Hermione.
"A - a - a killing curse?" she stammered. Harry nodded. Tears escaped his eyes faster than he could wipe them away.
"How long ago?"
"Twenty minutes, maybe more," sniffed Harry. Madam Pomfrey gave a curt nod, them looked up and clapped her hands loudly for attention.
"That is ENOUGH!" she shouted. "All of you go to class!"
Madam Pomfrey took Ron into the hospital wing, closely followed by Hermione, Ginny and Harry. All three were crying. No words could fit the occasion. Ron was gone.
*Mum, Dad, Sirius, Ron,* thought Harry. *I'm cursed. Almost all the people I've ever cared about are dead.*
He glanced at Hermione. How long would it be before she, too, was ripped out of his life?