Chapter 13: Hogsmeade Attack
Disclaimer: See all previous chapters
Thanx to all my reviewers!!! I really appreciate all of the outstanding reviews that have urged me ever to go on!
It was Halloween. Draco was numb in thinking what he was going to do today. He was going to leave for Hogsmeade before anyone else. Everyone was going to leave at 12:30 and arrive at 1:00. Draco was going to leave at 12:00. He hoped that he could make it by 12:17. This was is first mission as a Death Eater and he didn't plan to ruin it and face the Dark Lord's Wrath.
During his Witches and Wizards That Aren't Human class, he hardly listened to Professor Talmange's lecture on how important learning about ghosts are going to be for their O.W.L.s.
"Hurry up!" he thought desperately, looking at the clock frantically.
"Remember that your ghost interviews are due this Monday!"
By the time that they class left it was 11:30...time for lunch. Draco walked into the Great Hall. Dumbledore stood up before everyone started eating and made an announcement.
"It is my sorrowful duty to inform you that the Hogsmeade trip is canceled for today." At this there were many boo's and hisses coming from the students.
Dumbledore held up a hand. "In return for you students staying in the castle and moping all day, there will be a dance held tonight at 8:00." At this many people cheered. Some still looked angry that they weren't going to Hogsmeade though.
"Why aren't we going to Hogsmeade?" Fred Weasley called out loudly. He was encouraged by nods from his fellow Gryffindors.
Dumbledore looked at the Gryffindor table carefully. Then slowly at all the other tables, his gaze resting the longest on the Slytherin table, it seemed, on Draco.
"I think you all are mature enough to hear this: I have been hinted on an attack that may take place. Now this is just a rumor but it is better to be safe than dead."
Everyone stared at him, speechless.
"Just remember!" Dumbledore continued, "in return for you staying safely in the castle there will be a dance! Now eat!"
As the food blossomed in front of them, Draco beckoned to his fellow Slytherins.
"Listen," Draco said, "I know that this attack thing is just a joke. One of the Gryffindors thought it would be funny to start a rumor." At this the Slytherins, both young and old, looked furious.
"But," Draco continued carefully, "I no a passage that will get us there in no time." Draco's friends eyed him suspiciously. Tempest looked fearful. Ford looked excited.
"The passage is that One-Eyed Witch statue next to the Arithmancy classroom. The password is: Dissendium. The witches hump will open and let you climb in. It's kind of narrow though. The passage leads straight into the Honeydukes cellar in the back of the store. Go through quietly so that no one will notice you. And go through the hump only a couple of you at a time, alright?"
"Got it!" Ford said, "but aren't you coming with us?"
Draco hesitated. "I have to leave a little later because of my Transfiguration report. So you all go before me alright?"
All of them nodded their heads.
Draco looked at his watch. He had always loved that watch. One glance of the silver, almost fluidic face, could tell him the date and time. With one tap of his wand, it changed into a wizard clock, telling Draco where everyone in his family was. With another tap of a wand and a whispered name, it told Draco where anyone of his friends where. Right now his watch said, 11:58, October 31.
He quickly stood up and made off towards the grounds to the Whomping Willow. He conjured a long stick and pushed at the big knob. The secret door opened and Draco slipped through.
After walking for quite some time Draco opened the door that was to the basement of the Shrieking Shack.
He carefully climbed to the front door of the old house and pushed it open. As he made his way down to the clothes store someone called his name.
"Draco!"
Draco looked around for the source of the voice and saw a figure dressed in black beckon to him.
"Hello Father." Draco said, surprised. In his hands his father held a black robe and a white mask.
"This is for you. Put it on so that no one will recognize you!"
Draco graciously took the bundle from his father's hands. "Thank you Father." He said lowly.
"Go now Draco!"
Draco sprinted to the Clothing Store. The clothing store was a little cottage with a thatched green roof. Draco looked around to make sure no one was watch and ran behind the store into a little alley. There he put on his black robe and skillfully, after seeing his Father do it a dozen times, put the mask on. Then he slipped to the yellow side of the colorful store. He glanced down at his watch. It was 12:16 on the dot.
At 12:17 Draco begun to see Death Eaters scattered in all of their hiding places. McNair looking very funny in a cherry tree. Parkinson crouching behind some cans. Narcissa next to the Coloring supplies store for toddlers. His father next to a candy stand. Draco knew his father hated candy and wondered what Lucius was thinking. Draco saw at least 13 other people dressed in black with white masks on, all of which were very well hidden.
Then, people started screaming and running. Draco knew this was his cue.
He jumped from out of the shadows and started shooting curses. It was surprisingly easy to breath and see in his mask; it was as if it wasn't there at all. Draco's Petrifying curse hit a witch in the back. She fell forward, unconscious, into the mud.
Then there was a great uproar as Wormtail set Honeydukes on fire.
Draco followed his lead and went forward to set Zonko's on fire. Everywhere wizards and witches in robes and masks were following Wormtail's lead and setting things on fire. After Zonko's was ablaze, Draco decided that he could do something different.
Draco didn't know how long he set things on fire and tortured people.
Then Pansy Parkinson rushed by screaming.
"Revenge is sweet." Draco thought to himself. Pansy had been bugging him and hanging off him for too long now!
"CRUCIO!" Draco yelled.
Pansy fell on the ground and writhed like a worm, shrieking, cursing, and crying. Draco looked on, showing no remorse. Then he looked up at the sound of a big explosion and dropped the curse. He was unaware that some man had helped Pansy up and took her to the shadows. Aurors were rambling about, shooting curses and petrifying spells at anyone in a black robe with a white mask. Several curses flew by Draco as he joined the destruction.
"Stupify!" he shouted and it hit a first year Slytherin and he fell.
Then the Death Eaters started swarming together. Draco joined them quickly. All of the Death Eaters stood in a circle. Their backs were facing the middle of the giant Death Eater circle.
"Avada Kedavra on the count of three," was the whisper that was passed to every member. Draco braced himself.
"One!...Two!...Three!..." somebody within the circle yelled.
"Avada Kedavra!" Draco and several others cried. The Aurors shot back the Death Curse. One barely grazed Draco's head as he swiftly moved aside of it. Draco felt the Death Eater next to him fall.
"Avada Kedavra!" he shouted again. He was glad that his father had taught him this curse when he was very young or else he wouldn't be able to perform it.
This time his curse hit a red-headed Ministry official. Arthur Weasley fell to the ground, dead.
Draco silently cheered. He had killed Arthur Weasley! His father would be so proud. But a little voice in his head told him what he had just done. He killed somebody. Sure he had killed bugs and little creatures before but not humans.
All around him, Draco heard people fall to the ground. Ministry people, Aurors, and Death Eaters alike. After shooting 'Crucio' at one of the Ministry officials he looked up.
Draco saw one of the Aurors point his wand at him. The Death Eaters all around Draco were DisApparating. The Auror opened his mouth and Draco thought hard about being in the Whomping Willow passage.
"Eret em Etarappa!" he said silently. Then he was gone, floating above the mass confusion and destruction. They had won the battle. Then Draco materialized inside of the passage.
Weary of the attack, Draco slumped against the wall and rested. After a couple of minutes of sitting with his mind blank, sleep overtook him. Draco fell asleep with a thud on the ground.
*~*~*~*~*
Draco awoke, who knows how long later, his neck stiff from laying on the hard ground. He also had fallen asleep on his leg and it was asleep He groaned and rubbed his neck. Then he looked at his watch. It was 3:07. He wondered how long the attack had lasted and how long he was asleep. He couldn't remember falling asleep, that was for sure.
"I better get up to the castle." Draco thought aloud. Then, limping in pain from his leg, he made his way down the tunnel.
Several minutes later, Draco pressed the hollow inside of the secret knot from inside of the tree. He could almost hear it freeze. Then he pushed open the door.
The grounds were silent and warm.
"Wait a minute!" Draco thought "Warm?!" Then he realized a was still in his mask and robe. He carelessly took them off, shrunk them, and stuck them in his pocket. A fresh wind chilled him to the bone as he walked up to the castle. He stuffed his hands in his cloak pocket. Then he thought about what the others would say when he got inside.
'Where were you?' they would all ask. Draco thought for a moment. Then a story came to him.
He quickly messed up his hair and picked up some mud from the ground. He smeared it on his face, hands, robes and hair. Then he care fully put a pebble in his left shoe to remind him that that was the one he was supposed to limp on.
Then he limped to the castle doors.
He pushed open the doors with all of his might. He heard some commotion going on in the Great Hall.
"Thank you for congregating today students." Draco heard Dumbledore say gravely.
"There is a reason I have summoned you here. Something-"
Draco chose this moment to walk in. He leaned on the doors and they flew open. Dumbledore stopped speaking abruptly.
Everyone stared at the disheveled Draco walked up to the Slytherin table and looked at Dumbledore, who was piercing him with his gaze.
"Draco!" Dumbledore called out, "since you are already standing come up and sit here. I may need you too speak.
Draco sat down at the staff table and listened as Dumbledore continued his speech.
"As I was saying, something great and terrible has happened today in Hogsmeade. There has been a Death Eater attack."
At this many students gasped. Some looked at Dumbledore in disbelief. Draco's face remained calm, for it was all part of the plan.
"Death Eaters attacked and killed 16 people with their fires and curses. In return 8 of them were killed. I do not know what happened but some of the Slytherins were there and two of them have been killed. Draco, evidently, was there also. I will first read off of the list of the names of the deacesed and then since I was not there, Draco will give his account on what happened."
Snape handed Dumbledore a long list of names. Dumbledore took it and started reading it.
"Marla Evant, Erik Blooming Danny Elerthrope Arthur Weasley,"
At this Ginny Weasley burst into tears. He brothers tried to comfort her but they also looked on the verge of tears. Dumbledore looked at them and continued,
"Blaise Zabini," many of the Slytherins gasped, Pansy started crying. The list went on and on. After reading seventeen more names Dumbledore said,
"Narcissa Malfoy,"
Draco's eyes went wide and his mouth started to drop open. He caught it midway and shut it, then looked at Dumbledore in disbelief. Dumbledore looked at him sympathetically then continued reading.
Draco was numb in disbelief. His mother? HIS MOTHER? It was impossible. She didn't even WANT to be a Death Eater! She shouldn't have died!
"I should've." Draco thought to himself softly. "I wanted to be one and am guilty. She shouldn't have DIED!!" Draco nearly hit is wrist at the table he was sitting at. Professor Sinistra looked at him sadly and placed a hand on his shoulder. Draco shrugged it off and looked at all of the faces in the Great hall.
They were all looking back at him.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Draco! We will hear from you know."
Draco slowly stood up and limped to the podium.
"Well, the first thing I should say is that, I'm sorry."
Some of the people looked at him skeptically.
"I told some of the Slytherins that there was another way to get to Hogsmeade. I thought that the attack thing was just a silly old rumor. I was wrong." Draco hung his head convincingly.
"I went to Hogsmeade a little later than the others because I had to work on my Transfiguration report. But when I was through I went through the passage."
"And WHERE," Dumbledore said, "may I ask, is this passage?"
Draco looked at him. "it is the One-Eyed Witch. You say Dissendium and her hump leads to Honeydukes cellar. Anyways, I went there and I saw Zonko's on fire. Then I saw people running everywhere. Someone was torturing Pansy. I ran up to help her but someone petrified me. I woke up who knows how long later in an alley way. Then I came here."
"Thank you, Draco." Dumbledore said. "you may sit with your fellow students now."
"Sir, I'd rather go to bed. I'm kind of tired."
"You may go, Draco."
"Thank you."
As Draco left the Hall, everyone was staring at him. But Dumbledore and Tempest the hardest of all.
I hope you guys liked this chapter!! I tried to go into a lot of detail during the battle. Review please and tell me how I did!! Should I continue or not??
BEEFYWPAC
Disclaimer: See all previous chapters
Thanx to all my reviewers!!! I really appreciate all of the outstanding reviews that have urged me ever to go on!
It was Halloween. Draco was numb in thinking what he was going to do today. He was going to leave for Hogsmeade before anyone else. Everyone was going to leave at 12:30 and arrive at 1:00. Draco was going to leave at 12:00. He hoped that he could make it by 12:17. This was is first mission as a Death Eater and he didn't plan to ruin it and face the Dark Lord's Wrath.
During his Witches and Wizards That Aren't Human class, he hardly listened to Professor Talmange's lecture on how important learning about ghosts are going to be for their O.W.L.s.
"Hurry up!" he thought desperately, looking at the clock frantically.
"Remember that your ghost interviews are due this Monday!"
By the time that they class left it was 11:30...time for lunch. Draco walked into the Great Hall. Dumbledore stood up before everyone started eating and made an announcement.
"It is my sorrowful duty to inform you that the Hogsmeade trip is canceled for today." At this there were many boo's and hisses coming from the students.
Dumbledore held up a hand. "In return for you students staying in the castle and moping all day, there will be a dance held tonight at 8:00." At this many people cheered. Some still looked angry that they weren't going to Hogsmeade though.
"Why aren't we going to Hogsmeade?" Fred Weasley called out loudly. He was encouraged by nods from his fellow Gryffindors.
Dumbledore looked at the Gryffindor table carefully. Then slowly at all the other tables, his gaze resting the longest on the Slytherin table, it seemed, on Draco.
"I think you all are mature enough to hear this: I have been hinted on an attack that may take place. Now this is just a rumor but it is better to be safe than dead."
Everyone stared at him, speechless.
"Just remember!" Dumbledore continued, "in return for you staying safely in the castle there will be a dance! Now eat!"
As the food blossomed in front of them, Draco beckoned to his fellow Slytherins.
"Listen," Draco said, "I know that this attack thing is just a joke. One of the Gryffindors thought it would be funny to start a rumor." At this the Slytherins, both young and old, looked furious.
"But," Draco continued carefully, "I no a passage that will get us there in no time." Draco's friends eyed him suspiciously. Tempest looked fearful. Ford looked excited.
"The passage is that One-Eyed Witch statue next to the Arithmancy classroom. The password is: Dissendium. The witches hump will open and let you climb in. It's kind of narrow though. The passage leads straight into the Honeydukes cellar in the back of the store. Go through quietly so that no one will notice you. And go through the hump only a couple of you at a time, alright?"
"Got it!" Ford said, "but aren't you coming with us?"
Draco hesitated. "I have to leave a little later because of my Transfiguration report. So you all go before me alright?"
All of them nodded their heads.
Draco looked at his watch. He had always loved that watch. One glance of the silver, almost fluidic face, could tell him the date and time. With one tap of his wand, it changed into a wizard clock, telling Draco where everyone in his family was. With another tap of a wand and a whispered name, it told Draco where anyone of his friends where. Right now his watch said, 11:58, October 31.
He quickly stood up and made off towards the grounds to the Whomping Willow. He conjured a long stick and pushed at the big knob. The secret door opened and Draco slipped through.
After walking for quite some time Draco opened the door that was to the basement of the Shrieking Shack.
He carefully climbed to the front door of the old house and pushed it open. As he made his way down to the clothes store someone called his name.
"Draco!"
Draco looked around for the source of the voice and saw a figure dressed in black beckon to him.
"Hello Father." Draco said, surprised. In his hands his father held a black robe and a white mask.
"This is for you. Put it on so that no one will recognize you!"
Draco graciously took the bundle from his father's hands. "Thank you Father." He said lowly.
"Go now Draco!"
Draco sprinted to the Clothing Store. The clothing store was a little cottage with a thatched green roof. Draco looked around to make sure no one was watch and ran behind the store into a little alley. There he put on his black robe and skillfully, after seeing his Father do it a dozen times, put the mask on. Then he slipped to the yellow side of the colorful store. He glanced down at his watch. It was 12:16 on the dot.
At 12:17 Draco begun to see Death Eaters scattered in all of their hiding places. McNair looking very funny in a cherry tree. Parkinson crouching behind some cans. Narcissa next to the Coloring supplies store for toddlers. His father next to a candy stand. Draco knew his father hated candy and wondered what Lucius was thinking. Draco saw at least 13 other people dressed in black with white masks on, all of which were very well hidden.
Then, people started screaming and running. Draco knew this was his cue.
He jumped from out of the shadows and started shooting curses. It was surprisingly easy to breath and see in his mask; it was as if it wasn't there at all. Draco's Petrifying curse hit a witch in the back. She fell forward, unconscious, into the mud.
Then there was a great uproar as Wormtail set Honeydukes on fire.
Draco followed his lead and went forward to set Zonko's on fire. Everywhere wizards and witches in robes and masks were following Wormtail's lead and setting things on fire. After Zonko's was ablaze, Draco decided that he could do something different.
Draco didn't know how long he set things on fire and tortured people.
Then Pansy Parkinson rushed by screaming.
"Revenge is sweet." Draco thought to himself. Pansy had been bugging him and hanging off him for too long now!
"CRUCIO!" Draco yelled.
Pansy fell on the ground and writhed like a worm, shrieking, cursing, and crying. Draco looked on, showing no remorse. Then he looked up at the sound of a big explosion and dropped the curse. He was unaware that some man had helped Pansy up and took her to the shadows. Aurors were rambling about, shooting curses and petrifying spells at anyone in a black robe with a white mask. Several curses flew by Draco as he joined the destruction.
"Stupify!" he shouted and it hit a first year Slytherin and he fell.
Then the Death Eaters started swarming together. Draco joined them quickly. All of the Death Eaters stood in a circle. Their backs were facing the middle of the giant Death Eater circle.
"Avada Kedavra on the count of three," was the whisper that was passed to every member. Draco braced himself.
"One!...Two!...Three!..." somebody within the circle yelled.
"Avada Kedavra!" Draco and several others cried. The Aurors shot back the Death Curse. One barely grazed Draco's head as he swiftly moved aside of it. Draco felt the Death Eater next to him fall.
"Avada Kedavra!" he shouted again. He was glad that his father had taught him this curse when he was very young or else he wouldn't be able to perform it.
This time his curse hit a red-headed Ministry official. Arthur Weasley fell to the ground, dead.
Draco silently cheered. He had killed Arthur Weasley! His father would be so proud. But a little voice in his head told him what he had just done. He killed somebody. Sure he had killed bugs and little creatures before but not humans.
All around him, Draco heard people fall to the ground. Ministry people, Aurors, and Death Eaters alike. After shooting 'Crucio' at one of the Ministry officials he looked up.
Draco saw one of the Aurors point his wand at him. The Death Eaters all around Draco were DisApparating. The Auror opened his mouth and Draco thought hard about being in the Whomping Willow passage.
"Eret em Etarappa!" he said silently. Then he was gone, floating above the mass confusion and destruction. They had won the battle. Then Draco materialized inside of the passage.
Weary of the attack, Draco slumped against the wall and rested. After a couple of minutes of sitting with his mind blank, sleep overtook him. Draco fell asleep with a thud on the ground.
*~*~*~*~*
Draco awoke, who knows how long later, his neck stiff from laying on the hard ground. He also had fallen asleep on his leg and it was asleep He groaned and rubbed his neck. Then he looked at his watch. It was 3:07. He wondered how long the attack had lasted and how long he was asleep. He couldn't remember falling asleep, that was for sure.
"I better get up to the castle." Draco thought aloud. Then, limping in pain from his leg, he made his way down the tunnel.
Several minutes later, Draco pressed the hollow inside of the secret knot from inside of the tree. He could almost hear it freeze. Then he pushed open the door.
The grounds were silent and warm.
"Wait a minute!" Draco thought "Warm?!" Then he realized a was still in his mask and robe. He carelessly took them off, shrunk them, and stuck them in his pocket. A fresh wind chilled him to the bone as he walked up to the castle. He stuffed his hands in his cloak pocket. Then he thought about what the others would say when he got inside.
'Where were you?' they would all ask. Draco thought for a moment. Then a story came to him.
He quickly messed up his hair and picked up some mud from the ground. He smeared it on his face, hands, robes and hair. Then he care fully put a pebble in his left shoe to remind him that that was the one he was supposed to limp on.
Then he limped to the castle doors.
He pushed open the doors with all of his might. He heard some commotion going on in the Great Hall.
"Thank you for congregating today students." Draco heard Dumbledore say gravely.
"There is a reason I have summoned you here. Something-"
Draco chose this moment to walk in. He leaned on the doors and they flew open. Dumbledore stopped speaking abruptly.
Everyone stared at the disheveled Draco walked up to the Slytherin table and looked at Dumbledore, who was piercing him with his gaze.
"Draco!" Dumbledore called out, "since you are already standing come up and sit here. I may need you too speak.
Draco sat down at the staff table and listened as Dumbledore continued his speech.
"As I was saying, something great and terrible has happened today in Hogsmeade. There has been a Death Eater attack."
At this many students gasped. Some looked at Dumbledore in disbelief. Draco's face remained calm, for it was all part of the plan.
"Death Eaters attacked and killed 16 people with their fires and curses. In return 8 of them were killed. I do not know what happened but some of the Slytherins were there and two of them have been killed. Draco, evidently, was there also. I will first read off of the list of the names of the deacesed and then since I was not there, Draco will give his account on what happened."
Snape handed Dumbledore a long list of names. Dumbledore took it and started reading it.
"Marla Evant, Erik Blooming Danny Elerthrope Arthur Weasley,"
At this Ginny Weasley burst into tears. He brothers tried to comfort her but they also looked on the verge of tears. Dumbledore looked at them and continued,
"Blaise Zabini," many of the Slytherins gasped, Pansy started crying. The list went on and on. After reading seventeen more names Dumbledore said,
"Narcissa Malfoy,"
Draco's eyes went wide and his mouth started to drop open. He caught it midway and shut it, then looked at Dumbledore in disbelief. Dumbledore looked at him sympathetically then continued reading.
Draco was numb in disbelief. His mother? HIS MOTHER? It was impossible. She didn't even WANT to be a Death Eater! She shouldn't have died!
"I should've." Draco thought to himself softly. "I wanted to be one and am guilty. She shouldn't have DIED!!" Draco nearly hit is wrist at the table he was sitting at. Professor Sinistra looked at him sadly and placed a hand on his shoulder. Draco shrugged it off and looked at all of the faces in the Great hall.
They were all looking back at him.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Draco! We will hear from you know."
Draco slowly stood up and limped to the podium.
"Well, the first thing I should say is that, I'm sorry."
Some of the people looked at him skeptically.
"I told some of the Slytherins that there was another way to get to Hogsmeade. I thought that the attack thing was just a silly old rumor. I was wrong." Draco hung his head convincingly.
"I went to Hogsmeade a little later than the others because I had to work on my Transfiguration report. But when I was through I went through the passage."
"And WHERE," Dumbledore said, "may I ask, is this passage?"
Draco looked at him. "it is the One-Eyed Witch. You say Dissendium and her hump leads to Honeydukes cellar. Anyways, I went there and I saw Zonko's on fire. Then I saw people running everywhere. Someone was torturing Pansy. I ran up to help her but someone petrified me. I woke up who knows how long later in an alley way. Then I came here."
"Thank you, Draco." Dumbledore said. "you may sit with your fellow students now."
"Sir, I'd rather go to bed. I'm kind of tired."
"You may go, Draco."
"Thank you."
As Draco left the Hall, everyone was staring at him. But Dumbledore and Tempest the hardest of all.
I hope you guys liked this chapter!! I tried to go into a lot of detail during the battle. Review please and tell me how I did!! Should I continue or not??
BEEFYWPAC
