Chapter 14
A surprise assembly
The first sign that something was wrong came as Hermione and Ron were walking from History of Magic to Transfiguration. Three elderly wizards hurried past them talking in low hushed whispers. They managed to catch a snippet of the conversation, "So it's finally happened." "Yes, it's a sad day, what are we going to do now?" "There's no hope now." Hermione looked at Ron who shrugged, but they thought no more about it. The next odd thing was the fact that Professor McGonagall's room was empty. This was very unusual, she was never late for a lesson, and she'd also had a second year class before in the same classroom. The Gryffindors sat at their desks and waited. Ten minutes passed and Professor McGonegall had still not arrived. This had never happened before, and the class were chatting quite loudly when the door was pushed sharply open and Professor Sprout burst in. Her face was flushed with exertion, and she looked oddly close to tears. "There's an assembly in the hall now. Walk down in silence." The Gryffindors stared at her in amazement, but meekly complied. As they walked down the steps they saw other lines of students all heading to the hall in silence. Inside the hall they sat down, there wasn't so much as a whisper. Behind them as the last students entered, the thick wooden doors closed with a dull thud. On the platform the teachers were sitting, some looked like they were crying. Hagrid was sitting on the floor, filling a large corner. Large tears were leaking from his eyes. Every few minutes he would wipe his eyes with a large red and white spotted handkerchief. The handkerchief was very wet. Many of the students were staring in fascination. There were also strangers on the stage. The trio of wizards Hermione and Ron had seen before were gathered there, as were other wizards that were unfamiliar, although Hermione thought that one of them at the back was Cornelius Fudge. Dumbledore stood up from his usual chair and walked slowly to the front of the stage. He slowly surveyed the gathered students before beginning, "It is my regretful duty to call you altogether this morning. There has been a tragedy and it falls upon me to inform you. Earlier today a Hogwarts pupil was murdered." A solemn hush swept round the hall. Every pair of eyes were staring hard at Dumbledore. "Harry Potter is dead." The tomb-like silence was broken by Hermione letting out an involuntary sob. She flung her arms round Ron who was closest to her. She held onto him tightly, desperately. Ron stared ahead blankly unaware of Hermione's distraught sobs. Harry wasn't dead. They couldn't kill Harry; he'd seen him last night. They'd talked. He was only a boy. Harry wasn't dead. Around Hermione and Ron there were shocked and unbelieving whispers, "Harry Potter can't be dead. I saw him yesterday." "It can't be true." Dumbledore waited for a few moments before sadly continuing, "He was lured out of the common room, and was killed by a dark wizard, who then escaped without capture. Harry Potter through his short life has shown outstanding courage beyond his years. Alas his foe was too powerful. Hogwarts failed to protect him and for that I take responsibility. You however, are still my responsibility and your safety is paramount. For this reason I am closing Hogwarts until further notice. The Hogwarts Express will be leaving at 2:00. This gives you time to collect your belongings and make your goodbyes. Remember Harry Potter; he was a credit to this school, and the wizarding world. That will be all." Dumbledore turned his back on the students and left the platform. Ron was still unaware of what Dumbledore had just said. Beside him, Hermione was shaking. She couldn't stop, and tears were running down her face. She let go of Ron and buried her face in her hands. Ron looked at her curiously. Why was she crying? Harry wasn't dead. Harry would be waiting for them in the common room. It was several minutes before anyone stirred from their seats. However students did start to leave the hall, some were crying, others were walking in silence. Even Malfoy didn't have his usual sly grin. He looked shocked and was whiter that usual. Ron and Hermione were left alone in the large hall. Ron was still in shock; nothing seemed to make sense. Hermione was sobbing inconsolably. Professor McGonegall walked over to them, her shoes echoing hollowly in the deserted hall. "Come on Ron, Hermione. Do you want to come up to Dumbledore's office?" Hermione looked up into McGonagall's slate grey eyes, her face tear stained. She nodded miserably, Ron was still staring out into space. Hermione pulled lightly on his arm. He slowly got to his feet and they both followed Professor McGonegall out of the hall, along the corridors and up the stairs into Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was sitting at his large desk, Fawkes perched next to him. Ron stared round him in awe. He had never been in Dumbledore's office before. Dumbledore looked at them both with sadness and concern. "I just wanted to tell you both how sorry I am. Harry's death is a complete tragedy; it is the worst possible thing that could have happened. I just wanted to tell you personally how sad I am. I'm so sorry we weren't able to protect him. I don't know if you knew, but he was going to leave this morning anyway. After Neville drank from of his cup, he felt responsible and asked me if he could leave, so you wouldn't be in any danger. He was so brave." Dumbledore sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect him" Hermione stared at him her eyes still bright with tears, "Of course we don't blame you. It's His fault. Harry didn't stand a chance against Him." She said bitterly, and then broke off. There was a large pause. Ron broke the silence, "He's not dead. I spoke to him last night." Dumbledore shuddered slightly, "He is dead. I saw his body. Perhaps you better go and pack now." He got up and started to sort out some papers in one of his cupboards. Hermione got up and together with Ron, she smiled weakly at Professor McGonegall and went down the tower and headed towards the Gryffindor common room. Behind them Professor McGonegall shut the door rather too loudly. "It's not fair," she said angrily to Dumbledore. "It's unfair to make them go through this. They're only children. It's cruel." "Minerva. I didn't enjoy it. But what's at stake. We can't risk it. It's breaking my heart, but what's the other options?" He looked straight into her eyes. "We need to know where we stand first."
Back in the common room the atmosphere was very sombre. Several Gryffindors came up to Hermione and Ron and said how sorry they were. Several of the girls were crying. Lavendar and Parvati were holding each other and sobbing loudly. Hermione ignored them. Ron didn't see them. They found a corner away from most of the Gryffindors. Hermione tried to talk to Ron. He still didn't seem to have understood what happened. Eventually he looked into her eyes and said, "He's dead isn't he. He's really dead." Hermione nodded the tears returning to his eyes. Ron found himself wanting to cry, but he couldn't. Ron looked blankly across the common room, Dennis and Colin Creevy were wiping their eyes with handkerchiefs. Sadness filled Ron, he looked away, leaned over and hugged Hermione tightly. In the Ravenclaw common room, Cho sat alone in a corner turning a silver ring in her hands.
The trip on the Hogwarts Express was very quiet. Hermione and Ron sat in an empty compartment talking very little. Much of the journey was spent staring out of the window. The other students left them alone. Their sadness was very personal. They needed space alone. The fact that Harry was not sitting with them was a continual pain. They imagined him laughing about the term, deciding how to get his own back at the Dursley's and what they'd enjoyed during the term. The train eventually pulled into Kings Cross Station. On the platform Mr and Mrs Weasley were waiting for them. Mrs Weasley was crying. She threw her arms tightly around both Hermione and Ron, "I'm so sorry. What can I say?" None of them wanted to let go of each other, but eventually they let go and Mrs Weasley ushered them out of the station.
A surprise assembly
The first sign that something was wrong came as Hermione and Ron were walking from History of Magic to Transfiguration. Three elderly wizards hurried past them talking in low hushed whispers. They managed to catch a snippet of the conversation, "So it's finally happened." "Yes, it's a sad day, what are we going to do now?" "There's no hope now." Hermione looked at Ron who shrugged, but they thought no more about it. The next odd thing was the fact that Professor McGonagall's room was empty. This was very unusual, she was never late for a lesson, and she'd also had a second year class before in the same classroom. The Gryffindors sat at their desks and waited. Ten minutes passed and Professor McGonegall had still not arrived. This had never happened before, and the class were chatting quite loudly when the door was pushed sharply open and Professor Sprout burst in. Her face was flushed with exertion, and she looked oddly close to tears. "There's an assembly in the hall now. Walk down in silence." The Gryffindors stared at her in amazement, but meekly complied. As they walked down the steps they saw other lines of students all heading to the hall in silence. Inside the hall they sat down, there wasn't so much as a whisper. Behind them as the last students entered, the thick wooden doors closed with a dull thud. On the platform the teachers were sitting, some looked like they were crying. Hagrid was sitting on the floor, filling a large corner. Large tears were leaking from his eyes. Every few minutes he would wipe his eyes with a large red and white spotted handkerchief. The handkerchief was very wet. Many of the students were staring in fascination. There were also strangers on the stage. The trio of wizards Hermione and Ron had seen before were gathered there, as were other wizards that were unfamiliar, although Hermione thought that one of them at the back was Cornelius Fudge. Dumbledore stood up from his usual chair and walked slowly to the front of the stage. He slowly surveyed the gathered students before beginning, "It is my regretful duty to call you altogether this morning. There has been a tragedy and it falls upon me to inform you. Earlier today a Hogwarts pupil was murdered." A solemn hush swept round the hall. Every pair of eyes were staring hard at Dumbledore. "Harry Potter is dead." The tomb-like silence was broken by Hermione letting out an involuntary sob. She flung her arms round Ron who was closest to her. She held onto him tightly, desperately. Ron stared ahead blankly unaware of Hermione's distraught sobs. Harry wasn't dead. They couldn't kill Harry; he'd seen him last night. They'd talked. He was only a boy. Harry wasn't dead. Around Hermione and Ron there were shocked and unbelieving whispers, "Harry Potter can't be dead. I saw him yesterday." "It can't be true." Dumbledore waited for a few moments before sadly continuing, "He was lured out of the common room, and was killed by a dark wizard, who then escaped without capture. Harry Potter through his short life has shown outstanding courage beyond his years. Alas his foe was too powerful. Hogwarts failed to protect him and for that I take responsibility. You however, are still my responsibility and your safety is paramount. For this reason I am closing Hogwarts until further notice. The Hogwarts Express will be leaving at 2:00. This gives you time to collect your belongings and make your goodbyes. Remember Harry Potter; he was a credit to this school, and the wizarding world. That will be all." Dumbledore turned his back on the students and left the platform. Ron was still unaware of what Dumbledore had just said. Beside him, Hermione was shaking. She couldn't stop, and tears were running down her face. She let go of Ron and buried her face in her hands. Ron looked at her curiously. Why was she crying? Harry wasn't dead. Harry would be waiting for them in the common room. It was several minutes before anyone stirred from their seats. However students did start to leave the hall, some were crying, others were walking in silence. Even Malfoy didn't have his usual sly grin. He looked shocked and was whiter that usual. Ron and Hermione were left alone in the large hall. Ron was still in shock; nothing seemed to make sense. Hermione was sobbing inconsolably. Professor McGonegall walked over to them, her shoes echoing hollowly in the deserted hall. "Come on Ron, Hermione. Do you want to come up to Dumbledore's office?" Hermione looked up into McGonagall's slate grey eyes, her face tear stained. She nodded miserably, Ron was still staring out into space. Hermione pulled lightly on his arm. He slowly got to his feet and they both followed Professor McGonegall out of the hall, along the corridors and up the stairs into Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was sitting at his large desk, Fawkes perched next to him. Ron stared round him in awe. He had never been in Dumbledore's office before. Dumbledore looked at them both with sadness and concern. "I just wanted to tell you both how sorry I am. Harry's death is a complete tragedy; it is the worst possible thing that could have happened. I just wanted to tell you personally how sad I am. I'm so sorry we weren't able to protect him. I don't know if you knew, but he was going to leave this morning anyway. After Neville drank from of his cup, he felt responsible and asked me if he could leave, so you wouldn't be in any danger. He was so brave." Dumbledore sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect him" Hermione stared at him her eyes still bright with tears, "Of course we don't blame you. It's His fault. Harry didn't stand a chance against Him." She said bitterly, and then broke off. There was a large pause. Ron broke the silence, "He's not dead. I spoke to him last night." Dumbledore shuddered slightly, "He is dead. I saw his body. Perhaps you better go and pack now." He got up and started to sort out some papers in one of his cupboards. Hermione got up and together with Ron, she smiled weakly at Professor McGonegall and went down the tower and headed towards the Gryffindor common room. Behind them Professor McGonegall shut the door rather too loudly. "It's not fair," she said angrily to Dumbledore. "It's unfair to make them go through this. They're only children. It's cruel." "Minerva. I didn't enjoy it. But what's at stake. We can't risk it. It's breaking my heart, but what's the other options?" He looked straight into her eyes. "We need to know where we stand first."
Back in the common room the atmosphere was very sombre. Several Gryffindors came up to Hermione and Ron and said how sorry they were. Several of the girls were crying. Lavendar and Parvati were holding each other and sobbing loudly. Hermione ignored them. Ron didn't see them. They found a corner away from most of the Gryffindors. Hermione tried to talk to Ron. He still didn't seem to have understood what happened. Eventually he looked into her eyes and said, "He's dead isn't he. He's really dead." Hermione nodded the tears returning to his eyes. Ron found himself wanting to cry, but he couldn't. Ron looked blankly across the common room, Dennis and Colin Creevy were wiping their eyes with handkerchiefs. Sadness filled Ron, he looked away, leaned over and hugged Hermione tightly. In the Ravenclaw common room, Cho sat alone in a corner turning a silver ring in her hands.
The trip on the Hogwarts Express was very quiet. Hermione and Ron sat in an empty compartment talking very little. Much of the journey was spent staring out of the window. The other students left them alone. Their sadness was very personal. They needed space alone. The fact that Harry was not sitting with them was a continual pain. They imagined him laughing about the term, deciding how to get his own back at the Dursley's and what they'd enjoyed during the term. The train eventually pulled into Kings Cross Station. On the platform Mr and Mrs Weasley were waiting for them. Mrs Weasley was crying. She threw her arms tightly around both Hermione and Ron, "I'm so sorry. What can I say?" None of them wanted to let go of each other, but eventually they let go and Mrs Weasley ushered them out of the station.