Second chapter guys. Thanks for all the reviews! I've only written these
two so far so it might be a while until I ever start the third. I'll try
though. ;)
Chapter 2 - Darkness
As the red head opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was how dark it was. He was hot and covered in cold sweat. A bad dream. That was all. Thinking it was not yet morning he lay back onto his pillow, to catch a few more moments of rest. Ron sighed and shoogled around to find comfort. Once he was satisfied he sighed and let his eyelids give in. Just as his eyes shut he heard the door creek open. He sat up, faster then he ever had and looked at the doorway. The person was standing behind the door so only a shadow was cast into the room.
Nervous and frightened Ron called to find out who it was. Before these words left his lips he heard the stranger speak. Well not speak exactly. Just a 'shhh'. Then they stepped into the room. Bushy haired and dressed in a light red dressing gown she looked at him. Her eyes, full of worry, locked with his own. Then she broke after a few seconds and stared at the floor. Hermione Granger. He had almost forgotten that she and Harry had stayed over for the last week of summer. It had been so quiet with just him and Ginny. Charlie, Bill, Fred and George were all working in the Order, and Percy. well Percy hadn't had any contact with the family for a few months.
"What is it?" He spoke quietly. She looked so fragile, he thought even his words might make her break. Ron did not understand the situation. All he knew was that there was trouble.
She looked from the floor and to him. "You'd better come and see. Don't wake Harry." Ron nodded in understandment and looked to his right to see the boy-who-lived sleeping silently at the other end of the room. He then quickly moved from his bed and followed.
Outside of his room the two of them walked in silence until they reached the living room. It was very dark. Ron wondered how late it was since he had never seen the sky so dark before. He looked towards the clock, not the magical one, but a white clock hanging beside it. His father, who was fascinated by muggles, kept that clock and fixed it himself. Ron remembered when he took it apart and lost most of the pieces. It had been so funny at the time. It was now fixed and the big hand suddenly moved to the 6. It was half past nine. Why was it still so dark? It was still summer. Surely the sun would've rose by now.
"Ron, the sun isn't up and the clocks are not wrong. I'm worried." Hermione bit her bottom lip lightly.
"You don't think it's a you-know-who-thing do you?"
Before she could answer they heard some footsteps and the two teenagers turned their heads in unison to face the stairs. Arthur Weasley, wrapped in a tartan dressing gown, and Molly Weasley plodded down the stairs. They looked like they had just woken up. Without saying anything Arthur walked straight into the kitchen and to the table. He picked up a Daily Prophet that had just arrived. He read the cover and a pained expression filled his face. Molly Weasley snatched the wizard newspaper from his grasp and she her eyes scanned the title her hand covered her mouth and she dropped the newspaper.
"What is it?" Ron asked. His parents started to talk and appeared to have not heard him. Ron scooped up the newspaper from the floor to see for himself.
"SUN BLOCKED OUT. YOU-KNOW-WHO STRIKES AGAIN."
As Ron continued to read:
"The Dark Lord shocked wizards and muggles alike when he defeated the odds and used his powers to block out the sun. There was complete darkness until witch Eloise Alvison lit the skies with moonlight. This means that all functions will continue to run. We are currently looking into getting the sun back and the Ministry of Magic doing everything they can. Several Death Eaters have been captured and are being questioned for information on You- Know-Who's whereabouts. It will just be a matter of time until he is stopped. Muggles have had their memories wiped of the incident and continue to see the sun. We repeat it is still safe to leave your homes. The moonlight is safe enough to travel about in."
Ron's eyes started to get blurred and stopped reading. Hermione, who was reading over his shoulder, gasped just as Molly had done.
"This is terrible. No sun! I am just glad school is not canceled. That would make things much worse."
Trust Hermione to worry about going to school at a time like this, Ron thought to himself. Today was their first day back and it looked like it will still be going to go on. There had been many attacks on muggles and wizards throughout the summer. Voldemort had rose the previous year and nothing had been the same since. Death Eaters had been caught though many more were still serving the Dark Lord. Azkaban was almost full and wizards had been caught out to be Death Eaters themselves. Even parents of some Hogwarts Students, mostly from Slytherin, which had not been surprising.
Ron heard a yawn and saw Harry walking towards them. He was still dressed in his pajamas and had his arms outstretched and yawned again.
"Morning", he said with a dozed smile. He noticed the tension in the room.
"What's going on? How come it's all dark?"
Hermione looked even more nervous as she handed the newspaper to Harry. As he read Arthur and Molly stopped their discussion and Arthur started to head upstairs.
"Now everything's going to be fine." Molly glanced at the muggle clock. "Goodness gracious! It's almost ten o'clock! We need to catch the train, go on and get ready! I'll go wake Ginny."
She shooed Ron, Harry and Hermione into their rooms to get changed. By twenty past all four were dressed, fed, trunks packed and ready to leave. Ginny, who was the youngest Weasley, had grown up so much in the last 2 years. Normally she would've been scared and worried but she had taken the news well. Seeing her father leaving to do raids in the middle of the night all summer, meant she understood what was going on.
Arthur had left for work early to deal with some important issues. Molly took the four to the station and they arrived there just in time. Pig was screaming more then ever. He didn't seem to the like the dark at all, which was embarrassing since he was an owl. Ron was constantly telling him to shut up and covered his cage with one of his spare robes. Molly waved them goodbye and told them to be extra careful. Ron could see her hand shaking as she waved.
They got onto the train and into their usual compartments. It was so strange riding the train in the dark. Ron could see hardly anything out of his window, but a few lights of distant buildings, which disappeared as they moved along. He glanced at his two best friends and smiled. He was ready to start his 6th year of Hogwarts.
Chapter 2 - Darkness
As the red head opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was how dark it was. He was hot and covered in cold sweat. A bad dream. That was all. Thinking it was not yet morning he lay back onto his pillow, to catch a few more moments of rest. Ron sighed and shoogled around to find comfort. Once he was satisfied he sighed and let his eyelids give in. Just as his eyes shut he heard the door creek open. He sat up, faster then he ever had and looked at the doorway. The person was standing behind the door so only a shadow was cast into the room.
Nervous and frightened Ron called to find out who it was. Before these words left his lips he heard the stranger speak. Well not speak exactly. Just a 'shhh'. Then they stepped into the room. Bushy haired and dressed in a light red dressing gown she looked at him. Her eyes, full of worry, locked with his own. Then she broke after a few seconds and stared at the floor. Hermione Granger. He had almost forgotten that she and Harry had stayed over for the last week of summer. It had been so quiet with just him and Ginny. Charlie, Bill, Fred and George were all working in the Order, and Percy. well Percy hadn't had any contact with the family for a few months.
"What is it?" He spoke quietly. She looked so fragile, he thought even his words might make her break. Ron did not understand the situation. All he knew was that there was trouble.
She looked from the floor and to him. "You'd better come and see. Don't wake Harry." Ron nodded in understandment and looked to his right to see the boy-who-lived sleeping silently at the other end of the room. He then quickly moved from his bed and followed.
Outside of his room the two of them walked in silence until they reached the living room. It was very dark. Ron wondered how late it was since he had never seen the sky so dark before. He looked towards the clock, not the magical one, but a white clock hanging beside it. His father, who was fascinated by muggles, kept that clock and fixed it himself. Ron remembered when he took it apart and lost most of the pieces. It had been so funny at the time. It was now fixed and the big hand suddenly moved to the 6. It was half past nine. Why was it still so dark? It was still summer. Surely the sun would've rose by now.
"Ron, the sun isn't up and the clocks are not wrong. I'm worried." Hermione bit her bottom lip lightly.
"You don't think it's a you-know-who-thing do you?"
Before she could answer they heard some footsteps and the two teenagers turned their heads in unison to face the stairs. Arthur Weasley, wrapped in a tartan dressing gown, and Molly Weasley plodded down the stairs. They looked like they had just woken up. Without saying anything Arthur walked straight into the kitchen and to the table. He picked up a Daily Prophet that had just arrived. He read the cover and a pained expression filled his face. Molly Weasley snatched the wizard newspaper from his grasp and she her eyes scanned the title her hand covered her mouth and she dropped the newspaper.
"What is it?" Ron asked. His parents started to talk and appeared to have not heard him. Ron scooped up the newspaper from the floor to see for himself.
"SUN BLOCKED OUT. YOU-KNOW-WHO STRIKES AGAIN."
As Ron continued to read:
"The Dark Lord shocked wizards and muggles alike when he defeated the odds and used his powers to block out the sun. There was complete darkness until witch Eloise Alvison lit the skies with moonlight. This means that all functions will continue to run. We are currently looking into getting the sun back and the Ministry of Magic doing everything they can. Several Death Eaters have been captured and are being questioned for information on You- Know-Who's whereabouts. It will just be a matter of time until he is stopped. Muggles have had their memories wiped of the incident and continue to see the sun. We repeat it is still safe to leave your homes. The moonlight is safe enough to travel about in."
Ron's eyes started to get blurred and stopped reading. Hermione, who was reading over his shoulder, gasped just as Molly had done.
"This is terrible. No sun! I am just glad school is not canceled. That would make things much worse."
Trust Hermione to worry about going to school at a time like this, Ron thought to himself. Today was their first day back and it looked like it will still be going to go on. There had been many attacks on muggles and wizards throughout the summer. Voldemort had rose the previous year and nothing had been the same since. Death Eaters had been caught though many more were still serving the Dark Lord. Azkaban was almost full and wizards had been caught out to be Death Eaters themselves. Even parents of some Hogwarts Students, mostly from Slytherin, which had not been surprising.
Ron heard a yawn and saw Harry walking towards them. He was still dressed in his pajamas and had his arms outstretched and yawned again.
"Morning", he said with a dozed smile. He noticed the tension in the room.
"What's going on? How come it's all dark?"
Hermione looked even more nervous as she handed the newspaper to Harry. As he read Arthur and Molly stopped their discussion and Arthur started to head upstairs.
"Now everything's going to be fine." Molly glanced at the muggle clock. "Goodness gracious! It's almost ten o'clock! We need to catch the train, go on and get ready! I'll go wake Ginny."
She shooed Ron, Harry and Hermione into their rooms to get changed. By twenty past all four were dressed, fed, trunks packed and ready to leave. Ginny, who was the youngest Weasley, had grown up so much in the last 2 years. Normally she would've been scared and worried but she had taken the news well. Seeing her father leaving to do raids in the middle of the night all summer, meant she understood what was going on.
Arthur had left for work early to deal with some important issues. Molly took the four to the station and they arrived there just in time. Pig was screaming more then ever. He didn't seem to the like the dark at all, which was embarrassing since he was an owl. Ron was constantly telling him to shut up and covered his cage with one of his spare robes. Molly waved them goodbye and told them to be extra careful. Ron could see her hand shaking as she waved.
They got onto the train and into their usual compartments. It was so strange riding the train in the dark. Ron could see hardly anything out of his window, but a few lights of distant buildings, which disappeared as they moved along. He glanced at his two best friends and smiled. He was ready to start his 6th year of Hogwarts.