Chapter 11
The Third Sign
The crowd waiting for the ship was enormous, made up of about a least a million or more people. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George walked off the forward gangway from the Carpathia. Fred and George were looking through the crowds, for their parents. "Where should we start?" Fred asked.
"Lets go over there," George said, nodding toward the end of pier fifty- one. Before they got halfway through the crowds, they found Mr and Mrs.Weasley. Both were very happy to find all of them alive. Mrs.Weasley hugged each of them. "What have you heard, about the sinking?" George asked his father.
"Not much, all we know is that mostly fist-class passengers survived," Mr.Weasley told his son.
"Yeah, that's true, not many third-class passengers survived," Ron said.
"No, point staying, here, is there?" Mrs.Weasley said, "lets go home." The group followed her to their car. They were nearly there when Harry tripped over something and fell. He landed on his back and was winded. Harry started to cough again.
"Harry, you OK?" Fred asked. Ron and Hermione ran over to Harry, lying on the pavement and fighting for breath.
"Harry's got pneumonia," Hermione said, "We never told you."
"Er-this probably isn't a good time to tell you this, but I haven't got any more medicine," said Ron, kneeling beside Harry, both hands looking for some in the pockets of his robes.
Hermione, also kneeling beside Harry turned to the others, "We need to find a doctor." No one moved. "Don't just stand there, go!" she yelled. All four left.
"Harry, take deep breathes and try to stop coughing," there was apprehension in Ron's voice. Harry tried, but failed. Minutes passed, no one returned. Harry was just getting worse.
"Oh, if only I knew how to heal magically!" Hermione cried. Harry was now coughing up blood.
"Where are they?!" Ron said. Hermione, seeing the pain in Harry's eyes and the fear in Ron's voice started to cry. The coughing seemed to be starting to go away. His face was covered with cold sweat, and his vision was blurring. Then as if he knew what was coming, Harry's eyes closed.
"He's passed out again," Hermione said, quietly. She took Harry's limp body and shook it saying, "Wake up, come on, Harry, wake up." Ron felt for a pulse. Hermione looked at Ron and when Ron lifted his head, she knew what had happened. "No," she whispered, "no, he can't be." Ron took her in his arms and held her, as they both wept.
A cold mist was falling, as a small group of people stood outside a church. Ron and Hermione stood beside Mr and Mrs.Weasley. Sirius Black stood on the other side of Hermione and Fred and George beside him. "He was a great wizard in many ways." the priest was saying. Ron was only half listing; that was his best friend lying in that coffin, right in front of him. Ron thought about the past week, and how hard it had been for all of them. Sirius had shown up at their house the day after Harry's death. He had been completely heartbroken. Ron read the headstone on Harry's grave, these words were written on it: Harry James Potter, Great friend and great wizard, Born July 31, 1896, Died April 18, 1912. The service ended and with one last look back, Ron and Hermione left the churchyard hand in hand, wishing that Harry were still with them.