Chapter Fifteen: A Dreadful Happening
Things passed on smoothly through January. Though there was one quidditch game left students focused more on their work now. They would soon have their exams. Especially in sixth year where they had learned many new things, the students were a little worried. They would be losing three days for their trip to France to have practical experience with dragons. Hermione had drawn up her timetable for the rest of the year. She was able to keep up with it. But the others were not doing their work with great pace. Ron was struggling with potions.
On the fourth of February when they came down to breakfast people had scared looks on their faces. They soon knew the reason. Hermione picked up her 'Daily Prophet' and read out.
Massive Explosions through West London, Death eaters suspected
By Rita Skeeter
Four explosions of very high magnitude took place in West London in the evening of 3rd February 1996. As many as 202 muggles are feared dead while thousands are injured. Manny of their homes have been totally burned down. Though the muggles are calling this a 'terrorist attack' (whatever that is supposed to mean) sources from the ministry have confirmed that death eaters serving the dark lord are responsible for this attack. Many death eaters are captured in Azkaban at the moment.
According to Kingsley Shacklebolt, Senior Under secretary to the minister, the minister had been tipped off of such an attack by an owl. However this was barely an hour before the actual attack so the Ministry could do nothing to prevent it.
She didn't read further. It was quite depressing. Though none of their loved ones had been affected by it such torture was unacceptable. The thing that they couldn't understand was why Voldemort would want to attack muggles. The students remained subdued throughout the day. Perhaps they were fearing a similar attack within the wizarding world. Harry was walking to the common room in the evening when Professor McGonagall came up to him.
'Potter, the headmaster wants to meet you', she said. Harry followed her. He couldn't help fearing something was wrong. Dumbledore looked very serious as he and McGonagall sat down next to him. For a few minutes Dumbledore couldn't say anything. Then he looked up and quietly spoke.
'Harry there is some very bad news. I've called you here to ask your advice on how to deal with it. You must have read the reports about the muggle attacks. I caught hold of a muggle newspaper and went through the list of the deceased. With great regret I'm telling you that Ms. Granger's parents are no more'
'WHAT!' Harry shouted as he stood up. His insides had gone numb. He was too shocked even to realize the enormity of the situation.
'Harry please calm down. The reason I called you was to discuss how to tell Hermione about it', said Dumbledore, 'I'm not sure if I'm the right person to give her the news. She is closest to you in school. Would it be too much if I asked you to break the news to her'
Harry could not speak. To think that such fate had to come Hermione's way. Finally he said, 'Professor I know what you mean but I'm not sure if I'm mentally strong enough for this'
'Harry, there is no better person than you to tell her. Obviously she has to go home for the funeral and I want you to accompany her. I'm sure you would do anything to make her feel better'. Dumbledore gave him a few details about how everything happened. Harry nodded as he and McGonagall walked out. Harry couldn't decide how would he give her the news. McGonagall whispered to him to be gentle with her. Harry had seen Mr. and Mrs. Granger just once or twice at King Cross'. But his closeness to Hermione made him feel that it was equally his loss. Hermione's loss was his loss. He still couldn't digest the news. Things had gone so well this year. Why would such a thing have to happen? As he walked into the common room the smiling face of Hermione seemed like a knife piercing his heart.
'Where have you been Harry' she asked as she hugged him. 'Is something wrong?' she added seeing the look on his face. Harry couldn't say anything. His yes started watering. Hermione started getting tense. She pulled both of them to the sofa and said, 'Please tell me Harry. Maybe I can help'
'Hermione I do not know how to say this. In the attack on muggles yesterday ...'. He could go no further. Hermione for the first time sensed that this had something to do with her. She became frantic.
'Harry Please tell me, quick', she almost cried.
'In the attack...y-your p-parents were...k-kil...' He stopped again as tears started to flow freely from his eyes. Hermione obviously knew what had happened. For a moment she said nothing before bursting into tears. She was hysterical. Harry knew that he had to act. But for the first few minutes he had to let her be to herself. He stood near the doors of the dormitory to shoo off any other students who had heard Hermione cry. Sure enough Ron and a few others soon arrived. Harry told them the news and asked them to leave her alone.
Harry went back into the common room where Hermione was still crying with her hands on her face. He sat next to her and put an arm around her. She looked up and buried her face into his shoulder. Harry gently ruffled her hair. A few more minutes passed. Harry decided to tell her the full story as Dumbledore had told him.
'They had gone to meet a friend of theirs in London. The second explosion took place next to their friends' house. It was the strongest of all the explosions. Nobody in the near vicinity survived. You have to go for the funeral tomorrow and if you don't mind I'll go with you. Just for moral support'
Hermione couldn't reply. She sat there through the night. She cried occasionally but had a dazed look on her face. Harry of course sat with her. When everybody was going down for breakfast Harry gently told her eat something. She didn't nod or reply but stood up. Harry held her hand as they walked to the dining hall. He gestured to the other people not to ask her question. Hermione could hardly eat. Once she completely broke down. Harry just patted her back. Soon he got a note from Dumbledore through Hedwig.
The Knight bus will pick you two up from Hogsmede at 2:00 pm. You'll be dropped right in front of Hermione's house.
After Harry seemed satisfied with what Hermione had eaten he told her to pack a few things. He waited outside her dormitory as she did. He had asked Dobby to pack some food for them before they went. Soon it was past noon. The two of them walked to Hogsmede and waited for the Knight bus. When it arrived Harry booked two beds. Hermione had broken down again. Harry let her be. She hadn't spoken for almost a day. But that was understandable.
Things passed on smoothly through January. Though there was one quidditch game left students focused more on their work now. They would soon have their exams. Especially in sixth year where they had learned many new things, the students were a little worried. They would be losing three days for their trip to France to have practical experience with dragons. Hermione had drawn up her timetable for the rest of the year. She was able to keep up with it. But the others were not doing their work with great pace. Ron was struggling with potions.
On the fourth of February when they came down to breakfast people had scared looks on their faces. They soon knew the reason. Hermione picked up her 'Daily Prophet' and read out.
Massive Explosions through West London, Death eaters suspected
By Rita Skeeter
Four explosions of very high magnitude took place in West London in the evening of 3rd February 1996. As many as 202 muggles are feared dead while thousands are injured. Manny of their homes have been totally burned down. Though the muggles are calling this a 'terrorist attack' (whatever that is supposed to mean) sources from the ministry have confirmed that death eaters serving the dark lord are responsible for this attack. Many death eaters are captured in Azkaban at the moment.
According to Kingsley Shacklebolt, Senior Under secretary to the minister, the minister had been tipped off of such an attack by an owl. However this was barely an hour before the actual attack so the Ministry could do nothing to prevent it.
She didn't read further. It was quite depressing. Though none of their loved ones had been affected by it such torture was unacceptable. The thing that they couldn't understand was why Voldemort would want to attack muggles. The students remained subdued throughout the day. Perhaps they were fearing a similar attack within the wizarding world. Harry was walking to the common room in the evening when Professor McGonagall came up to him.
'Potter, the headmaster wants to meet you', she said. Harry followed her. He couldn't help fearing something was wrong. Dumbledore looked very serious as he and McGonagall sat down next to him. For a few minutes Dumbledore couldn't say anything. Then he looked up and quietly spoke.
'Harry there is some very bad news. I've called you here to ask your advice on how to deal with it. You must have read the reports about the muggle attacks. I caught hold of a muggle newspaper and went through the list of the deceased. With great regret I'm telling you that Ms. Granger's parents are no more'
'WHAT!' Harry shouted as he stood up. His insides had gone numb. He was too shocked even to realize the enormity of the situation.
'Harry please calm down. The reason I called you was to discuss how to tell Hermione about it', said Dumbledore, 'I'm not sure if I'm the right person to give her the news. She is closest to you in school. Would it be too much if I asked you to break the news to her'
Harry could not speak. To think that such fate had to come Hermione's way. Finally he said, 'Professor I know what you mean but I'm not sure if I'm mentally strong enough for this'
'Harry, there is no better person than you to tell her. Obviously she has to go home for the funeral and I want you to accompany her. I'm sure you would do anything to make her feel better'. Dumbledore gave him a few details about how everything happened. Harry nodded as he and McGonagall walked out. Harry couldn't decide how would he give her the news. McGonagall whispered to him to be gentle with her. Harry had seen Mr. and Mrs. Granger just once or twice at King Cross'. But his closeness to Hermione made him feel that it was equally his loss. Hermione's loss was his loss. He still couldn't digest the news. Things had gone so well this year. Why would such a thing have to happen? As he walked into the common room the smiling face of Hermione seemed like a knife piercing his heart.
'Where have you been Harry' she asked as she hugged him. 'Is something wrong?' she added seeing the look on his face. Harry couldn't say anything. His yes started watering. Hermione started getting tense. She pulled both of them to the sofa and said, 'Please tell me Harry. Maybe I can help'
'Hermione I do not know how to say this. In the attack on muggles yesterday ...'. He could go no further. Hermione for the first time sensed that this had something to do with her. She became frantic.
'Harry Please tell me, quick', she almost cried.
'In the attack...y-your p-parents were...k-kil...' He stopped again as tears started to flow freely from his eyes. Hermione obviously knew what had happened. For a moment she said nothing before bursting into tears. She was hysterical. Harry knew that he had to act. But for the first few minutes he had to let her be to herself. He stood near the doors of the dormitory to shoo off any other students who had heard Hermione cry. Sure enough Ron and a few others soon arrived. Harry told them the news and asked them to leave her alone.
Harry went back into the common room where Hermione was still crying with her hands on her face. He sat next to her and put an arm around her. She looked up and buried her face into his shoulder. Harry gently ruffled her hair. A few more minutes passed. Harry decided to tell her the full story as Dumbledore had told him.
'They had gone to meet a friend of theirs in London. The second explosion took place next to their friends' house. It was the strongest of all the explosions. Nobody in the near vicinity survived. You have to go for the funeral tomorrow and if you don't mind I'll go with you. Just for moral support'
Hermione couldn't reply. She sat there through the night. She cried occasionally but had a dazed look on her face. Harry of course sat with her. When everybody was going down for breakfast Harry gently told her eat something. She didn't nod or reply but stood up. Harry held her hand as they walked to the dining hall. He gestured to the other people not to ask her question. Hermione could hardly eat. Once she completely broke down. Harry just patted her back. Soon he got a note from Dumbledore through Hedwig.
The Knight bus will pick you two up from Hogsmede at 2:00 pm. You'll be dropped right in front of Hermione's house.
After Harry seemed satisfied with what Hermione had eaten he told her to pack a few things. He waited outside her dormitory as she did. He had asked Dobby to pack some food for them before they went. Soon it was past noon. The two of them walked to Hogsmede and waited for the Knight bus. When it arrived Harry booked two beds. Hermione had broken down again. Harry let her be. She hadn't spoken for almost a day. But that was understandable.