"Are you staying or coming home?" Jenny asked Harry as they watched Ginny and Katie pelt Ron with Quaffles.
"I don't know, I suppose I'll go to Sirius' place." Harry said, "I'm expecting a letter back from him soon." Jenny nodded and shifted her gaze to where Jack and Andrew were playing a strange adaptation of tennis with a bludger.
"So, you're going home then?" Jenny said after a bit, "Because I think I'm staying at Sirius' as well because mum has to go and do some proper work during the holidays." Jenny said. Harry looked at Jenny and smiled. At their height the wind was actually quite strong, blowing Jenny's hair away from her face and baring her neck. Harry bit his lip as he looked away and saw Katie signal them over.
"Come on." Harry said as he flew towards Katie. Jenny followed him quickly and the team came to a stop by Katie.
"Well, Practice is over and I just want to say I'm very proud of you all." Katie said to them with a smile, "I've actually seen a lot of improvement from last year's team and lets just hope we can beat Hufflepuff to Kingdom come because I want to win that cup while I'm captain."
"Hear, hear!" shouted Ginny in a tone that reminded Harry of Fred and George. Katie laughed,
"And just take it easy over Christmas because I don't want to have to replace any of you." Katie said pretending to be threatening.
"No offence Katie but the whole strict threatening thing doesn't work with you." Harry said. He had been in the Quidditch team under three captains and Oliver Wood was the one who had the best scowl and strict tones.
"It doesn't?" Katie asked. "Oh well, hit the showers." As they landed on the pitch Hermione came running towards them. She was red in the face and her hair was wilder then usual. She stopped and doubled over as she tried to get her breath.
"Hermione." Harry said alarmed.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked.
"Attack…castle…April." Hermione said between breathes. Ron and Harry exchanged looks and mounted their brooms.
"Get on." Harry said to Hermione, who got on the back of Harry's broom, happy that she didn't have to walk back to the castle, and held onto him tightly as Harry sped to the castle. They didn't get off their brooms until they came to April's classroom door. Jenny was there first and ran into the room.
"Mum." She said urgently. She didn't have to look around. April was talking to an auror urgently while Madame Pomfrey did something to her side. April's robes were torn slightly and there was a cut across her cheek that was barely bleeding. Her arm had a large gash on it and there was blood all over the sofa that April sat on. April winced as Madame Pomfrey pointed her wand at the wound in her side and it started to heal.
"Mum!" Jenny squealed as she ran to her mum and put her arms around her.
"Jenny." April said, gritting her teeth in pain.
"Sorry." Jenny said quickly.
"We'll be on the look out master Marsd-"
"Oh, please inform Fudge that if he wishes to keep any shred of respect for himself then he'll resign quickly. Some of my attackers were ministry witches and wizards and I believe that Fudge must stop meeting with Malfoy or any other known deatheater to prevent anything like this happening to anyone who is less capable then I am at protecting themselves." April said furiously. The Auror nodded and went to the fireplace.
"Minister of Magic's Office, Ministry of Magic." He said as he threw some powder into the fireplace. Another Auror was looking through the room and when he saw Harry and his friends in the doorway he pulled out his wand.
"Valcrew, it's fine, he's my godson." April said closing her eyes. She sounded tired and looked as though she was about to fall asleep.
"Mum." Jenny said again. April started awake and looked at Madame Pomfrey. She frowned slightly,
"I'm afraid that you'll have to spend a few nights in the Hospital wing or go to St. Mungos. Either way you will have to sleep off the curse they put on you." She said to April.
"Excuse me Harry, Ron, Hermione." Said Dumbledore behind them. Harry turned and immediately moved out of the way. He was followed by McGonagall who frowned.
"What happened April? All we heard was the sound of attack."
"I didn't see them properly, they were wearing the hoods but I did see a few of them, there were about ten." April said. Ron looked at April impressed then turned to Harry and mouthed 'ten?'
"Who were they?" Dumbledore asked. April looked at Ron and Ginny quickly then turned to Dumbledore. Harry could see her wanting to fall asleep again.
"One of them had red hair, I recognised him as Arthur's third son, another was Avery and Malfoy" Ron had gone pale and Ginny had her mouth open slightly. When they heard April accuse Percy Weasley
"Lucious?" Dumbledore asked. April nodded. "Very well, you may sleep now. I will organise for someone to watch over the students in your absence." Dumbledore said. April nodded and stood up slowly. Jenny was on one side of April, supporting her up while Madame Pomfrey was on the other. April limped slightly as she left the room and went to the Hospital wing. Dumbledore looked at McGonagall seriously.
"Why would they attack the school?" McGonagall said, "they've never done that before."
"I don't know Minerva but I'm curious as to why Mr. Potter and his friends are here" Dumbledore said curiously.
"I went to fetch him Professor. I was with April to talk about the-" Hermione looked uncertainly at McGonagall, "The DA because we need a boggart to practise a few spells on and then suddenly they just burst out of the fire place with their wands drawn, I don't think they saw me because April hid me under a blanket and told me to stay down sir." Hermione said quickly. Her voice was shaking slightly and she stared at the floor.
"Why didn't you go and find myself or Professor McGonagall Hermione?" Dumbledore asked.
"I don't know sir, I just thought of Harry as soon as the attack happened." Hermione said blushing slightly under the headmaster's gaze.
"Very well." Dumbledore said taking his gaze off Hermione and turning to McGonagall, "Minerva, could you please inform Molly and Arthur that Percy has been put under the Imperious curse and that they are to refrain from taking any action. They will stay at Grimmauld place with Sirius until the children arrive there in a few days time." Dumbledore said. McGonagall nodded and rushed out of the room. Dumbledore looked at the four in the doorway. "Harry, Hermione, could I have a word with the Weasley's. Please close your door on the way out." Harry and Hermione nodded and they quickly left the room leaving Ginny and Ron looking slightly dazed.
"What exactly happened?" Harry said to Hermione urgently.
"Everything that I told Dumbledore." Hermione said, "Except one little thing." Hermione looked at the door and dragged Harry off to a gap between a suit of armour and the wall. "I saw Draco there as well with Crabbe and Goyle, it wasn't just adults that April was fighting but she was amazing, Harry. You're so lucky to have a godmother like that. She fought each one off on her own and she nearly stunned them all but they all escaped into the fire. The aurors were just taking the captives away when I left to find you." Hermione said. Her face had gone pale and she was shaking slightly. Harry pulled her into a hug to try and calm her shaking. "It was really scary." Hermione said as she pulled away.
"It's ok, you heard Madame Pomfrey, April just needs to sleep off the curse."
"That's not why I'm scared" Hermione said. "Ron told me that sometimes, the nights you tend to have dreams that involve Voldemort, he said that sometimes you mutter something about a prophecy." Hermione said seriously, "He doesn't have a clue that it could be something important but Harry, that night at the Department of Mysteries, those things on the shelves, they were Prophecies weren't they?" Hermione asked. Harry looked at Hermione and then stared at his hands.
"Yeah." Harry said.
"And that one you took. It was about you, I saw the name on the card." Hermione said, "It was made before you were born so obviously you-"
"I know. I know what's in the Prophecy and I sort of know what to do but just don't tell anyone." Harry said,
"What was in the prophecy?" Hermione asked, her eagerness to know and her worry made it hard for Harry to refuse.
"It was about me, and Voldemort." Harry said slowly. "And how I could kill him." Harry told Hermione quietly. Hermione looked at Harry with a slight smile.
"How do you kill him then?" Hermione asked.
"Well, it's a bit like either I kill him or he kills me. And the thing that I have that he hasn't is in the department of mysteries but I don't need to go down there and get it. Dumbledore said that I have loads of it but Voldemort has none." Harry explained to Hermione in a whisper. Hermione's mouth formed a small oh and she looked at Harry slightly horrified. "But what have I got that Voldemort doesn't?" Hermione looked at Harry shocked but Harry could almost see the clogs in her head turning.
"You have friends, proper loyalties, family"
"I already thought of all of that." Harry said.
"Loved ones, people who love you, people you love. Voldemort can't love can he?" Hermione asked. "People are always saying how he has no heart and only cares about power, you don't Harry." Harry stared at Hermione. It was so obvious now that she told him, how could he not have figured it out because you're not Hermione He told himself.
"I think we should go and see April." Harry said looking at the door, "I don't think Ron and Ginny will be out for a long time." Hermione nodded and they both started up the stairs to the hospital wing.