"It's going to take a long time to get this back on track." Kai said,
looking at the wheels early next morning.
"How long?" Lupin asked.
"Well, first, some of these axles are so rusty, it's unbelievably it's lasted so long, those'll need replacing and then we'll have to find some sort of fuel to power this contraption."
"Then what?"
"We'll have to push the whole train backwards until it joins up with the original track, then we'll have to get it powered up enough to make it to Hogwarts."
"Let's say we scrap the whole train, most students have broomsticks. Those who haven't travel on the back of someone elses." Harry said looking at Kai.
"That might work, but many students either don't own a broomstick or theirs is to old, it's mostly unreliable anyway."
Hermione hurtled out of a door and across the bracken-covered ground towards them.
"Roughly six miles to Hogwarts." She panted, stopping right in front of them.
"Every one on the Quidditch teams has a broomstick, send out a message to all teams to assemble outside the train with another person from their house." Harry ordered.
"Thestrals." Hermione whispered.
At once seven or eight Thestrals cantered into the clearing. Eventually there were about fifteen waiting near Harry.
"Great! Hagrid must have sent them!" Harry smiled.
"Get everyone who can see the Thestrals out here as well." Harry said.
Hermione nodded and disappeared into the train. Some twenty minutes later, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor Quidditch teams were lined up with a handful of students from their houses.
"We don't have as many people as we like but it'll have to do. Kai, will you show these students the way?" Harry asked, turning to the half-breed.
"No problem."
Kai spread his massive wings and flew into the air, circling the clearing a few times he waited for the students to join him in the air. Soon the group disappeared over the treetops.
Another group of students were forming, a lot of them were obviously able to see the Thestrals as they went over to fuss them. Two people climbed onto one Thestral and it flew into the air and disappeared over the treetops. Soon all the Thestrals had gone as well and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Lupin were left by the train.
"We better get the trunks ready." Lupin said.
"Is there no one left on the train?" Harry asked.
"Tonks'll be here in a minute with any girls, but I don't think there are any boys left."
"Right."
Sure enough Tonks appeared seconds later with a group of girls. The girls' trunks were floating lazily a few inches off the ground. There were about a hundred at least. Tonks made a sharp movement with her wand and the trunks fell to the ground.
"These the only ones?" Harry asked.
"Yep." Tonks replied.
"Right, how many of you have brooms?"
"I do." One of them piped up.
"Good, you'll have to take someone else with you. Go get your broom."
The girl left the crowd and over to the trunks.
"Locomotor Trunks!" Lupin said from inside the train.
The boys' trunks floated out of the train and landed with a dull thump on the ground. The girl came back with her broom. She let her friend climb on it and climbed on in front of her. The pair left the ground and they zoomed off after the Thestrals over the treetops.
"Tonks, you still got your broom?"
"Of course Remus. Accio Nimbus!"
Tonks' Nimbus came zooming out of nowhere. She got on it and pulled one of the girls on behind her.
"Locomotor Trunks!" She shouted.
All the trunks floated into the air and followed Tonks and the girl over the treetops. There were now only two girls left. Harry picked up his Firebolt and got on it. Ron climbed onto his broom and pulled Hermione on behind him.
"See you later Harry!" They shouted, as the broomstick flew away.
Harry beckoned to a girl who looked as though she was in her fourth year. He helped her onto the back of his Firebolt and took off.
"See you in a minute Remus."
"Yeah see you Harry."
Harry felt the girls arm close around his waist. She huddled as close as she dared to his back, Harry could feel her warm breath on the nape of his neck.
"You're not scared are you?" He asked politely.
"Not scared, just a little faint."
"No worries, you'll be safe with me."
Harry could feel the girl move closer to him. He smiled and his Firebolt put on an extra burst of speed. Harry could see Tonks and the trunks ahead, he laughed as the Firebolt twisted past a tree and through a gap between two of them.
"Harry, how come you're so good at flying?"
Harry needn't ask how she knew his name, he just smile to himself.
"My father was seeker in his day. Played for Hogwarts himself."
"I'm in Gryffindor too. Forth year."
"I haven't seen you before."
"That because I haven't been here before, I used to go to Beauxbatons. My names Tally, Tally Malfoy."
"How long?" Lupin asked.
"Well, first, some of these axles are so rusty, it's unbelievably it's lasted so long, those'll need replacing and then we'll have to find some sort of fuel to power this contraption."
"Then what?"
"We'll have to push the whole train backwards until it joins up with the original track, then we'll have to get it powered up enough to make it to Hogwarts."
"Let's say we scrap the whole train, most students have broomsticks. Those who haven't travel on the back of someone elses." Harry said looking at Kai.
"That might work, but many students either don't own a broomstick or theirs is to old, it's mostly unreliable anyway."
Hermione hurtled out of a door and across the bracken-covered ground towards them.
"Roughly six miles to Hogwarts." She panted, stopping right in front of them.
"Every one on the Quidditch teams has a broomstick, send out a message to all teams to assemble outside the train with another person from their house." Harry ordered.
"Thestrals." Hermione whispered.
At once seven or eight Thestrals cantered into the clearing. Eventually there were about fifteen waiting near Harry.
"Great! Hagrid must have sent them!" Harry smiled.
"Get everyone who can see the Thestrals out here as well." Harry said.
Hermione nodded and disappeared into the train. Some twenty minutes later, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor Quidditch teams were lined up with a handful of students from their houses.
"We don't have as many people as we like but it'll have to do. Kai, will you show these students the way?" Harry asked, turning to the half-breed.
"No problem."
Kai spread his massive wings and flew into the air, circling the clearing a few times he waited for the students to join him in the air. Soon the group disappeared over the treetops.
Another group of students were forming, a lot of them were obviously able to see the Thestrals as they went over to fuss them. Two people climbed onto one Thestral and it flew into the air and disappeared over the treetops. Soon all the Thestrals had gone as well and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Lupin were left by the train.
"We better get the trunks ready." Lupin said.
"Is there no one left on the train?" Harry asked.
"Tonks'll be here in a minute with any girls, but I don't think there are any boys left."
"Right."
Sure enough Tonks appeared seconds later with a group of girls. The girls' trunks were floating lazily a few inches off the ground. There were about a hundred at least. Tonks made a sharp movement with her wand and the trunks fell to the ground.
"These the only ones?" Harry asked.
"Yep." Tonks replied.
"Right, how many of you have brooms?"
"I do." One of them piped up.
"Good, you'll have to take someone else with you. Go get your broom."
The girl left the crowd and over to the trunks.
"Locomotor Trunks!" Lupin said from inside the train.
The boys' trunks floated out of the train and landed with a dull thump on the ground. The girl came back with her broom. She let her friend climb on it and climbed on in front of her. The pair left the ground and they zoomed off after the Thestrals over the treetops.
"Tonks, you still got your broom?"
"Of course Remus. Accio Nimbus!"
Tonks' Nimbus came zooming out of nowhere. She got on it and pulled one of the girls on behind her.
"Locomotor Trunks!" She shouted.
All the trunks floated into the air and followed Tonks and the girl over the treetops. There were now only two girls left. Harry picked up his Firebolt and got on it. Ron climbed onto his broom and pulled Hermione on behind him.
"See you later Harry!" They shouted, as the broomstick flew away.
Harry beckoned to a girl who looked as though she was in her fourth year. He helped her onto the back of his Firebolt and took off.
"See you in a minute Remus."
"Yeah see you Harry."
Harry felt the girls arm close around his waist. She huddled as close as she dared to his back, Harry could feel her warm breath on the nape of his neck.
"You're not scared are you?" He asked politely.
"Not scared, just a little faint."
"No worries, you'll be safe with me."
Harry could feel the girl move closer to him. He smiled and his Firebolt put on an extra burst of speed. Harry could see Tonks and the trunks ahead, he laughed as the Firebolt twisted past a tree and through a gap between two of them.
"Harry, how come you're so good at flying?"
Harry needn't ask how she knew his name, he just smile to himself.
"My father was seeker in his day. Played for Hogwarts himself."
"I'm in Gryffindor too. Forth year."
"I haven't seen you before."
"That because I haven't been here before, I used to go to Beauxbatons. My names Tally, Tally Malfoy."