Ch 17: - Flight and Fight
Harry hoped he would hear nothing more about his slight over enthusiasm with the Expelliarmus spell - of course, this being Hogwarts, the story went round the school like wildfire. When he met up with Ron and Hermione to walk down to the new stables for Care of Magical Creatures Hermione immediately gave him an inquisitive look, then glanced away and began making small talk about her last Arithromancy lesson.
Ron looked disgustedly at Hermione for a while before turning to Harry with barely disguised glee. 'Hear you've been using corporal punishment on your students, mate. What did she do? Blow you a kiss?'
Hermione shook her head. 'Oh! You're so bloody subtle, Ron!' she sighed.
Harry just glared at them both for a second or so before slowly starting to laugh.
'Is that the rumour, or just your idea?' he chuckled.
Hermione seemed genuinely angry with Ron. 'It's just his idea, Harry! Take no notice of him. She's been telling everyone it was an accident and Denis's been backing her up - so don't worry about it!'
Harry was more concerned that Ron could even imagine that Alison Linney would have blown him a kiss.
'I'm not worried about it.' He shrugged. 'I saw Professor Moody at lunchtime. He started telling me about all the accidents there used to be in the DADA lessons when he was a kid. Amazing anyone survived, the way he tells it.'
They finally reached the stable block that had been built round the coach house. The coach house was a small building not much bigger than the single coach inside, which appeared to be receiving a repaint. On a rack on the wall were a hundred miniature coaches. Harry had frightening mental picture of the chaos that would ensue if the miniaturisation spells should ever fail. Hagrid had also taken to keeping all his magical creatures at the stables, which meant that extreme care was needed not to open the wrong door. Unless of course someone had particular desire to be severely clawed, bitten, stung, chewed, blasted or, in the case of Fluffy, slobbered over - and then bitten.
As the trio arrived, Hagrid was just finishing with the fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins. The class filed out as the sixth years waited impatiently to get out of the wind. Harry buried his face in a textbook whilst Ginny passed. From the corner of his eye he saw her looking at him but kept his head down until she'd disappeared from view.
Hagrid was in fine form.
'Afternoon all!' he said jovially. 'This afternoon we're going to be having another look at Hippogriffs. I know you covered them in third year for OWLs but at NEWT level you start to learn about them in a lot more detail. By the end of this year you ought to be able to look after one properly by yourselves.'
He paused and studied the faces round him.
'Now we've three hippogriffs at the moment. Buckbeak, Goldenwing and Blacktalon. We're going to quickly run through what you learned in third year and then we can start on the new stuff. -'
Harry studied the three hippogriffs carefully. It looked as though Goldenwing was a female. Harry wondered idly whether Hagrid was actually hoping to breed hippogriffs at the school. He turned his attention back to Hagrid.
'- Now, I want you to split up into three groups and each try the introductory routine.
There were insufficient students for two classes for sixth year Care of Magical Creatures, so there were representatives of all the houses. From Slytherin, only Blaise Zabini had chosen Care of Magical Creatures and he wasn't one of Malfoy's friends.
Harry made sure he got into the group around Buckbeak. Hermione and Ron joined him, with Susan Bones and Terry Boot. Harry was the first to bow to Buckbeak and received the regal bow of a Hippogriff in return. He'd been slightly surprised how easily Buckbeak had responded, but he was stunned when the hippogriff winked at him. The rest of the group eventually managed to persuade Buckbeak to accept them and the lesson proper got under way.
- o -
Hagrid had been pleased with the amount of knowledge Harry's group had retained. A large part of that was due to Hermione, who had read all her old lecture notes the day before. He was actually so pleased that he let them go a quarter of an hour early.
Harry, however, had no wish to go back to the common room, so decided to hang about the stables. He was looking into the stall of a rather sick looking thestral, when Hagrid noticed him and left the group he was instructing.
'Not going back to the castle Harry?'
'No, - not yet.'
Hagrid looked quizzically at Harry. 'Fancy taking Buckbeak for a quick flight?' he suggested 'I reckon he could do with a bit of exercise.'
Harry turned and studied the Hippogriff carefully. Buckbeak seemed to be studying Harry in return. He bowed his head, and Harry could have sworn he winked again. It was almost like Buckbeak had heard what Hagrid had said.
'Yeah, good idea, Hagrid.' Harry smiled. 'Good job I've got my cloak with me.'
Buckbeak lost no time in getting airborne once Harry was on his back. He took off with a neck snapping lunge and beat upwards with massively powerful wingstrokes. As he gained height and began to speed up, the motion changed from a series of nausea inducing dips and climbs to a more gentle bobbing and Harry began to enjoy the flight at last. He was reminded of his last flight after quidditch the weekend before, the same broadening of the horizon, the same sight of Hogwarts sitting on its promontory dominating the valley and lake, and the hills stretching away on either side.
Buckbeak seemed to want to fly southeast, towards one of the mountains beyond Hogsmead. Harry knew the hippogriff's concealment charms had been recently refreshed, so he didn't intervene. Anyway, Harry also knew there were unlikely to be any muggles within ten miles of more of the village.
As the mountain grew larger Harry began to feel that it was familiar in some way. The outcrops of rock, close to the top and the path leading upwards from the far side of the village. At last it hit him, the outcrop of rock housed the cave where Sirius and Buckbeak had hidden, getting on for two years ago. Sirius had ridden Buckbeak to this mountain, and ridden him away when Harry and Hermione had freed them both from the clutches of Cornelius Fudge.
A wave of sadness swept over Harry as he sat astride the hippogriff; sadness for Sirius, sadness for what had been, and sadness for what might have been. He turned Buckbeak away from the mountain and set him on course for Hogwarts, and whatever the future might bring.
- o -
On the following Saturday, Professor Dumbledore decided to step up Harry's instruction in Apparition and Occlumency. Harry was of the opinion that the escape from Askaban had provided the spur, although the headmaster denied any such impetus.
Immediately after breakfast, Harry and the headmaster were transported by portkey the short distance to the woods and streams of the next valley northwards. Harry wondered when the portkey had been made - and whether it was for this specific purpose.
The valley was narrower and less wooded than the school valley, but stands of pine and mixed deciduous trees dotted the landscape. A stream wandered back and forth across the bottom of the valley and the occasional drumlin and glacier deposited rock broke valley floor. Harry reckoned it was a perfect place for practicing rapid apparation shifts, and probably even better for practicing the more energetic form of magical duelling.
Peculiar marks on some of the rocks and odd areas of old burned trees suggested that he wasn't far off the mark.
Soon, Harry was jumping about the valley, from hiding place to hiding place and on line of sight hops. The last was more dangerous, as the hiding places were visited first and remembered. The line of sight jumps involved looking at a point and imagining what it looked like close up. Easy enough on flat ground, but imagining standing twenty feet from a tree which was ten feet from a cliff face could lead to a rapid fall from grace, and possibly from the land of the living, if the cliff was high enough. The headmaster only had to save him once….
Back at the school, Harry ate a quick lunch before dragging himself to the headmaster's study and a few hours of Occlumency.
Seated in the armchair before the headmaster, Harry immersed himself in the effort of resisting the invasion of his memories. Denying access to his mind was becoming, if not easy, then at least repeatable against a legilimens of the headmaster's calibre. How he would fare against Snape up close was an unknown but Harry wasn't keen to face Snape again yet. He probably never would be.
Thought of Snape brought another question to the forefront of Harry's mind. At the next break in proceedings he made a point of asking the headmaster.
'Professor, last year Professor Snape suggested that the most skilled occlumens are able to not just keep their minds clear of interference, but can actually lie, and back up the lie with further lies.'
Dumbledore paused and regarded Harry thoughtfully. 'Gryffiindors are not known for their ability to lie, Harry. Do you really feel the ability would be an asset to you?'
'I thought it might be useful, Professor.' Harry wondered if that was the best answer to give.
Dumbledore thought for a while before sighing. 'I fear, Harry, that before all is ended, it may be a necessity.' He stared at the fire, 'Very well, I will try to outline the basic requirements. As you say, a credible lie is required, with all the facts and memories that contradict the lie hidden from view behind the strongest possible walls. Alternative memories must be developed and tied to the main untruth, so that they appear when pressure is applied. That is the most difficult part of the process, making the lie available under just the right amount of pressure to seem real.'
The headmaster looked at Harry and his eyes were bleak. 'You must continue to practice the basic form of Occlumency as often as you can, so you can clear your mind at will. This afternoon we will see if you can begin to master the Art of the Lie.'
- o -
By dinner time, Harry was beginning to recover from the ordeal. Even constructing a simple watertight lie and its evidence had been a trial. Trying to present it at the same time as hiding all the contrary thoughts had been a nightmare. He'd had to sit in classroom fourteen for a full hour afterwards to rest his brain.
Walking down from the classroom corridors, Harry heard a quiet gong like sound, almost too low for hearing. Deep and sonorous, it vibrated through the fabric of the building. It wasn't repeated, but Harry could imagine the echoes spreading though the bones of the mountains.
As he approached the Great Hall, Harry saw Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall leaving and descending the main staircase. The sight of the two Professors acting in unison was surprising enough, the speed with which they crossed the entrance hall and left the building was amazing.
Harry stopped and followed them to the door. He could see them hurrying down the main drive towards the ornamental gates and the road to Hogsmead. Quite what was happening he wasn't sure, but only Order business would draw those two together. A sudden flash of light lit the clouds to the southeast, in the direction of Hogsmead, but there was no following noise. It wasn't even beginning to get dark, so the cause of the light had to be pretty powerful.
Another flash, slightly north of the first
This was obviously serious, but Harry didn't think following the two Professors would be a sensible action without more information. He ignored his stomach's insistent calls for food and retraced his steps to the upper classroom corridor.
Harry's classroom faced west, so he hurried to a classroom that faced south since none of the east facing windows in the main block was easy to access. Peering to the left, Harry was in time to see Snape and McGonagall disappear past the gates. They seemed to turn off towards the north. Nothing happened for almost a minute, before a second gong like sound rang out.
Almost immediately, a flash of red light speared into the sky to the east, leaving jagged afterimages on Harry's retina. His vision had almost recovered when he noticed a third figure below him, leaving the building and turning right.
Harry realised that the teaching staff wouldn't want wholesale panic amongst the students, who were presently none the wiser due to all being in the Great Hall, however, this still seemed a curious response to a perceived threat from the east. Even more curious though was the fact that the third figure appeared to be Professor McGonagall! As the Professor had just disappeared towards Hogsmead and couldn't apparate back, Harry was forced to assume this was someone in disguise; though why, he couldn't begin to imagine.
The figure disguised as McGonagall had barely disappeared before Harry was on his way back to classroom fourteen. Something had jogged his memory and his memory had come up with the words "Marauders' Map". Unlocking the classroom, Harry rushed to his desk and struggled with the lock on the drawers. After what seemed like an age, he managed to open the drawer and unroll the parchment.
A whispered "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" started the spell and the map appeared.
Harry rapidly scanned the area to the east but the map didn't show any names at all. An occasional flicker appeared, but it seemed as though they were all just out of range. Turning his attention to the western side of the school, Harry was both puzzled and horrified. He was puzzled because despite the fact that he could see the figure disguised as McGonagall creeping stealthily northwards along the side of the quidditch stands, there was no name shown at that point on the map.
The horror was because names were showing right at the very top of the map.
The names Lestrange, Rookwood, and Crabbe were visible - and they were getting closer.
Harry turned off the map and slammed the drawer, locked it with a rapid spell, belted out of the classroom and headed for the stairs to the lower floors.
He hurried quietly past the door of the great hall, his footsteps hidden in the general hum of conversation. Down the main staircase he charged, then crossed the entrance hall, noting with surprise that Malfoy and his sidekicks were skulking in the entrance to the dungeons.
He tore out of the door and leapt down the stairs, wondering briefly what could have kept Crabbe and Goyle from their food, then turned right and ran along the front of the building, now concentrating his mind on the possible reasons for the marauders' map not showing the person he had seen.
Stopping at the corner of the school building Harry paused to get his breath back. The light was draining away as the sun began to set above the clouds.
At least it wasn't raining, Harry thought gratefully.
Turning the corner, he scuttled to the first turret along the wall and peered round it. There were no buttresses along this side of the castle, which made concealment a great deal harder. Ahead he could see the McGonagall figure creeping from outcrop to outcrop to turret, slowly working northwards towards the trees. He hurried to keep up, flitting from cover to cover, wishing he'd had time to get his invisibility cloak and wondering if he and the disguised person ahead could take on three Death Eaters.
A second thought came hot after the first - was the disguised person even on his side?
Harry stopped and ducked behind a small shed. Now he didn't know what to do. He peered round the stone, just in time to see the blue flash of a spell strike the ground in a gout of earth, ten feet short of the trees.
Almost immediately twin streaks of red light blasted out of the trees.
That seemed to settle the question of which side the McGonagall figure was on. Harry sighed, dived out of cover and hurled himself forward. Here we go, he thought. Where are you when I need you, Ginny! I could do with a bit of help here!
As Harry ran forward to the next outcrop of rock, he saw three figures charge out of the trees firing spells as they went. The McGonagall figure had taken refuge behind a mound of earth and fired back a couple of spells in quick succession. One of the running figures fell but the other two ran on.
As the lone defender of the castle tried to move back to a better defensive position, Harry saw the leading Death Eater fire an orange blast accompanied by a sound like a circular saw hitting a large nail.
The McGonagall figure was caught in the midriff, spun round with a shriek of pain and dumped on the grass in a moaning heap.
Harry dived out from behind his rock and screamed 'IMMOBILUS'. The leader halted in astonishment as the second figure keeled over. Harry fired another Immobilus spell but missed, then dived for cover as the leading Death Eater realised where, and who, he was.
'POTTER' Screamed Bellatrix. 'Halfbreed bastard! How dare you interfere in the affairs of the dark Lord! AVARDA KEDA-'
This was the woman who had killed Sirius Black! Harry used the only defence he could think of.
'CRUCIO!' he shouted, and drove all his power into the spell. Bellatrix screamed and kept on screaming as he channelled all the anger and frustration of the last four months into the spell, holding and holding and holding on until the hatred drained away – and with it the power of the curse.
Harry was shocked to the core as he realised what he had been doing. He shook himself and dodged sideways as he heard a spell from the recovering first death eater that scorched past his head.
Bellatrix was dazedly looking around for the wand she had dropped as she thrashed in agony. Harry waved his wand in her general direction and shouted ACCIO WAND. The wand leapt out of the grass straight at Harry, flying past Bellatrix, who lunged forlornly at it, and smacking into Harry's left palm.
With a wand in each hand, Harry dived sideways once more as a pair of reductor spells were cast, almost together. The red streaks tore into the rocks Harry had managed to hide behind, spitting shards over his head like a swarm of angry bees.
That meant both Death eaters had recovered.
Harry poked his head round the rock, firing a couple of stunning spells towards the figures he glimpsed running towards him. Despite a certain amount of loss of power, Harry wasn't even bothering to say the spells now, just thinking them as quickly as he could, to give as little warning as possible to the enemy.
He leapt out of hiding, sending two more spells towards his attackers then rolling twice and leaping up. He dodged uphill towards the castle, expecting any second to hear more spells said and dived behind a mound of earth, gasping for breath.
Nothing had been fired at him, which meant he'd either incapacitated at least two of his attackers, or they were sneaking up on him.
Not wanting to be caught like a rat in a trap, Harry dived out of cover again, this time down hill, towards the rocks he had previously hidden behind. Glancing sideways, he was amazed to see that all three Death Eaters were retreating into the trees, two of them struggling to help the third.
So amazed was he that he skidded on the damp grass and fell flat on his back, knocking the wind out of himself.
By the time he had recovered his breath, again, and rolled over, the death eaters had reached the trees. In the sudden quiet, Harry could hear them blundering about as they struggled uphill through the woods and brambles; he could also hear the moaning of the person who had been disguised as McGonagall.
Harry dragged himself upright and staggered up the hill to the prone figure.
Whoever it was, they had been trying to drag themselves along with one hand, the other clamped tightly over their middle. There was a smear of blood streaking the grass where they had dragged themselves a few scant feet. Now they were just curled up in a trembling ball, teeth clenched in agony, clutching themselves tightly and moaning.
Harry was beginning to wonder if this was really Professor McGonagall; the resemblance was almost uncanny. Whoever they were, though, Harry just knew that, they would be screaming if they'd been able to draw breath. He knelt down and tried to look more closely at the wound but there was too much torn cloth and blood to make out anything between their fingers.
Harry tried the normal spell he'd been taught to stop pain, but it seemed to have little effect on a wound as bad as this. He tried the more powerful version, which seemed to work a bit better; the person was trying to speak but he couldn't make out the words. As he bent to listen, the cold voice started in his mind again…
Harry dived sideways, just avoided being speared by another Reducto curse fired from the trees. He spun round pointing both wands at the trees and bellowed 'INCENDIO'.
Two beams of blue white light speared into the trees. Two balls of fire bloomed where the beams struck. A scream rent the air and Harry saw one of the Death Eaters outlined in flame before a white cloud obscured them and the scream cut off.
Twice more, Harry fired pairs of incendio spells into the belt of trees, making a wall of flame to keep the Death Eaters back, then turned back to the casualty. Looking closer, he realised that blood was beginning to pool beneath the person, and he had no idea what to do to stop it. A cold certainty settled in Harry's brain, this person was dead if he didn't do something quickly.
As Harry tried desperately to think, someone screamed his name from the direction of the front of the castle. He looked up, startled, and almost fired an incendio spell at Ginny as she raced along beside the castle wall with Dean in tow. As he watched her, he heard the person he was kneeling beside manage to cry out his name and he glanced at them out of the corner of his eye -
It wasn't McGonagall - It was Nymphadora Tonks.
As Harry returned his horrified gaze to her, she became McGonagall again, but he could just still see her through the disguise. He cradled her head and started to talk to her frantically.
'Dora! Dora! It's me, Harry! I'll get you to the hospital wing! Just hang on! Please!'
Dora managed to control herself long enough to repeat his name once. She was obviously weakening, though. Harry didn't know how much effort it took to maintain her disguise, but she didn't need it now, for sure.
'Dora! drop the disguise!' he pleaded. 'Save the energy! They've gone now!'
At that moment Ginny skidded to a stop beside them, wand out and staring round wildly. She took in the tableau of Harry cradling the head of what looked like a badly injured McGonagall and her face turned white with anger and fear.
'Harry! Professor! What the hell's going on? Who did it? Where are they?'
Dean slid to a halt behind her and looked over her shoulder with his mouth open in horror.
'It was bloody Bellatrix!' hissed Harry, 'and she went into the trees with McNair and Crabbe! Dean! Keep a good lookout, for Merlin's sake.'
Ginny turned and began to walk purposefully towards the trees.
'NO!' shouted Harry, 'I need you here. We've got to get Dora to the Hospital wing!'
'Dora?'
'Yes Dora! Look!'
McGonagall had disappeared; Dora Tonks lay curled up and bleeding in Harry's arms. Ginny dropped to her knees beside them, and looked at the blood spreading over the grass. She raised her eyes to Harry's and he could see the worry and sadness written plainly as she shook her head.
'She needs St Mungo's, and she won't make it Harry, not unless you can freeze time!'
The words echoed through Harry's head, Freeze Time - Freeze Time - Freeze T - Fre –
Harry gently laid Dora's head down and leapt to his feet. Trying desperately to make sure he got the spell right, he pointing his wand at her, gathered his powers, and whispered 'Petrificus Maximilia Totalis'
Ginny and Dean watched mesmerised as Dora became still and her breathing stopped.
'Harry?' whimpered Ginny fearfully.
'It's alright Ginny,' Harry reassured her, 'she's safe for an hour.'
'But - what? - where did you learn that?'
'And what exactly does it do?' added Dean.
Harry looked round before answering. The fires amongst the trees were dying down and it was starting to get dark.
'Dumbledore taught me - and it petrified her. Now, we've got to get her to the Hospital wing. Can you k -' He stopped as another cold voice started in his head. He didn't understand the words, but that almost made it worse.
'Get down!' he yelled, pushing Ginny into Dean and diving to the ground. A flash of orange and the distressed circular saw noise howled over their heads, blasting a chunk out of the Quidditch stands some two hundred yards behind them.
Ginny was on her feet in an instant, sending reductor and stunner spells into the trees as fast as she could say them. Dean added his firepower to Ginny's as Harry pushed himself onto his elbows where he had fallen and peered into the remains of the trees.
'ENOUGH!' he shouted. Ginny and Dean stopped sending curses into the trees and crouched down.
Harry listened in the sudden silence broken only by the patter of falling bits of timber and the sound of several people crashing through the trees. They seemed to be getting higher on the hill, and after about half a minute he heard the sharp cracks of three people disapparating from the top of the tree line.
They'd won - now to try and avoid paying the price.
Harry levered himself to his feet and pointed his wand at Dora's petrified body. Mumbling a levitation spell, he raised Dora three feet off the ground and held her with his wand to stop her floating off downhill.
Ginny was still crouching down and looked up right at the place where Dora had been hurt. Harry thought Dora's hands covered the wound but whatever Ginny could see, it made her go slightly green and turn away heaving.
For a second, Harry watched Ginny trying gamely to hold onto her dinner, before remembering another spell. He pointed Bellatrix's wand at Ginny and mumbled "Quellium"
'Thanks Harry.' gasped Ginny, as her insides quieted. 'Another one from Dumbledore?'
'Yeah. Can you bear to look round?'
Ginny shook her head.
Harry regarded her thoughtfully. 'Okay, get to the Hospital wing as quick as you can. Tell them what's happened!'
Ginny gulped and nodded.
'And then tell Dumbledore!' added Harry.
Ginny nodded again and hurried off.
Harry turned to a shocked looking Dean. 'Lets get her down to the school. I'll levitate if you can guide, Okay?'
As they struggled down the hill, Harry tried to quiz Dean on how he and Ginny had suddenly appeared.
Dean just shrugged. 'Gin just grabbed me and told me to get a move on. We'd have been here quicker, but she wasn't sure where you were.' was all he said.
'Didn't you hear anything?'
Dean shook his head. 'The hall's too noisy. I bet they still don't know anything's happened. We'd only just about finished the main course.'
Harry was silent for the rest of the way. It looked as if his link to Ginny was still there, and where the blazes were Moody, Snape and McGonagall?
- o -
Professors Snape and McGonagall were approaching the castle up the main drive as Harry and Dean hurried along the front of the school towards the main entrance. At the sight of two students manhandling an inert body, both leapt forward to help. Dean gratefully stood back at a word from McGonagall and headed for the great hall. Harry just managed to signal to him not to talk about what had happened, before he vanished through the main doors. A few students had finished dinner and were leaving the hall, but the two Professors pushed them out of the way, Snape quickly magicking a blanket to cover Dora and her injuries.
Nothing was said as the three of them tore through the school to the Hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was waiting, with Ginny hovering in the background wringing her hands. As they manoeuvred Dora's frozen form over an examination table, Ginny pushed forward to stop Harry lowering Dora.
'Madam Pomfrey, It would be easier to see the damage from below.'
Madam Pomfrey gave Ginny a disapproving look, but Ginny was insistent. 'Honestly! I - er - I've seen it myself.' she finished, looking slightly green again.
Madam Pomfrey bent down and inspected as much of the wound as she could. Her expression went from doubtful to worried to almost frantic, in about ten seconds.
'What caused this much damage?' She asked, in a shocked voice.
Everyone looked at Harry.
'It was a new spell, - one I've never heard of, but at least two of the Death Eaters know it.'
'That does not surprise me in the least, Harry.' said a deep voice from the doorway. Professor Dumbledore stood surveying the scene before him. His face looked like thunder and he was glowering at Snape and McGonagall. Stepping forward, he looked quickly at Dora's petrified body and addressed Madam Pomfrey.
'Well Poppy? What is your recommendation?'
'This girl must be taken to St Mungo's immediately, Albus! If Mr Potter hadn't applied the correct spell, she could well have been dead already.'
Dumbledore glanced at Harry, a tiny smile flickering across his face.
'Very well, Poppy, I will take her myself. Please get the emergency portkey.' He turned to Harry, 'how long has the spell been in operation, Harry?'
'About a quarter of an hour, Professor.'
Dumbledore looked slightly less worried.
'Very well Harry, I have time to go to St Mungo's alone to inform them, then return as soon a possible to take Nymphadora straight to the operating theatre.'
Madam Pomfrey returned with a small box, on one face of which a red cross was visible, and on the opposite face, the Hogwarts School crest. Dumbledore took the box and walked into the large room next door, on the floor of which a big square was marked, labelled "keep out". He stood in the middle of the room, touched the red cross and disappeared, to the accompaniment of a loud crack.
Harry returned to stand beside Dora. He knew she couldn't hear him or feel his touch, but he kept stroking her hair and occasionally whispering encouragement. Ginny stood silently opposite, watching Harry as he watched Dora. After quickly asking Harry where the attack had occurred, McGonagall and Snape had left at speed.
Moody poked his head round the door and received a glare from Ginny and Harry.
'Alright, what happened?'
'What does it look like Professor?' snarled Harry savagely.
'Where did it happen?'
'Northwest of the castle! Dora tried to take on three death eaters on her own! Where were all our wonderful protectors, then?'
Moody was silent for a full ten seconds.
'They were trying to counter a threat to the East, Harry.' he said quietly. 'It seems it was a diversion. Where have Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall gone now?'
'We think they went up to the attack site, Professor.' answered Ginny coldly.
'And who saved Tonks?'
'Harry did,' said Ginny.
'I couldn't have done it without you and Dean, Gin.' he protested.
'But you drove them off.'
'Only the first time.'
Moody looked at them both and frowned. 'Well done, but you can argue about who gets the medal later! What's happening about Tonks' injuries?'
'Professor Dumbledore's gone to St Mungo's to wake them up, he'll take her when he gets back.' muttered Harry.
Moody sighed. 'I'm sorry Tonks got hurt, Harry. I know she means a lot to you.' he glanced at Ginny, who said nothing. 'One thing you should remember though. Tonks is an auror, she was doing her job being one of your protectors and getting injured is a risk she accepts. I - don't suppose that helps a lot.'
Harry shook his head, 'No. It doesn't!'
Moody sighed again. 'I'd better get a few messages sent, and a couple more aurors posted up here.' A ghost of a smile flitted across his ravaged face, 'I really meant the Well Done, Harry,' he growled, 'though why you were up there at all puzzles me. I'll need a report, soonest!' and with that he was gone before Harry could reply.
After more then ten minutes Dumbledore reappeared with someone wearing a nurse's uniform. The someone took a quick glance at Dora's injuries and nodded to Dumbledore. As instructed, Harry lowered Dora gently down onto a stretcher which was taken to the second room and placed in the centre of the square. Dumbledore touched the side of the box against Dora's hand and the nurse touched the end of the box. The Headmaster turned to Harry.
'I'm afraid you will have to remove the spell to allow the portkey to work, Harry.'
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but the Professor raised a hand to hush him.
'There is no alternative, Harry, but rest assured I will reapply the spell immediately and be on hand to provide aid until the procedures are complete.'
Harry subsided as Dumbledore looked around for the other members of the order,
'Where are Professors Snape and McGonagall?' he asked.
It was Ginny who answered. 'I think they went to check on the attack location, Professor.'
'Very well, Ginny. Please ask them, from me, to make the boundaries as secure as possible before tonight, and provide a report on their activities. Harry, could you please do the same. I do not intend to concern myself with the details until Miss Tonks is safe, but I will need to know everything you can remember. Now, are you ready?' Harry nodded. 'On the count of three...'One...Two...Three!'
The instant Harry removed the spell, Dumbledore touched the red cross on the box and all three disappeared with a tremendous bang of inrushing air.
Dora hadn't even had a chance to cry out.