Chapter Three
Thrill thy soul...
"Harry? Harry!" Harry awoke with a start to find Ron and Hermione, looking down on him.
"What were you doing there?" Ron asked.
"I was waiting up for you two when I fell asleep...what's the time" he said in reply.
"It's two o'clock in the morning" Hermione said.
"What?? What were you two doing?" Harry asked, looking at them both incredulously.
"I'm off to bed" Hermione said, yawning.
"You were never good acting, Hermione, so don't try now. What were you two up to?" he said looking from one face to the other.
They both looked a bit uncomfortable for a moment, then Hermione sighed and said "Oh go on, we might as well tell him..."
"No, Hermione, you know what-" Ron started to protest.
But before he could finish, Hermione blurted out, "Harry, Ron and I are going out" Stunned silence from both Ron and Harry ensued.
"What?" Harry said.
"Ron and I are go-"
"I heard what you said!" Harry snapped.
"Harry?" Ron asked, looking Harry in the eye. "I'm going to bed." Harry said and got up and walked towards the dormitory stairs.
BANG.
The floor shook; Hermione cried out and grabbed Ron. "What the hell..." Harry murmured as the floor, began to tilt.
"Harry...the tower...it's falling!" Ron gasped as squashy armchairs began to slide across the floor, and the small tables began to tumble over.
Suddenly there was a massive booming sound as the whole tower began to tear away from the side of the castle. Harry fell back, sliding on the carpet until he hit the wall at the bottom, all the wind was knocked out of him. He looked up and saw to his horror as a log flew out of the fire and tumble down towards him.
"Wingardium leviosa!" Hermione cried pointing her wand with a flick in Harry's direction, the log flew over Harry's head, but he still smelt burning hair as it singed the top of his head.
There was screaming as the students in their dormitories woke to find their beds crashing into one another. Trunks smashed out of the windows as student tries to look for other means of escape.
Students who had broomsticks were scrambling on them, hurrying their friends to get on. Broomsticks loaded with two to three students on tumbled out of windows. The broomsticks which could not take all the weight fell slowly, the students were still able to land safely, rolling over and over, then to stand and look at the devastation of their school.
One student, a first year, fell out of a window, only to just be caught by a fifth year. More students screamed as more fell out of the windows and holes in the walls. They fell towards the lake to meet their death in the freezing waters.
Bricks, wood and glass fell away from the table. Harry tumbled into the dormitory, and quickly held on to the door. All the boys were crumbled at the bottom of the room, some crumpled on top of the beds, while others had beds on top of them.
"Help!" screamed Neville, "I can hardly breath!" Harry looked at them, a lump rising in his throat, what could he do, he wasn't a miracle worker! He pointed his wand at the bed on top of Neville, "Wingardium Leviosa!" The bed soared off of Neville, could scrambled on to his feet, trying to keep his balance. "Grab one of the others!" Harry shouted. Just then Hermione and Ron stumbled in with Parvati Patil, who was chalk white. "Ron, grab the door! Parvati, hold Ron's hand, Hermione grab Parvati's and then I'll go down and get Neville!"
Harry began walk, as steadily as he could, down to Neville who stood shaking with Seamus, who was supporting an unconscious Dean. "Grab my hand!" Harry shouted.
The tower was now falling fast; nearly all of the students had managed to get out on to the landing, while others were being helped by their classmates. Injuries ranged from bruises and cuts to broken bones and unconsciousness.
Harry struggled with the weight of his fellow Gryffindors as they scrambled up the near vertical floor to the door. They reached the door; fell down the stairs and into the common room, from there they struggled against the angle of the floor. But Harry tripped on a table and he fell, seeing stars. Hermione, Ron, Neville and Seamus who was dragging Dean fell out in a flurry of dust and ash on to the landing.
Harry struggled up.
The grinding and crashing noise stopped.
Harry ran and stumbled up the common room.
He knew he had only seconds to live if he did get there fast enough; he reached the edge of the tower and looked down and, as if in slow motion, he saw the tower part with castle, revealing the churning lake waters below.
Harry jumped; he missed the edge by centimetres but managed to grab on with his hands. His body hit the wall, knocking the wind out of him. Using every vestige of energy in him he climbed up, someone grabbed his shoulder and hauled him. He looked up into Ginny's eyes, "Thank you!" he gasped as he fell down onto the carpet of the landing, panting.