Things are becoming more interesting. The two first chapters were just warm-ups.
Battling the storm
Hermione looked at the rain splatter hard against the windows of the meeting room. She was still angry with Harry for have said such things. The light that hung over the long table flickered. The train rumbled under their feet. Neville came and sat down next to her, sending a brief smile towards her.
"Hello Neville," said Hermione trying to sound cheery. Neville had changed so much, except maybe for his small trait of shyness.
"Hi Hermione, how was summer with Viktor Krum?"
Hermione's cheeks turned red, again. "Does everybody know?" she asked quietly.
"Come on, Hermione, don't tell me you didn't know it was in Witch Weekly last week," said Padma Patil as she sat opposite Hermione. "Are you both really going out? Pavarti asked me to ask you... Just out of curiosity."
Hermione was saved by Professor McGonagall, followed by no other than Remus Lupin! However, she was displeased that Draco Malfoy and a fellow Slytherine were attending the meeting as well.
"Welcome to this new year at Hogwarts," McGonagall spoke up sternly, seeing that everyone was now there. "You probably have noticed some important changes already… You might remember Remus Lupin here present, former professor of Denfence Against The Dar Arts. Now," she said sitting down at the end of the polished table with Lupin at her right, "You have been chosen as Head Boys and Girls for you are leading figures of your Houses, a first in Hogwarts' History." She paused for a second, glancing at every face. "This year, numerous points will be rectified, suppressed, and newly appointed for the sake of students' safety. "
Remus Lupin picked up the explanations from there. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. As Professor McGonagall has just started to point out, each House has now their own Head Girl and Boy, on which great responsibility will be given this year, considering the new threats that have come upon us." It was all very formal. Hermione thought that Lupin had never looked so old, his hair, not only was it grey, but it had quite a few of strands of white.
The Train gave a slight lurch, the lamp dangling from the ceiling, swaying erratically, thunder growling overhead.
"Voldemort will soon be back to full strength." There were a couple of gasps at Voldemort's name, Hermione and Neville kept silent however, listening attentively. "Extra security has been put up against any attack from Death Eaters…"
"What kind of security?" Hermione asked, looking sideways at Malfoy, wondering if it was safe to actually mention anything in front of the Slytherine.
"Before we answer to any questions, or continue farther on," said McGonagall. "You will sign this parchment, titling you to your new responsibilities." Hermione knew there was more to it. "You will then be unable to speak or write about our meeting and your mission, willingly or not, under no exterior influence, to any of your comrades, parents or any other person, except, of course, your own Head of House... However, you must know that by signing, it entitles you to protect your fellow comrades as best as you can, at any cost."
"What if we refuse," Malfoy interrupted.
Hermione had made something a little similar to the magical parchment in her fifth year, not as complex but the principle had been the same. It'd been the beginning back then. Just a warm up before they world had become this dark place that was today.
"Malfoy, glad you spoke up." McGonagall gave him a piercing glare. Malfoy shifted in his chair uncomfortably. "Head Boy and Girl is a serious position that no one should consider lightly." She got up, her face seeming indifferent to the Slytherin's antics, knowing full well what Malfoy's first intentions had been. "This is not a game, as some might expect, but a serious matter. If you intend to pull out at any moment in the future, I order you to leave right now… with the full knowledge that an auror outside the door will remove any memories of the few previous minutes.
"If expectations are not fulfilled, responsibilities put aside after the signature, drastic measures will be taken. I warn you that they are not petty punishments."
Malfoy's head wiped around towards the door, probably thinking that McGonagall was bluffing, but McGonagall never bluffed. Everyone had sworn they'd seen nobody outside in the corridor when they had entered the room.
As no one stood up to leave, McGonagall passed a quill and a piece of parchment to the students. Hermione watched as Malfoy forced his name down on the paper, the quill's tip scratching horribly as he wrote, then pass it to the Hufflepuff Head Girl, Susan Bones.
It wasn't such a bad idea after all, signing Malfoy in, Hermione thought. It would bind him to silence, and at the same time, bring him closer, with little hope, to their side of battle.
When the parchment and quill were finally handed to Hermione, she paused for a moment, still deep in her musing, watching the last name written down, Terry Boot, disappear. This meant she wouldn't be able to tell Ron, or Harry. They'd promised they wouldn't leave each other in the dark, to stay together. Harry had kept his promise and had returned to take the Hogwarts Express… And she was just about to…
"Miss Granger, a problem?" Professor McGonagall asked, her voice as stern as when she spoke to Malfoy.
"Yes." A couple looked at Hermione questionably. Remus smiled slightly to the young witch. "Voldemort will also be going after Muggles, will they be guarantied any protection?"
"If our number permits it, we will aid them."
"You're not answering my question," Hermione said flatly. The faces of her parents swam in her head. If she went back home, would they still be there?
"Miss Granger, I understand your worry. The Order goes against any Dark action. If you except being Head Girl, we will allow correspondence with Muggle Co-operation Subordinates. But only time will tell us what… will happen."
Hermione, her eyes cold, regretfully wrote down her name, which disappeared into the parchment as she gave it to Neville to sign as well.
"Now, first of all, you've all heard about the foreign students coming to Hogwarts," McGonagall started as Remus Lupin took the parchment and quill away. Hermione watched it disappear in the folds of his robes.
There was another flash of lightening, it didn't seem that the weather was getting any better.
Meanwhile, Tonks was still in the same compartment, waiting for Ron to return, wiggling her thumbs impatiently. What would happen if Harry didn't return? From the little she'd heard, Harry had gone back in time to train with the Head of the Battle Wizards, promising to be back on his birthday, which he didn't- and that was two days ago. That kid was in deeper trouble than ever, without mentioning of herself. She'd been chosen to replace Harry, being a full Metamorphmagus. Voldemort couldn't know that the Miracle Boy was missing, the whole world couldn't know that the Boy Who Lived had disappeared. They would all have a serious heart attack, without mentioning the Weasley boy and the smart witch Granger.
Tonks was deep in her musing when something went 'TANG' on the roof of the train, followed soon after by another. Tonks tried to look out of the window, pressing her face against the glass, putting her hands up to block out the light of compartment, but it was near impossible to see anything outside; rain was still showering down heavily.
'TANG' it came again.
"What the hell?"
'CRACK'
Tonks yelped falling back from the window onto the floor by surprise. There, on the windowpane was a plate-sized impact, cracks spreading slowly outwards, the window ready to fall apart. The rumbling of the thunder seemed louder than ever.
'TANG, tang tang TANG tang TANG' things were now pouring rapidly on the roof.
She stood up, examining the window. "Reparo!" she said waving her wand at it. The cracks disappeared, and Tonks seemed satisfied enough with it to be able to leave the compartment and ask her fellow aurors in the train under invisibility cloaks if something similar had happened to them.
Cries rose from the next-door compartments, Tonks jumped out of her own to the rescue.
Soaked first years were pouring out in the corridor. A small girl with curly brown hair had a large red lump on the side her face and was crying in her friend's shoulder.
"The window exploded!" a boy of about age eleven told Harry/Tonks.
"Marianne is hit!" another first year cried out.
'TANG tang TANG TANG'
"Don't worry, luv, I'll see to you, just a second." Tonks had altogether forgotten about her disguise of Harry Potter. She entered their compartment where buckets of rains were pouring in through the broken window. Tonks was quickly drenched.
"REPARO!" she yelled over the deafening noise of the storm. The window repaired itself with difficulty, but Tonks was relieved when it was finally back in place. She put a strengthening charm over it, just in case. The compartment had about an inch of water, she dried it quickly and led the first years back inside, giving the girl named Marianne a small healing charm, transforming the lump to a small bruise.
'TANG.' "Don't leave the compartment!" she told them shutting them inside. 'TANG'
Tonks ran down the aisle, a couple of more windows had cracks on them. She continued on, sending repairing charms at them as she passed.
'TANG TANG CRACK tang TANG'
"Frednerick! What's happening?" Tonks asked her fellow auror.
A pale man with long black hair appeared out of thin air. "Dunno, it looks like grail. Aren't you meant to be posting like Potter?" he asked flinging a couple of strengthening charms here and there.
'TANG TANG TANG CRACK crack TANG.'
Tonks sighed grimly. "I don't think it's usual grail, let me check up with Moody. He's up at the front." She took out her leather pouch and started to call for Mad Eye Moody. A couple of compartments had opened and girls and boys were looking out curiously.
'TANG TANG crack'
"Escape portkeys will be put at your disposition throughout the castle…"
Up in the meeting room, Moody had been standing quietly in a dark corner under his own invisibility cloak, listening to the discussion while his magical eye circled around. Everything seemed to be going as planned for the moment, until he first heard the grail falling on the roof, overlarge bits of ice, pelting down like bullets.
TANG TANG CRACK tang.'
"We're under Attack!" he yelled, his wand had not left his hand, shooting a large strengthening spell over the room then quickly left for the corridor. Hermione sat up quickly and followed, ignoring Professor McGonagall's warnings.
A couple of windows had already been broken in the corridor, letting the raging storm in while students were trying desperately to stay out of the corridor while other children were pouring out of their compartments. A ruckus of cries and yells completed the scene. Some were holding parts of their body where they'd been hit by grail, or cut by the shards of glass. 'TANG tang TANG'
"Dumbledore wouldn't listen to me when I told him to pretend the train was full and take them one by one on a broom… Nevermind, we'll do without."
Aurors were abandoning their invisibility to repair the windows and heal a couple of students. It was at that moment that Moody felt something vibrate in his pocket, he took out his own magical leather pouch and put it to his ear.
"MOODY HERE…' he yelled over the chaos, there was only a couple of windows left to be repaired, but the majority of the noise was coming from the frightened pupils. "Harry, stay where you are…" Tonks was on the other side of the 'pouch'.
'TANG tang TanG TANG'
"No, MAGICAL STORM! NO CURSES! JUST ROCK HARD ICE" Moody replied to Tonks. "ATTACK!" as he said this, the children nearest him started screaming in fear, others sobbing franticly. "PLAN B IS UP!" With this he disapparated with a 'POP' right to the front of the train.
It came as no surprise as he found the conductor still, on the floor, wind and rain pouring out of the broken front window, blending with the heavy amount of blood from the conductor's wound in the abdomen. The fire of the steam engine was left growling on it's own. Moody took no time for the wounded; he repaired the window with a swish of his wand, the rain kept outside for the moment. He was busy pulling levers up on the control panel when Professor McGonagall and Lupin apparated with a loud CRACK.
Moody already had his wand out towards the two. "How can I tell it's you!" he asked, his eye fixed on the two suspiciously. McGonagall froze in her lunge towards the wounded conductor.
'TANG TANG TANG'
"Alastor, for heaven's sake!" and she went back to tending to the plump conductor, whispering a couple of spells as Lupin joined Moody at the control panel.
"There's a tunnel not far away," Remus told Mad Eye Moody. "We could escape the storm for a while, as we wait for Dumbledore…"
"It's a trap! We can't go there! We'll be stuck, right in a perfect trap with no escape!" Moody said. " Dumbledore must not come! He'll leave Hogwarts too vulnerable!"
'TANG TANG TANG TANG!'
"We have no choice!" said the tired looking Lupin. "Strengthening Charms won't last for long! And we're not enough to make a shield charm over the whole train!"
"Then this will do the trick!" Lupin and McGonagall watched as Mad Eye Moody revealed a hidden panel, he thrust a lever up. There was an ear splitting screech of mechanisms and the deafening noise of hitting grail vanished, replaced by dull 'BOoong… Dunnn… Bong…'
"Some people sometimes forget that physical attack is sometimes as good as magic curses…" Moody told them. "Second is more deadly than the first, but it's the first you never expect… Now, how far is the tunnel?"
"Another…" Lupin started.
"Twelve miles!" Moody completed. "We need to leave the rails!"
"Harry what's happening?" Ron asked as he joined Harry/Tonks in the corridors. "Windows started bursting and…"
Ron had a gash on his cheeks, blood smudged around it as if he'd wanted to wipe it away with the back of his hand.
"Moody says it's an attack," Harry/Tonks told Ron. The grail had lessened and no more windows shattered to Tonks' relief. "But if Voldemort thinks a storm is going to do much good…"
The train lurched widely, sending Harry/Tonks and Ron and most screeching fourth years surrounding the two to the corridor floor, the lights flicking on off, the walls rattling uncontrollably, the sliding doors slamming shut or open depending on the movement. The train lurched again, this time, however, Harry/Tonks was able to stand up, clutching the railing. Taking her pouch back out, she called for Mad Eye Moody once more. Instead Remus Lupin's voice replied.
"Yes, who is it?"
"Ton.. Harry," Tonks corrected at the last minute. "what's happening. I thought for a moment we had derailed…"
"We are."
"What?"
"We're making for an escape. Lead every one into their compartments, tell everyone to hold on tight to something. Moody says Dementors are approaching rapidly." The communication was cut without any more details.
Thunder crashed once more outside.
Tonks's face couldn't be reassuring for Ron's own face went pale. "What is it?" The train lurched again, and Tonks wasn't able to hold on as she fell once more, her head smacking the wall.
"Everyone must get back in their compartments," she told Ron getting back up, rubbing the back of her head painfully. "We're going to derail, something about Plan B Moody decided to keep to himself."
Ron nodded, understanding what he had to do. "EVEYONE BACK IN THEIR COMPARTMENTS!" he yelled, pushing the fourth years away. "TRY AND HOLD TO SOMETHING!!!"
The first years went straight back into their compartments, Ron was impressive, not only he was taller than anyone else, but well, he was also Harry Potter's friend. Quickly the corridors were once more nearly empty as Ron rushed them back in with the help of Frednerick and other aurors.
"Fermatore," Tonks said, doing a kind of big swish of the wand, and all the doors were locked.
"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked Harry, but his friend, under Tonks's form had disappeared.
Hermione was one wagon away, clutching the railing also. She had to join Ron and Harry someway. She ignored the bruise on her forehead as she tried to get through the crowd. Luna Lovegood appeared out a compartment, seeming as if she'd just been having the most boring time of her life.
"Hello, Hermione," she said in a dreamy voice as they crossed. Her blouse had been ripped and slightly stained with blood. It didn't look like anything serious, though. "Is it already teatime?" she asked.
Everybody was now regaining their compartments, pushed in kindly, or a bit forcedly by the aurors. One was having trouble with first years who were clutching his cloak expectantly.
"No, Luna, someone's just reported it for the next day or so," Hermione replied acidly, unconcerned about Luna's antics, trying to get through, pushing a first year rather roughly. She didn't have time for this.
"Oh," said Luna, looking disappointed.
"Where's Ginny?" Hermione asked her.
"We were having a chest game, and well, she's…" Luna's face dissolved, she looked tired, lost, and about to cry, all at once. "She's been hit… I don't know what to do."
Hermione pushed past her, and to her horror, found Ginny on the floor, blood seeping from the side of her face near her earlobe. The Weasley's red cheeks had disappeared. She looked, pale…
"Ginny! Oh please! Ginny!" Hermione crouched down at her friend's side between the fallen chest pawns. Ginny didn't respond to any of her cries. Hermione searched for a pulse, and to her relief, found one. "Hold on… Luna, find someone, an auror.. anyone."
Luna nodded, and was about to leave when the train lurched again. Hermione found herself falling forward, her balance taken, over Ginny's body, while Luna tumbled to the ground. The sliding door slammed shut. Panic was quickly rising. The lights went off as the train gave an almighty screech followed with another lurch.
Hermione scrambled back from over Ginny's form, and to her horror found her hands red with blood. "Ginny!" She jumped up as if stung and tried the door, but found it locked to her dismay. She pulled it with all her force, but it refused to open. From the yells from the compartments of both sides, she wasn't the only one having the same problem.
An auror walked past them, and Hermione banged on the glass pane loudly. "LET US OUT! My friend's hurt…" But he didn't give any notice to her pleas. She then tried the Alohomora on the lock, but this gave no change.
"I wonder if they care what happens to us…"
"Of course they care!" Hermione yelled at Luna, pulling on the door once more in frustration.
"Sometimes I feel they're only concerned about Harry," Luna confessed, stroking Ginny's hair away from her face.
"A healing spell… I must find one… I know." It was the only way. Hermione fell back down next to Ginny and tried to concentrate hard, blocking out the yells and screams from the outside, and the blood on her hands. She crossed her legs as Luna stepped back expectantly, her eyes red with unshed tears. This wasn't just a bruise or a small cut, if Hermione didn't manage to heal Ginny... Hermione breathed in heavily, she couldn't go wrong…and if she did, she dreaded what would happen. Beads of sweat threatened to run down her forehead.
Hermione lifted her wand, about to cast the spell. "Salv…" she started.
The Hogwarts Express swayed brutally and Hermione had to hold herself to the seat to not be pushed onto the unconscious Ginny once more. She was about to let go and attempt the cast the spell once more when there was an almighty SCREECH. Hermione forced her hands over her ears, gritting her teeth in pain. When it finally disappeared, she breathed in relief, her head throbbing painfully.
"What did you think it was?" Luna asked, her eyes round.
Ginny's body was taken by seizure as she tried to gasp for air.
"Don't have time to care." Hermione was back concentrating on her spell. Ginny's Blood was now soaking the ends of her robes. But something changed in the air, freezing Hermione in her second attempt. Something took her at the throat, like if a large stone had lodged itself there. Puffs of mist was now coming out from Luna and Hermione's mouth, and only faintly from Ginny's. Crisp ice sparkled on the window.
The compartment disappeared to a different time and place, to a very unpleasant memory.
Hermione hid behind a bookcase, trying to ease her breathing. Blood pounded sharply in her ears as she tried to make out any approaching step. If only she could reach the fireplace in the back rooms of Flourish and Blotts. Light streamed into the dark bookshop from Diagon Alley street and the fires that burnt there.
The serpent voice of a Death Eater echoed through out the empty shop. "Don't hide from me, Mudblood. You have no chance. Your wand is gone, and your precious friend are no where to be seen..." It made her insides turn horribly.
Harry Ron and herself had been separated just minutes ago. Ron was lying somewhere, poisoned, Harry had ran for help and hadn't come back, and she was about to die at the hands of Death Eaters.
With a surge of courage she pushed the bookcase with all her might, letting it fall onto the one next to it, bringing it down at the same time, then another in a domino effect. Books fell from their shelves. Hermione hope that her pursuer would be buried under them as she ran for it, but only to late.
Her feet were suddenly taken away from underself. She fell hard against the wood floor, the Death Eater looming over her.
"Do you know how much trouble a mudblood like you can be? Fortunately, things will be changing shortly."
Air seemed to be suddenly be missing, as she tried to remember how to breathe. She wondered if she would live. Would she be at Hogwarts next year? What would her mother say when she found out that her daughter…
The air started to boil, suffocating, like if someone had suddenly risen the temperature to unbelievable heights. And then fire was slowly spreading between the spilled books and fallen shelves, the unhealthy flame lighting the artificial night that had fallen over Flourish and Blotts.
"Who do I have here?" the Death Eater asked to himself aloud, his wand raised to Hermione's heart. "Potter's little Mudblood friend. What a pleasure." The way he moved, spoke repulsed her to the very point of wanting to spill all of her lunch out.
Maybe if she'd never met Harry, if she'd lived like a simple muggle she could have escaped all of this. Yes, and if everything could end now.
Hermione hadn't been expecting it to hurt as much. She let out a shrill cry that pierced her own ears. She swore she was burning alive! She was burning! It was a whole new world of pain and suffering. She could still see the light cast by the burning flames, the laughter of the Death Eater. At that precise moment, she thought it was finished for her. It was the end, and probably glad that it was so.
Until she saw Harry bursting out from the fire on top of the Death Eater, in roaring rage.
Hermione woke in stupor back in the compartment, soaked in her own sweat. She blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what had just happened to her. Luna was still at the other side, her eyes blank. It was then that Hermione's eyes fell back on Ginny's body. There was no more time to lose.
"Salvadremedria," she said in one breath, slashing her wand in some kind of blurry movement. Silver blue mist poured slowly out from the tip of her raised wand to Ginny's face. It seeped through her mouth and nose, disappearing into her body, illuminating it slightly with a faint glow before winking out suddenly.
Hermione blinked surprisingly. It was the first time she'd ever attempted the spell and… it seemed to have worked. Luna, who'd just come out of her stupor, was busy whipping the blood away from the side of her friend's face, but it wasn't bleeding anymore to Hermione's relief. Ginny groaned slightly, stirring on the floor.
"Dementors," Luna explained.
Satisfied enough with Ginny's state, Hermione got up and flung the tip of her wand at the door. "Respecto!" she yelled.
The door splintered in a rush of wind and shattered to shards of wood, leaving a hole large enough for Hermione to jump out into the corridor, which she did without waiting another second. Aurors had their wands out and were busy casting their Patronus', lighting the darkness outside with the silver glow of different animals galloping ahead.
Against the harsh light were dark figures fleeing the clouded sky. It was then that she realised what the this light was, it was the sun pouring from the heavens as the darkness dissipated. They had won this battle. She didn't know what she felt; relieved, happy, exited? Truthfully, she felt empty.
A large stag thrust his head at the last Dementors that were now only faint black dots in the distance. A small smile formed itself. Harry. She ran to the window, gazing out in the expanse of the sky and realised that they'd left the rail tracks, and were, actually… flying.
Hermione heart sank, closing her eyes tight. She'd never liked flying, and knowing that a 100 tone train was floating on air… wasn't making her feel easy. But they were still alive, and it was an excuse enough for Hermione to have a peek, not that she would confess to anyone later… Flying had always been a dangerous business. She tentatively went back to Luna and Ginny's compartment, thinking that after all, she might feel sick. How would they land?
The doors seemed to have unlocked and most people were looking out of the windows now with exited cries, pointing out at something in the sky or down bellow at the ground (where Hermione had refused to look). She saw Neville nod at her from afar, a grin plastered on his face.
"Hermione," Ginny cried out with a tired smile. When Hermione went back to Luna's compartment, she found her friend sitting up from the floor. The flood of blood had disappeared from the ground, probably with the help of one of Luna's spells, before Ginny woke up. "Thanks."
Seeing Ginny well made Hermione forget most of her uneasiness, but back in a dark corner of her mind, she knew this was only the beginning.
"What's that?" asked Luna, pointing at something in Hermione's hand.
Hermione looked down and realised she was fingering a small piece of parchment. "Oh," she said, "just something I had in my pocket," Hermione lied putting it away.
Oh well, a long chapter, you have.
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