Hi there! Sorry for the delay.
Kaori: We got absorbed in the school play.
And for any of you other people who are obsessed with drama... Brownie points to whoever notices when we reference a musical.
Kaori: Ichigo... nobody cares.
... oh...
Kaori: We don't own Harry Potter. Here's chapter 2.
Ron woke to panic.
"What happened?"
"Is it You-Know-Who?"
Ron did a quick mental check to make sure he wasn't missing any body parts, then looked around for Ginny and Hermione. The muffled screams from the other compartments made his heart pound.
Ginny he didn't see. Then he remembered that she had been on duty patrolling the train with Colin Creevey. Hermione lay unconscious next to him, her head on her shoulder, her face looking just so slightly worried. She looked pretty like that, Ron thought. Her chest rose and fell gently, as if she had merely fallen asleep.
"Ennervate," Ron muttered. Nothing happened. "Oh, bloody hell. Ennervate!"
Hermione's eyes fluttered and opened.
"Ron!" she said. "What happened?"
"We derailed, I guess," Ron said, "but how come we're not hurt?"
"The train has safety spells on it," Hermione said, looking around. "Honestly, Ron, when will you read Hogwarts, A History?"
Ron was going to say, "When pigs fly," but stopped himself when he realized that that could easily be arranged. Ron looked up and for the first time processed what was around him.
The compartment was completely upside-down. Pigwidgeon's cage had burst open and the tiny owl was hovering over their heads, screeching madly. Ginny's tawny owl, Atlas, was ruffling his feathers indignantly. Ron righted his cage and looked helplessly up at the fluffy ball of a bird whizzing around the ceiling - or rather, the floor.
"Come on, Pig," Hermione said, coaxingly. Ron stood up tentatively on the curved ceiling.
"What do you reckon we should do?" he said.
A low yowl from the overturned basket on the floor told them exactly how Crookshanks felt about the situation.
"Get out, I suppose," Hermione said, turning Crookshanks' basket over. She tried to stay calm, but her heart was racing, "C-can we get out the window?"
Ron rattled at the window. He was glad he was with Hermione.
Luna's eyes opened instantly. For a moment, she wasn't sure if she weren't just disoriented from the crash. She was sprawled on her back on the wall, next to the compartment door. She couldn't move. Something heavy was pinning her down.
It was Harry. His head rested on her chest and his breath was peaceful. She almost didn't want to wake him. He seemed so serene, something that he had never been as long as she had known him.
"Harry!" Neville said. "Wake up!"
Harry's brow furrowed slightly as he brushed the edge of consciousness. His eyes slowly opened.
"Sorry," he said, pushing himself up off of Luna. "Are you all right?"
"I think so," Luna said, sitting up. Her head was pounding, but nothing seemed to be seriously wrong.
"How do we get out?" Neville asked, crouched in the corner. Turned on end, the compartment was not tall enough to stand up in.
"We could try the door," Luna said.
Harry looked down through the glass. The tiny corridor was only about two feet wide to begin with, and now the dimensions were inverted and it was littered with broken glass from the lanterns on the wall. If they went out into the hall, they would have to crawl through it.
"The window, then," Neville said.
Lilia reached up next to her head and opened the latch on the window, sliding it open.
"I'll go first," Neville said. "I'm the tallest, so I can help you guys down."
Harry nodded. It made sense. Neville pulled himself up through the open window and looked around. The wind was cold on his face and the train car under his knees left dirt on his trousers. He leaned over the edge and looked down as Harry pulled himself up. It was about a ten foot drop to the ground.
"Do you want to jump?" Harry asked him. Neville looked at Harry, then at the ground.
"No," he said. They were finally content to find their footing on the greasy undercarriage.
When he was about halfway down, Neville's foot suddenly slipped on the slimy machinery. He grabbed for a handhold, slicing his palm on the sharp end of a wire. He dropped to the ground, the impact of the landing knocking the wind out of him.
"You okay?" Harry called.
Neville caught his breath. "Yeah." He wiped his grimy hands on the grass and stood up, looking up at where Luna and Lilia now stood on top of the train car. Harry held up a hand to shield his eyes from the bright sunlight. About a dozen other people had already hobbled their way out of the wreckage.
"What should I do with your owl?" Luna called. She clutched Hedwig's cage in her arms.
"Let her out," Harry called back. "Then throw me the cage."
In a flurry of snowy white, Hedwig burst from her cage and soared away. Harry caught the brass cage and put it on the ground.
"How do we get down?" Lilia said, her voice barely audible. Her curly hair bounced in the wind.
"Jump," Neville said, raising his voice to be heard. "I'll catch you."
Lilia hesitated, then moved cautiously toward the edge.
"It's all right," Neville said. "You can trust me." He held out his arms. The wind stung at his injured hand.
Lilia stood perfectly still for a moment, the squeezed her eyes shut and jumped. Neville caught her. She clung to him for a moment, then dropped to the ground.
Luna looked down at Neville's outstretched arms, reluctant to jump. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she just wished that Harry would catch her instead. She looked down at Neville again. It seemed an awfully long drop. She didn't dare close her eyes. She jumped.
As Neville put her feet back on the ground, a wave of dizziness crashed over her like a sack of bricks. She swayed for a moment, then her legs gave way and she toppled to the grass. Harry rushed to her side. Her head was throbbing like mad and her vision was spinning.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, genuine worry in his green eyes.
"Yes," Luna said, shakily. "Just a little dizzy, that's all."
Harry knelt down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders to support her. Luna let herself slump against his chest.
"Harry!"
Harry looked up. It was Ron and Hermione.
"Harry, we've been so worried!" Hermione rushed forward.
"All right, mate?" Ron asked.
"Yeah," Harry said. He slid his other arm under Luna's knees and lifted her, protesting weakly, from the ground. She was small, but still surprisingly light.
"If you can't stand up, you can't walk," Harry said gently. Luna mumbled something incoherent and slipped her arms around Harry's neck.
"She'll be all right, I think," Harry said, seeing Hermione and Ron's concerned faces. "She's just a little dizzy." Luna could feel his chest rumbling when he spoke.
"Look!" someone shouted, pointing to the sky.
Luna raised her eyes to where the shouter was pointing. It was the school carriages, pulled through the air by the black, fleshless thestrals. Almost before the first had landed, the door flew open and Professor McGonagall sprang out, followed instantly by Professor Flitwick. Professor McGonagall's lips were thinner than Harry had ever seen them. More teachers poured out of each carriage, including an extremely tall woman Harry presumed must be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry didn't get much of a look at her before she swept to the other side of the train. Professor McGonagall sent a rainbow of sparks up from her wand.
"Attention, students," she said. "Those who are not injured will please board the carriages. They will take you back to Hogwarts. Those who are injured will be sent by Portkey. Thank you."
Harry looked down at Luna, cradled like a doll in his arms. "Do you need to take the Portkey?" he said.
Luna shook her head. This made her even dizzier. She rested her head against Harry's shoulder.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked. The caress of his warm breath gave her goosebumps. His voice rumbled like an earthquake.
"I'm sure," she said. "I don't need the hospital wing."
Harry raised an eyebrow. Luna stared at him stubbornly. He sighed. "All right," he said.
"You're bleeding," Lilia said suddenly. Neville looked down at his hand.
"Oh, yeah," he said. "I cut it climbing out of the train."
"Oh, Neville," Hermione said. She muttered a spell and bandages sprang from the tip of her wand, wrapping around Neville's hand.
Ron looked at Lilia quizzically. "Who are you?" he said.
"She's Professor Shimizu's daughter," Neville said. Hermione looked at her, surprised, but didn't say anything.
"Where's Ginny?" Ron suddenly said. "Where is she? Did she get out?"
"Ron," Hermione said, tugging on his arm, "we have to go to the carriages."
"I'm not leaving until we find Ginny," Ron said.
"I'm sure she's fine," Neville said, sounding unconvinced.
"Let's go, Ron," Hermione insisted. "The teachers will take care of everything."
"Who's Ginny?" Lilia whispered, standing on tiptoe to be heard by Neville.
"She's Ron's younger sister," Neville whispered back.
"Come on, mate," Harry said. "Ginny will be fine."
With great reluctance, Ron followed them to the carriages. "Do you think we can fit all six of us in one?" Neville wondered.
"Harry, look," Hermione said. She pointed over to the engine, which was overturned.
"What?" Harry said.
"The wheel," Hermione hissed.
Harry looked closer. The nearest front wheel of the black steam engine was warped, twisted, as if something molten hot had struck it.
They did manage to all fit into one carriage, though it was somewhat cramped. Harry had insisted that Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Lilia all squeeze into the same side of the carriage so that Luna could lie down. She rested her head on Harry's lap, her blonde hair spilling over her face.
After a few moments, they felt the carriage begin to move. It gradually gained speed, and then took to the air. For a long time, nobody said a thing. Luna stared straight ahead, trying to focus her still-dancing vision. Harry twiddled his thumbs quietly, his eyes flickering restlessly around the carriage. Ron tilted his head back and squeezed his eyes shut. Hermione gently took his arm and patted it comfortingly, then laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Neville fidgeted, trying to edge away from Hermione and Ron, but there was no room on the crowded seat. Lilia looked at her shoes. Finally, she opened her mouth and spoke.
"Erm - does this... uh, happen often?"
Harry shook his head.
Ron sat up and opened his eyes. "I hope Ginny's all right," he muttered. "Merlin's beard - if something happened to her? I couldn't live with myself."
"I'm sure she'll be fine," Hermione said. She rubbed Ron's back gently. "The teachers won't let anything happen to her."
"Oh, yeah," Ron said. "Just like they did in our second year." He jerked away from her and banged his elbow on the mahogany panelling.
Hermione sighed.
"And anyway," Ron continued, rubbing his elbow, "what if they come back?"
"What if who come back?" Hermione said.
"The Death Eaters, of course," Ron spat.
Lilia looked up. "What Death Eaters?" Neville said.
"The ones who caused the train wreck!" Ron said, his ears reddening.
"Ron," Hermione said, "we don't know who or what cause the-"
"Oh, come on," Ron said. "Who else could it have been?"
A disgruntled meow floated up from the floor. Ron had accidentally kicked Crookshanks' basket.
"Erm," Lilia said, looking around helplessly, "What are Death Eaters?"
Even Luna sat up. Ron gaped. "You're kidding, right? You don't know who the Death Eaters are?" Lilia shook her head. "Where the hell have you been?"
"Detroit," she said. "I've lived there all my life."
Neville and Ron looked blank.
"Detroit?" Harry said, surprised.
"It's in the United States," Hermione explained.
"You're American?" Neville said, raising an eyebrow. "You don't sound American."
"I have a cold," she said, shrugging, a soft blush spreading across her nose. She looked up at Neville sheepishly and his heart fluttered. "Erm, what are Death Eaters?"
Hermione answered. "They're servants of You-Know-Who," she said. "Were you raised with Muggles, or do they not have Death Eaters in America?"
"I don't know," Lilia said, shyly, trying to hide from Hermione's inquisitive eyes. "I was raised by a witch, but she was a -" She stopped herself. "And there was this one wizard boy..." She trailed off and looked back down at her shoes.
"But if it wasn't Death Eaters," Ron said, jumping back to the previous topic, "who was it?"
"I don't know," Harry sighed. He agreed with Ron that Voldemort was probably behind the attack, but, as Hermione pointed out, they had no real proof.
"We don't know anything for sure yet," she said. "For all we know, it could have been an accident."
Ron looked at Harry and shook his head. Nobody really believed that it was an accident.
But nobody said a word.
And that's it for Chapter 2! Hope you liked it, and we also hope that you think Lilia is okay. We're doing our best to keep her out of the spotlight until we know of you like her or not.
Kaori: Please review! And come back for Chapter 3!