The Chicken Chronicles: Saving The Wizarding World
Chapter 6
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter, all of it belongs to J.K. Rowling whom I would like to thank for creating such a wonderful universe for us little readers to enjoy. And I still don't own anything. Nuh-uh.
Well, it turns out that the Perks were quite keen on murdering me anyway. According to Sally, berries couldn't be considered proper food. I rolled my eyes.
'What else d'you expect me to do? There isn't any other food. Live with it,' I said. I stormed over to my part of the small space and sat, cross-legged, next to Teddy, who was already asleep.
Rodney, who was siting with his back to a tree was snoring loudly. Sally turned her back on me huffily, grabbed a nearby tree branch, and swung herself onto it. She leaned with her back to the trunk, and shut her eyes. My jaw dropped. She had climbed the tree. I felt embarassed, remembering Teddy leaping up the branches only half-an-hour ago.
I grunted and wrapped my cloak around me. I couldn't sleep. If You-Know-Who had captured the Hogsmeade villagers, how about the rest of Britain? I wondered if Mum was safe. I knew that she could take care of herself, but still, I was worried. Sooner or later, we were going to be found, and then what?
I got up quietly. I stole a glance at Rodney. He was asleep, his head drooping onto his chest, snoring. Sally was still on the tree branch, eyes closed, but I wasn't sure whether she was sleeping or not. Teddy seemed quite comfortable where he was, his head tucked under his wing.
Making up my mind, I crept away, keeping as quiet as possible, my head bent. With every step I took, my heartbeat quickened. Faster. I told myself. Faster.
I reached the edge of the Forest. I could see the Quidditch Pitch, and the castle. But there was something different in the air. Cautiously, I scurried over to the building. I regretted the move. Two men in masks were patrolling, conversing quietly. I stopped myself just in time, and hid behind a bush. Where are they going? I wondered. I stood there for a moment, hesitating. Then, I followed, at a safe distance, of course. As an added precaution, I took out my wand, gripping it firmly.
They were walking towards the front part of the grounds, where the Lake is.
The grounds, when it isn't exam time, is usually scattered with students, doing their homework, reading, or just fooling around with friends. It used to be a sunny, bright place, the sound of student's voices in the air. But when I saw it now, my eyes went wide. It was transformed into a sort of torture area, with prisoners in cages, Death Eaters swarming all over the place, and - my stomach clenched - dead bodies lying on the ground. I felt sick.
It's over. I thought. He's won. We're dead. Where's Potter when you need him? And not for the first time that night, I remembered that he was dead. My heart sank. There goes the tiny flame of hope. Blown out like a candle on a birthday cake.
I felt like screaming. I felt like running around in circles, screaming hysterically, waiting for death to come. But what if they didn't kill me? What if they just kept me there, for their own sick and twisted pleasure? I shuddered at the thought. I stole one last glance at the prisoners in cages. They were crying, trying to get free. But by the looks of it, the didn't have tehir wands with them. I wondered where they were.
I turned around and ran back to the Forest, intending on telling Teddy, Sally and Rodney about it. Although I wasn't really fond of working with Sally, it was my - our last hope.
I reached the place. I woke Sally up first, since that she was nearest.
'What?' she muttered, her eyes half-open. I was impressed that she still managed to maintain her balance on the branch.
'The grounds,' I said hoarsely. My throat felt dry, for some odd reason. 'They're being tortured. We've got to help.'
Sally seemed to be scanning me with her eyes, as if unsure whether to believe me or not.
'Okay,' she said. 'But I want to see it to believe it.'
A/N: I know this took a very long time. I was actually thinking o abandoning this, but after a lot of thought, I've decided that that's a big no-no. So, here it is. I know it's rather short-looking, but finally, this fic is getting somewhere. :)
A huge thank you to Emma Barrows! Thanks for the review!