Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling
Dies the Fire is owned by SM Stirling
Slytherin Rising was created by J.L. Matthews

Chapter 5: London

3-26

Out side Buckingham palace, the crowd was getting more and more unruly. When the change happened, the Queen had been planning a state dinner for the King of Denmark. She had tried to mollify the crowds by ordering the servants to give the crowd the food that was supposed to be served at the state dinner. Unfortunately, the servants had brought out the desert course first. This led to people chanting: "Let them eat cake!" Each day more and more people appeared outside the palace gates demanding that their Queen do something about the crisis.

After a week of this, her guards decided that she would be safer in a medieval castle that could be more easily defended with hand held weapons. After a few guards with halberds cleared the crowd far enough away from the gates that they could be opened, the cavalry charged out, sabers cutting down any who stood in their way. The Queen's carriage followed close behind. Unfortunately, the Queen's men had greatly underestimated the size of the crowd. Yes, they could cut people down, but it didn't intimidate the mob. It only angered them. One person would get cut down and two more would take their place. The cavalry was quickly overwhelmed by sheer numbers. They were pulled off their horses and beaten to death. The Queen received the same treatment soon after. This was the spark that really set off the riot. It raged throughout the city and consumed many of the members of Parliament.

Soon fires broke out. With no means of fighting the fire, it continued to spread until it became a raging firestorm. By the time the inferno reached Diagon Alley and St. Mungo's and the Ministry of Magic it was too big to be quenched even with magic. Most of the witches and wizards of London were able to apparate or floo or fly to safety but did not have time to take anything with them.

Ginny Weasley sat down to dinner in the Great Hall. Since she had gotten back to Hogwarts, the staff had been trying their best to give the students the illusion that nothing was out of the ordinary. True, they had to eat their meals in their common rooms for a few days until the refugee barracks had been built in Hogsmeade, but classes had gone on like normal. And now they were back to having their meals in the Great Hall. There were even Hogsmead weekends planned. Professor McGonagall seemed determined to give them as normal a school year as possible.

"Ginny . . ." asked Neville hesitantly. "Do you think that you could . . . um . . come to the Three Broomsticks with me on the next Hogsmeade weekend? . . ."

"Well of course, silly" she replied. "The three of us always meet with Harry and . . ." She wiped a tear from streaming down her face as she looked over at Luna at the Ravenclaw table. Luna had become even stranger since Harry had disappeared. She'd even stopped bathing. "It must be really hard on her since . . ." She noticed how crest fallen Neville had become. "Oh . . . Oh! Yes, Neville, I would be glad to go to the Three Broomsticks" she said rubbing her foot up his leg."

Just then, Ginny's brothers, Fred and George came through the doors of the great hall.

"Gred! Forge! What are you doing here?" asked Neville turning beet red.

Ginny slipped her shoe back on and jumped into her brothers' arms for a group hug. Her family had become more affectionate since "the Change."

"We just wanted to let our favorite sister know that we were okay," said Fred.

"What with the fire and all" said George

"What fire?" asked Ginny

"A bloody big fire that destroyed Diagon Alley "There wasn't time to take anything with us!" exclaimed Fred

"Luna!" gasped Ginny. "What about Luna's Dad?"

"Oh, he moved the Quibbler to Hogsmeade yesterday." Luna said dreamily. "He knew something dreadful was about to happen in London. . ."

Ginny jumped with alarm. She hadn't seen Luna come up behind her.