Heartbroken Christmas

Author: Leta McGotor

Rikki8879: I can read your reviews online now, so today I'm SURE that I get the name right. You'll see that Severus also hopes that he reaches Minerva in time and I believe some support is exactly what he needs but doesn't receive. Thank you for reviewing.

Lady Henrietta: Well, he finds her of course (you'll read below), the question is whether he is in time. Thank you for reviewing.

Underground: Imagine Severus as a real knight in shining armour riding with his black horse through such a mass of snow. Poor Severus. I believe with a horse it might be even more difficult than it is now. Thank you for reviewing.

Jade1982: And here is the update. Sorry that it took me so long but here around me it is cold, too and therefore I couldn't bring myself to write the end of this chapter for quite a time. Thank you for reviewing.

Miyabinohana: When I write a story I often wonder for myself how it turns out. Sometimes I know it from the beginning on and then I change it all and it ends completely different. But this time I try to stick to my idea because I like it this way. Thank you for reviewing.

Chapter 5 Snow, snow and not to forget snow

It was a long and difficult way for Severus. The wind drove the snow directly in his face, his hands hurt because of the cold and his eyes watered. But nevertheless he made his way through the snow storm, not looking left or right, his only aim to arrive at thr stuck up train in time.

After what seemed like days and not hours he reached the valley. Somehwere here had to be the train. He looked for rails but because of the never ending snow the whole countryside was white and without every trace of a train. Panic raised in Severus. He had known how to reach the valley without the rails but the area was to big to find it without help. What should he do?

Slowly Severus landed in the deep snow, whipping the snow out of his face. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and said "Lumos". First there was no sign of a reaction but then, slowly, the tip of the wand started glowing. With much luck he could use magic to find the train, but what would happen, when it was blocked and he was also stuck up in the middle of the valley?

Severus leaned on his broom. Should he really risk his own life by going down there? Again he whipped the snow out of his face and brushed with something hard against his cheek. He looked down at his wrist. There under a bit snow was the watch, he had got as a present, and was telling him that it was to time to go into a warm room. The watch seemed also to be cold. While staring at it Severus shook his head. He wouldn't let her there. He had made the way till this point and he would go. He had to find her. Severus took his broom and made his way down the valley, using his wand to get the right direction.

From time to time the broom made some strange movements. Severus knew that it was because of the frost, but he couldn't stop. Only a few minutes later the broom refused to fly any further and he had to land. There he stood in the middle of nothing but white. Not only the broom refused to go on, even his magic was completely blocked now. But Severus knew that he was going in the right direction. From his broom he had seen a group of people going in the same to look for the victims of the snow and to help them. He also knew that these people would need one or two hours at least to reach the place where he was, not mentioning the time they needed to reach the train. So he took the broom and went on.

The icy wind seemed even to become stronger with every step he made. The snow reached over his waist and from time to time Severus sank deeper until the white mass reached nearly his shoulders. It was a horribly long way but finally a coloured point came into his view and half an hour later the train was clearly visible. It lasted even one hour longer until Severus could reach it. Because of the frost all the doors were shut tightly and when he tried Severus had to notice that he couldn't open them from the outside. So he tried it with his wand but all that came was a tiny transparent cloud that vanished within seconds into nothingness.

Severus sighed and looked around. But there was nothing but the white mass of snow which seemed to swallow all if not quickly enough. Severus felt in his pockets, he needed something to destroy one of the windows to get into the train, but his mood sank as he sank into the snow, when he found nothing useful for this task. Stones weren't visble and there wasn't something similar, either. What should he do?

Severus looked down at the broom, which was now covered with snow, although Severus had put it only mere minutes down. It was no use for him but he took it from the ground and leaned the broom against the train. Severus looked up and down but no idea sprang to his mind. Then he looked up again. Above the winow there were only a few inches until there was the roof. On top of that Severus could see parts of an iron bar, which was mostly there to decorate the train.

Mere seconds later Severus jumped a few times up and down and tried to reach the bar, hoping that this would hold him for a few moments. After some attempts he finally reached the bar and hold to it. The only thing he needed now was a swing. Slowly Severus started to swing back and forth, still hoping that the bar would not break. He had the luck with him. When he had enough speed and strenght in his swing, Severus started to kick against the window, praying that it would broke before the bar would do so, especially because it made some rather unpleasend noises.

After some breathtaking moments, the window and the bar gave way and with a painful fall Severus landed in the train. He looked around. There was the broken window on the floor, with it some snow. On the left and on the right were a few seats, behind him another window. Luggage was missing. Severus assumed that very few people were on their way at this time and so most of the train was probably emty.

Severus came to his feet. It was cold in the train, it seemed that the air here was even colder than outside, but Severus was not interested in such a phenomenon and hurried down the corridor. He met no one on his way up the train and all the compartments he looked into were empty. From time to time there were a few suitcases and bags, some of them opened, some others emptied on the floor. It seemed as if the owners had tried to find their warmest clothes between their other things and that the rest of their belongings didn't matter to them anymore.

Severus went on until he finally stopped abruptly because he had seen a person in one of the compartments. Carefully he opened the door, which was a bit difficult, because the frost had made it immoveable. Finally and very slowly the door gave way and Severus was confronted with the body of a young blonde woman. She lay on the ground, her grey eyes wide opened but empty. She was already dead, frozen to death. Severus looked uneasy around. Behind the woman there was another dead body, this time of a young child, that probably belonged to the woman. Both of them had several pullovers on but it seemed that this didn't help them to escape from the death.

Severus went on, even faster than before. He hoped – no, he really prayed - that he would find Minerva still alive. On his way he found more and more opened bags and he started wondering whether their owners had started making their way out of the valley on their own. Severus knew, if they really had gone out of the train, most of them were dead by now. The cold and the wind outside were deathbringing and he was glad that he had had his magic and his broom for the greatest part of the way, or he maybe hadn't even reached the train.

Finally there were only a few compartments left and Severus had nearly given up hope that he would ever find Minerva, when he saw another person in a compartment. Qickly he opened the the door, which was all but easy because of the frost. Severus instinktively felt that this compartment was the last he would have to look through, because something told him, that this person was Minerva, although he hadn't come near her.

Tbc

I know, I know. Some of you are going to hunt me because this is a cliffhanger. But I promise you that I will hurry up with the next chapter (I have holidays now, so there is really a chance of me updating sooner)

I would be glad if you left me a review. If you have no idea what to write in it, maybe you can guess how it is going on? Surely I have my own idea about it, but I'm interested what others would make out of this situation. So, please review, no matter what you think about it, only tell me.