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Hermione, 9:07pm
Hermione watched in horror as the gates slowly creaked open; the hands that pushed the metal bars had left bloody streaks on the shining surface. The headmaster had expressly forbidden the three students from leaving the main doors of the Hogwarts castle, but had revoked his ultimatum as twenty-two injured figures began to lurch through the silver gates. Professor Lupin had approached Dumbledore immediately, favoring what appeared to be a very broken left arm, and had muttered a few hasty words to the headmaster before turning back to assist his battered group.
"I trust you know how to conjure stretchers by now," the old wizard had remarked, still gazing after Professor Lupin, though simultaneously creating several with a sweep of his wand. "I daresay I might need your assistance," he added, with a glance at the group of newcomers.
Hermione tried not to sob as she turned her eyes toward Professor Lupin, who gave her a weary thumbs-up with his good hand. Most of the people were adults, but a good few seemed to be younger than Hermione herself. All were dripping blood from various cuts, and several of the children were being carried by tottering adults who could barely support their own weight, let alone another's. With a forced smile, she approached an exhausted looking young woman with blood-matted blonde hair who was balancing a tiny girl against one hip. "Let me take her," Hermione offered, carefully coaxing the child out of the woman's arms.
"Thank you," the woman whispered gratefully in a hoarse voice. Ron, who had deftly ripped his outer robes into long bandages, handed her a few strips, and the woman began to wrap the cloth around several long, deep cuts on her forearm. Still supporting the child, Hermione managed to shrug off her own robe and tossed it to Ron, who answered with a weak grin.
"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said softly, as she gently helped the small girl onto a sturdy blue stretcher. The child smiled weepily at her, and a quick flick of Hermione's wand transfigured a rock into a small stuffed rabbit.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Most of the incapacitated were now floating several feet above the air, with the less injured clinging to each other for support. He looked up, then, and Hermione saw the alarm she was feeling reflected in the old man's blue eyes, and realized that she was slowly losing the battle to hold back the tears that had been threatening to fall. "Miss Granger?" he repeated, much more gently.
"Where are we taking them?" Ron interrupted loudly, clumsily floating two stretchers ahead of him toward Hogwart's stone steps. Several feet away, Professor Lupin steadied a man with a vicious gash in his leg as Harry transfigured another rock into a rough crutch. All three of the men looked up questioningly at the headmaster.
Dumbledore paused, his seven polka-dotted stretchers hovering motionless in front of him. "Infirmiry?" he murmured to himself. "Poppy would, but-- oh dear, it would be compromising, wouldn't it? Perhaps an empty classroom—"
"The Room of Requirement," Hermione volunteered softly, still stroking the top of the little girl's head. The child's tears were slowing, and she now clutched a handkerchief as well as a pink rabbit.
"Excellent idea, Miss Granger, a most discreet solution. Poppy will be needed, and perhaps Severus, also." With that, Dumbledore motioned his stretchers forward, with the others following close behind. "Keep quiet, and hope that there are not many students milling in the hallway."
Harry's wandless hand dived into the pocket of his robes, and emerged holding the map. "The entrance hall is clear, sir, but the staircase to the third floor is packed."
"So many students staying over break; perhaps I shouldn't have scheduled that ball," Dumbledore remarked to himself, almost wistfully. Dumbledore raised his wand and shot a silver streak into the air toward Professor McGonagall's office window. Within seconds of the spell's collision, her booming voice could be heard ordering all students to return to their common rooms. "That should take care of it," he said, sounding rather pleased with himself. "The ability to abuse administrative powers often comes in handy," he added with a wink toward Professor Lupin, who raised a bloody eyebrow in acknowledgement.
The group slowly and quietly walked up the four flights of stairs to the Room of Requirement, though several stops were taken to provide more stretchers for those whose injuries proved to be too extensive for the climb. Once everyone was inside the room, Dumbledore shot a second messaging spell into the corridor, and Professor McGonagall's sonorus-enhanced voice released the students from their captivity.
"Well!" Dumbledore turned to the bewildered, bloody, exhausted group with a wide smile. The room instantly lengthened, and rows of beds appeared against each wall. "Welcome to Hogwarts. Please, do make yourselves comfortable."
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Author's note: Another day, another chapter. Please review! I'd really like to know what I could do to improve my writing.