Disclaimer: My name is not JK Rowling, so I don't own Harry Potter and co. I also don't make any money from this (darn!).
Author's Note: I know I forgot to put a disclaimer on ch. 1. SORRY! Also, just so you know, I will try to keep updating at least every two weeks, probably sooner, this way I have a deadline. Also, thanks to SykoElf for proofreading! Well, enough about me, on with the show!
Chapter 2 Oh Dear!
"What do you mean oops? How could you be so stupid? If I were seventeen, you would be hexed so badly, I swear, I…" While Ginny ranted on about how could she be related to such an ignorant asshole, Hermione had remembered she was of age and summoned the letter.
Standing close to Remus, she started to read the letter aloud, catching the notice of the two redheads in the room.
Ron
I need help. Vernon has locked me in my room, told me I'll be getting no food, and has threatened to kill me. Please send someone to help me. I know he means it this time. I sent Hedwig to stay with you. Please keep her safe. Please send someone soon, Vernon is just waiting for an excuse. HELP!
Harry
"Oh, Ronald, how could you? Did you honestly think he was making it up? Did you at least check with your parents? No, of course not. You just decided to leave your best mate to DIE!" Hermione screamed at Ron.
"Hermione! Right now we need to get to Harry. Yell at Ron later. I'm sure he already regrets what he has done. Now, I'm going to floo to Mrs. Figgs. Hermione I need you to floo Professor McGonagall and inform her of what is happening. Make sure to tell her to have Madame Pomphrey ready just in case. Ginny, floo your parents. There at headquarters right now. Ron, come through the floo to my place, you're coming with me to get Harry." Remus rattled of instructions to the three teenagers.
He started to pull back when Ginny asked, "Why does he get to go with you? Hasn't he done enough?" She was quite perturbed.
"He's the only one of you who has been to Privet Drive before plus I might need his help with Harry. Now let's go." Remus answered and disappeared from the fireplace.
"Right, ummm. Bye" And with that Ron disappeared into the fireplace leaving the two furious girls behind.
"Well, that bloody git! Right, well. Let me floo Professor McGonagall. Maybe she'll let us wait at Hogwarts for Harry, since that's probably where Professor Lupin will bring him." Hermione said to Ginny while grabbing a pillow to put under her knees from the nearby couch. After all, kneeling on the floor to talk in the fireplace was murder on the knees.
"Hogwarts' Headmistress's Office!" Hermione called into the fire after tossing in a handful of floo powder. She put her head into the now green fire. After the spinning feeling had ended she found herself looking into what had been Professor Dumbledore's office. The layout of furniture was the same, however all the silver instruments were gone, replaced with other knickknacks. Seated at the desk, was Headmistress McGonagall.
"Miss Granger! What's wrong?" The new headmistress looked shocked to see one of her favorite students' head floating in her fireplace.
"Headmistress! Something's wrong at Harry's. He didn't send Professor Lupin his three day note, so when the professor asked we found out that Ron had received a letter from him the first day of holiday. However, like a git! Sorry headmistress, he never told anyone what it really said, just said Harry was fine. But the letter was a plea for help! His uncle had locked him in his room and threatened to kill him! Professor Lupin took Ron and they're going to check at Privet Drive now. He said to make sure Madame Pomphrey was ready just in case something did happen." Hermione ranted with barely taking a breath. In her eyes, McGonagall could see Hermione's annoyance at Ron Weasley and her concern for Harry Potter.
"Alright, thank you for informing me. I will tell Madame Pomphrey to expect Mr. Potter soon."
McGonagall had stood from her desk and was heading toward the door when Hermione interrupted with, "Please, Professor! Couldn't Ginny and I come and wait at Hogwarts for Harry. We need to know he's alright and I'm sure he'll want to see us." Hermione was pleading, but she didn't care.
Headmistress McGonagall looked very stern, but she considered it. With a very stern/strict look she answered with, "Alright Miss Granger. Miss Weasley and yourself may come here to wait. You must, however, stay out of the way until Madame Pomphrey or myself say so. Understood?"
"Perfectly, Headmistress! Thank you. Ginny just has to tell her parents, and then we'll come through." Hermione was relieved.
"Fine. When you arrive you are to report directly to the hospital wing." With that the headmistress left the office and Hermione ended the floo call.
Hermione pulled back from the fire and stood. "The Headmistress said we can wait at school. Call your parents and then we'll head on over." She said to Ginny while heading moving back from the fireplace and Ginny stepped up to it and kneeled.
Ginny flooed Grimmauld Place and talked to her parents quickly. They decided to finish what they were doing for the Order, and then they would join the girls at Hogwarts later.
When Ginny was done with the call, she stood and put the pillow back on the couch with a toss. With that done the two girls grabbed a handful of floo powder each and one after another flooed to their school, bringing only themselves and the letter Harry had written to Ron. When they arrived, they headed directly to the hospital wing, hoping Harry was already there and fine.
Meanwhile at Privet Drive
Ron Weasley had flooed to his former professor's home and then on to Mrs. Figg's totally on autopilot. He was thinking about what he had done. He knew he had messed up, again. Ron had a difficult time with jealousy, and he knew it. Recently he had been able to put up with it, not let it control him. Somehow, it always came out when it came to Harry. Harry who was his best mate. Harry was supposed to be able to depend on him! Ron knew he had to do something. He had screwed up royally. Well, he was going to fix it. He vowed to himself, even if Harry never forgave him, he would be there for him until the day he died. He glowed briefly when his magic accepted his oath.
Remus Lupin had been watching Ron out of the corner of his eye on the walk to number four. He knew all Weasleys had temper difficulties and Ron was the worse thanks to his jealousy problems. Remus knew that the problem had finally fully hit Ron, now he would finally grow up.
The two men had finally reached their destination, Number Four, Privet Drive.
"Ron, I'm going to spell the door open. I want you to cover me. Stun the uncle and cousin. Leave the aunt unless she puts up a fight. We're heading directly to Harry's room; he's leaving with us even if he isn't hurt. Understood?" Remus rattled off instructions, with Ron listening intently.
"I understand, Professor. Harry's room is the smallest one. It'll have all the locks on the outside." Ron answered solemnly.
"Right. Let's go"
With that they stepped up to the door, which Remus then blasted open. Ron followed Remus into the house and spotting the two Dursley men on the stairs, quickly shot off two stunning spells, causing them to fall down the stairs and stop a few feet away. Remus walked around the stunned males and stopped directly in front of the stairs, sniffing.
Ron seeing Remus stop, asked, "What's wrong?"
"Blood. I smell a lot of blood." Was the answer he received right before Remus ran upstairs with a howl, reminding Ron he was a werewolf.
"Bloody hell!" Ron followed Remus up the stairs to see the werewolf standing before Harry's aunt, who, it seemed, had been trying to undo all the locks outside her nephew's room.
"Good, you're here! Please help him! I think Vernon's finally lost it! I've been trying to get in but…" Petunia seemed to cry with relief at seeing the two wizards. Though she may have been crying due to the bruises on her face and neck, caused by her husband when she tried to get into her nephew's room.
"Move." With that, Remus Lupin blasted open the door and paled when he saw inside the room.
"Stay here." Ron said to Petunia, and headed into the room, following Remus. He paled dramatically when he saw his best mate.
Harry Potter was not in good condition. He was unconscious, pale, had shallow breathing, and was covered in his own blood.
From the doorway the two wizards heard, "Oh my God! Vernon was just in here five minutes ago. When he came out and was out of site I tried to get in but he came back. He had just started to beat me when you arrived. Oh no!" Petunia had never taken her eyes off of Harry. She ran to her nephew when she noticed he wasn't breathing any more. She pulled out a ten inch wooden stick and started rattling off spells to the amazement of Ron. Remus just came closer and joined in.
"None of these spells are working, Remus! Let me try muggle CPR." So Petunia began compressing on Harry's chest and blowing air into his mouth. Ron noticed that neither adult had tried to stop the flow of blood so he took off his own shirt and stepped up to the bed, putting the cloth over Harry's wound. He put pressure on it, just like Hermione had taught him. He had to remember to thank her later.
"Ron, you know how to apparate right. I'm going to need your help." Remus began. "We're going to group apparate. This will actually be a bit easier than side along apparating. Both of us are going to direct the group to outside Hogwarts' gates. Petunia can help power us, so the only one who will drag us down a bit will be Harry. This will be tough on him, but time is of the essence here." He told Ron. Turning to Petunia, who was still doing CPR, he said, "Pet, we're going to have to apparate. Lend Ron and I you energy, but keep up the CPR."
With that he reached out to touch Petunia's shoulder and Ron's shoulder, so that all four of them were touching. "Ready Ron?" At Ron's nod he counted down from three to one. A loud POP! was heard and the group was gone.
In the Hogwarts' Infirmary
Madame Pomphrey was running around gathering supplies for her incoming patient. Headmistress McGonagall was setting the supplies by the bed nearest the doors, when they banged open with a group of four running in.
Remus Lupin was carrying a very pale and bloody Harry Potter with a shirtless Ron Weasley and bruised Petunia Dursley following. Both were covered in Harry's blood.
When Remus placed Harry on the nearest bed Petunia came up and began CPR again, hoping to keep her nephew alive.
Hearing all the commotion, Madame Pomphrey came out of the storage closet and saw the four bloody people. With a deep breath she ran to the bed and began her job, healing. With the exception of Petunia who was told to stay to help, the rest backed off. They still heard Poppy's quiet exclamation when she saw the extent of Harry's wounds however.
"Oh dear!"