Hey, it's me again. I thought that in honour of all of the snow and the fact that all week I've only spent the equivelant of 1 day in college, I will update.
Thanks to:
Tinks, Moonfyre, Dragonero, Avy-Snape, dacuycuy, and Jeanne2
for reviewing the last chapter.
Moonfyre, where on earth did you get the idea that the last chapter was cute?
I'm back to writing now. You'll get some more of the other reality when I can 'encourage' my sister to write some more.
Every living thing, decimated, dead. How could someone be so callous as to do this? Harry suddenly realised that this would be the fate of his world if Voldemort wasn't destroyed soon.
"W-where are we?" stuttered Ron nervously.
Remus stepped out of the darkened passageway into the grey, dead world.
"Welcome, boys, to Diagon Alley," he said sorrowfully.
Diagon Alley? It couldn't be. Harry looked closer at the destruction around him. Now he could see the Alley. Harry saw places he recognised: Flourish and Blotts, half fallen with books scattered around the debris, Madame Malkins; Harry could see the fabric, charred though it was, that made the robes; Ollivanders, the sign declaring Ollivanders, makers of fine wands since 693, half buried in the rubble. Harry recognised it all. The same, yet so different.
Harry turned around to see where in Diagon Alley the secret entrance had been. His mouth dropped open. They had just walked out of the wall separating Diagon Alley and The Leaky Cauldron.
"You – that – how?" stuttered Harry, pointing at the wall.
"I have no idea how they did it. Albus, Minerva, and James did it when Albus decided that we were going into the tunnels. They wouldn't tell anybody how they did it in case some poor soul is captured and forced to tell."
Harry took a deep breath and composed himself.
"Come on. Let's go."
Remus grabbed the back of Ron and Harry's robes tightly and stopped them from leaving.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes," said Harry impatiently. He wanted to leave right now. Who knows what was happening to Hermione and, he added as an afterthought, Sirius and Fred. Both he and Ron had one-track minds though. They were leaving the tunnels to find and rescue Hermione and if they happened to rescue anybody else in the process, then that was an added bonus.
"She's our best friend. There's no way we are going to leave her out there with V-Voldemort."
Harry nodded approvingly at his friend's use of Voldemort's name instead of You-Know-Who.
"Besides," continued Ron, "How are we going to get through the school year without her to borrow notes from."
Harry smiled and shook his head, and leaned over, hitting Ron on the arm.
"You know, I don't where we'd be without Hermione to copy from," said Harry. He had a point though. Harry and Ron frequently chose to only listen and take notes in classes that they enjoyed, which were few. In the important ones they picked Hermione's brain. Hermione was there when they fell asleep in Binns' class or just generally couldn't or forgot to do their homework.
"We're going and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it," Harry said, his tone basically saying 'if you even think about trying to stop us, we will hex you very, VERY badly.'
"Okay then. How are you going to get to wherever she is being held? Huh? Think about that. You can't apparate, as it appears you have no idea how and you also have no fixed destination to go to. You can't walk. You'd get captured or killed yourselves, or possibly even worse," said Remus, trying to deter the two boys from leaving on a seemingly impossible mission.
"We're gonna use brooms," said Harry brightly. "That's why we've got them. And what could possibly be worse than getting killed or captured?" But, even as he said it, Harry had an idea of what Remus was talking about.
"Dementors," said Remus darkly. "If they find you, there's no way you're getting away with your soul in tact."
To Remus' surprise, neither boy reacted in any way to his remark and instead said goodbye.
Harry mounted his Firebolt and kicked off into the air. It was exhilarating to be back in the air again. He did a couple of loops on his broom, trying to get the feel of it again. Harry had been banned for most of last year from flying by the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, so he hadn't been on a broom since he had that fight with Malfoy.
Dumbledore had appeared at Privet Drive on Harry's second day away from Hogwarts with his beloved Firebolt. He had told Harry that after some 'gentle persuasion,' theMinister had revoked his lifetime ban and he was allowed his broom back. He loved doing something that he was naturally talented at. It gave him a sense of freedom, freedom from the future that he had to face, a future that he couldn't avoid.
Remus watched Harry as he flew off, thinking how much the boy reminded him of James in school on a broomstick. He then turned to Ron, who was hovering next to him, and said,
"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to…?"
Ron sighed and shook his head firmly.
"Okay then. If you insist on going then all I can say is good luck and I hope you succeed."
Ron nodded his thanks, pulled his Cleansweep upwards and sped up into the air after Harry.
Harry looked back and slowed down, knowing that, at the speed he was flying, no broom would be able to catch him. Harry was too experienced a flyer and had too much natural talent to let anybody catch him if he didn't want them to. Ron soon caught up, but only because Harry let him.
"Which way do you think we should go?" asked Ron.
Harry looked around him.
"Does it really matter? I don't know how we're ever gonna find her. I lied when I said we would definitely be able to find where Voldemort was holding her," admitted Harry. He looked at the sky around him. "Um…doesn't matter where we go but if you want a direction to start ten I guess that way's as good as any," said Harry, pointing in front of him.
"Works for me."
Both boys sped off, anxious to find Hermione and make sure no harm befell her. Both Ron and Hermione knew there were risks in being Harry's friend. At the end of their first year at Hogwarts when there was the incident with the Philosophers Stone, they realised just how dangerous being Harry's closest friends could be. Nevertheless, both refused to abandon him; instead they helped him in ways they could not have imagined. For one thing, they treated him as a human being and not as The-boy-who-lived. They kept his feet on the ground and didn't let the fame get to his head. Harry knew now what true friendship was. He saw that Ron and Hermione would be with him until the end, until everything was over and finished with.
As both boys flew, the ground below them got progressively worse and worse. They were horrified and disgusted with what they saw. Death and destruction all around them. It reminded Harry of pictures that he had seen in school of bombsites, except this was worse, much worse. Some people were managing to scrape out a meagre existence living in some of the less destroyed areas, growing food and picking through the destruction to find anything of value that could be traded.
Harry leant forwards on his broom to get a closer look. He saw something that made him shoot upwards into the cover of the clouds. Ron quickly followed: he knew something was wrong if Harry was hiding. Harry wasn't one to hide from these situations. Ron looked questioningly at his friend.
"Death Eaters," Harry whispered. "Loads of them."
Ron looked down through small gaps in the clouds, and sure enough there were black-robed Death Eaters apparating all over the destroyed town below. The black-robed figures were swarming about like ants, rounding up people, and killing those who resisted. Flashes of brilliant green light were frequent during their little visit. Ron winced each time the green light appeared, Harry just looked on grimly. He knew this was something he would have to face and he wasn't going to let it affect him. Truthfully it was eating him up inside. Harry wanted to do something to help, but he knew he couldn't. There were too many Death Eaters. Hermione was right. He did have a 'saving people' thing. If he wasn't careful, it was going to get him killed one of these days. Harry couldn't bear to see anyone at the end of the killing curse. It brought back bad memories.
After the boys had spent several cold, wet hours in the safety of the clouds, the Death Eaters apparated away with their prisoners, leaving the dead town empty of life once again.
Harry and Ron glanced at each other and silently agreed to take a look and see if anyone was alive. They shot out of the sky like bullets and were on the ground in a matter of moments. Both jumped off and held onto their broom in case they needed to make a quick getaway. They split up and walked in separate directions around the decimated town.
Harry walked slowly over the remains of the buildings. It saddened him to see that each body he found was that of an older person. The younger generation, that is to say, those who had grown up out here during the war, just didn't seem to have the heart to resist because this life was all that they had ever known. For once in his life Harry was glad it was his parents who died and not he. If his mother hadn't died to save him, Harry wouldn't have had the protection that caused the killing curse to bounce off of him and back to Voldemort. This halted Voldemort's climb to power for a decade, giving the Wizarding World a much needed time of peace.
Harry heard a noise behind him. He spun around, wand drawn; hoping that it was just his imagination. In front of him was a collapsed building, it looked like a small house. Harry based that assumption on the shape of the building and what was actually left of the building. He heard it again. Harry listened closely. It sounded like somebody crying. He lowered his wand and dropped his broom on the floor.
"Ron!" he yelled. "Ron, I think I found something."
Ron appeared several seconds later.
"What?"
"Listen," said Harry, putting a finger to his lips.
Ron listened.
"It–it sounds like crying or something."
Harry nodded. "I think there's somebody underneath there." Harry pointed at the floor of the building.
Ron's eyes widened. "You can't be…how could anyone possibly be alive after all of that fell on them?" he said, gesturing at the remains of the building.
Harry shrugged. "That looks to be where that noise is coming from though. What spell do you think will be best to move it 'cause there is no way that we are going to be able to move it by hand."
Ron was silent for a moment as he thought about it and then his face lit up.
"Wingardium Leviosa," he said, grinning at Harry. "That fallen building is no troll but it could work."
Harry rolled his eyes. He remembered all to well the little incident with the troll in which that very spell saved his, Ron and Hermione's life. Ron used it and caused the troll to get knocked out by his own club. It was that incident which had caused Ron and him to become friends with Hermione and see each other as more than just a nuisance.
Ron put his broom on the floor next to Harry's and went to stand next to his friend, taking out his wand as he did so.
"Right you ready?" asked Harry, raising his wand.
Ron nodded and raised his wand.
"One. Two. Three. Wingardium Leviosa," the two friends said together as they swished and flicked their wands.
Slowly a small part of the debris began to rise. Harry flicked his wand and the wood flew sideways and hit the ground with a loud crash. He looked over at Ron and saw that his friend had only managed to move one piece as well. Harry groaned. This was going to be a long job.
Harry and Ron had to repeat the spell and wrist movements many times, so many in fact, that their wrists were very sore and had begun to cramp up when they had finally finished moving it. When the last brick fragment was tossed aside, both Harry and Ron fell to the floor in exhaustion. They had never used so much magic constantly before. Harry looked up at the sky and was very shocked to see that it was now very dark.
"How long do you reckon we've been doing that?" asked Ron, massaging his aching wrist. He was breathing heavily.
"Er, dunno. Ages I guess. Look, it's dark now. We'd better hurry up and find whoever is down there," said Harry, standing up. "I really need to get some sleep or I'm just gonna keel over here."
Ron nodded in agreement and forced himself to his feet.
"I guess you're right. We have to. I know how you feel. I need to sleep. A nice soft bed would be nice but it doesn't look as if we will get that here, Lumos," muttered Ron, and the end of his wand lit up brightly, illuminating the area in which he was standing.
Harry blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Ron to do that.
"Good idea. Lumos," said Harry, and the end of his wand lit up brightly.
With their wands in front of them, both boys ventured forwards to what remained of the collapsed house. Neither could see anything.
"Hello," said Ron quietly. "Where are you?"
Harry and Ron jumped as a bold voice answered, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Who are you?"
"Er…friends, I guess. Where are you?" repeated Ron, louder this time.
"Why do you want to know?"
"So we can help you," answered Ron, as if was obvious.
"How do I know you want to help me?" The voice was accusing this time. "You could just be more Death Eaters."
Ron opened his mouth to answer but Harry interrupted.
"We're not Death Eaters. Now, do you want help or not?" asked Harry irritably. "If not, we're going."
There was silence and then the person answered.
"Okay. I'm sorry for being rude. I really need your help. Look, I can't describe to you where I am, but I can see the stars now so I know I'm near you 'cause I couldn't see anything earlier and I also heard what you were doing. I've got my wand with me so I'll send up red sparks and then you'll know where I am, okay?"
"Yeah," answered Harry.
He looked around for any sign of light in the darkened sky. Harry jumped backwards as they shot up from right underneath him.
"Hey! You nearly hit me with those," exclaimed Harry.
"Sorry. Look, can you get me out. My arm is getting crushed and it's really cramped down here."
Harry knew that there was no way they could use the floating spell again. He and Ron were exhausted and needed a good nights sleep.
"Ron, would you find me a really thick piece of wood."
"Why? What for?" asked Ron curiously.
"Lever," Harry replied simply. He honestly could not be bothered to talk anymore than he needed to. He felt dead on his feet and had a really sore throat. He also really, really needed something to eat.
Ron nodded, understanding what Harry wanted, and took off. He soon found what his best friend wanted. Ron dragged it back, trying carefully not to bump into any of the bodies lying on the ground.
"Harry, we're giving them a proper burial tomorrow morning. Anyway, here's the wood."
"Course we are. They deserve it. Thanks," said Harry, taking the plank from Ron. "Look out," he called, to the trapped person below, sticking the plank in a gap between two pieces of wood on the ground.
"Ron, when I say three, I'm gonna push down on this and hopefully lift that up," he said pointing at several rotting planks of wood which had once been part of a kitchen floor. "I want you to get down onto the floor and help whoever that is out. 'Kay?"
"Yeah sure," he said, squatting down on the floor. "Harry, can I have your wand? It'll make things easier."
Harry passed his wand to Ron, who lay it down on the left side of his body and put his own wand on the right. The light from both wands shone in front, illuminating the wooden floor.
"Ready?"
Ron nodded.
"Okay, One, two, three."
Harry heaved down on the makeshift lever and gasped with the effort. He hadn't expected the planks to be so heavy and difficult to move. The planks left the ground, making it look like Harry had just opened a trapdoor.
"Ron, hurry," Harry gasped. "Please." His arms strained with the effort and it was all Harry could do to keep the planks in the air.
Ron pushed himself forwards and ducked his head and arms into the newly made hole. He felt two hands grab his, just below his elbows. Ron planted his feet firmly and heaved the person upwards, falling back as he did so. The person landed next to him, gripping a left arm and moaning softly.
"Harry, we're out. You can drop it now," panted Ron, lying quite comfortably on the floor.
There was a loud thud as Harry let go of his makeshift lever, which in turn threw dust into the air. Harry took several deep breaths, trying to slow his breathing. He gagged and began coughing violently; he had inhaled a rather large amount of dust and ash. He controlled his coughing and slumped to the floor, totally exhausted. He just wanted to sleep.
"Took long enough," groaned Harry. "Can I have my wand back Ron?"
"Sure," said Ron, tossing the brightly lit wand over to his friend.
"Thanks," said Harry, gripping his wand tightly. He heard somebody moaning in pain. "That you, Ron?"
"No, it's whoever we rescued." Ron stopped and turned to the person sitting next to him. "Why were you down there?" he asked.
The girl, for Ron now knew it was a girl, shifted into a more comfortable position and said,
"Thanks for getting me out. These people who lived in this house hid me under the floorboards and look what happened to them."
Ron guessed the girl wasn't too old. She was definitely younger than him and Harry. That was obvious by the sound of her voice. She could only be about thirteen or fourteen but Ron wasn't too sure.
"The Death Eaters were here because of you? Looks like we do have something on common. We saw them arrive and leave."
"Yes. The Death Eaters want me dead because I found out…" she trailed off. "What are you doing here?" she asked accusingly. "The Death Eaters rounded up everybody in this town, well, you can't really call it a town. They rounded up everybody and if you're here now then you're either Death Eaters or utter idiots."
Neither of the boys could think of anything to say to that remark so instead they settled on telling this girl why they were there.
"Er, we're here 'cause we're looking for our friend. Voldemort's got her and we want her back," said Harry casually. "Needless to say, nobody in those tunnels wanted us to go, but nothing was gonna stop us."
"Harry," hissed Ron.
"What? Oops," he said sheepishly, realising what he had just said.
"Tunnels? Are you talking about Dumbledore's Order?" the girl asked cautiously.
Harry tried to feign ignorance, but it didn't work.
"What are you…?" he began.
The girl interrupted.
"Don't lie. You're not good at it. You are from there, aren't you?" she asked eagerly.
"I guess," sighed Ron. "In a way." They might as well tell the girl if she already knew something about it, whoever this girl was.
The girl ignored the last sentence.
"Can you take me there?"
"Now, why would we do that? We don't even know who you are."
"Yes, and I'm trusting you and I only know your first names, which are Harry and Ron," she said, her tone of voice saying that everything was settled and that there was nothing the boys could do about. This girl reminded Ron of his little sister Ginny.
"Can't really say our last names. Not until we have proof of whom you really are. It's too dangerous. But you are right. I'm Harry and the person you nearly hit with your sparks–"
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that," she said, slightly abashed.
"–and Ron is sitting next to you. He's the one who pulled you out of the hole," finished Harry.
"Thanks," she said, leaning forwards to give Ron a kiss on the cheek. "Besides, I need to go back there and kill Dumbledore," she said mildly.
"What are you talking about? If you want to kill somebody there's no way we're taking you there," said Harry, taken aback by the casualness of her remark.
"Oh no," she said hurriedly. "I don't want to, well, I guess I don't really. It's just, he's the one who sent me on this blasted mission three years ago and it's because of him that Voldemort captured me and I was his prisoner until two days ago, when I escaped."
Harry laughed hollowly.
"It's not funny!" cried the girl indignantly.
"No. I wasn't laughing at you. Sorry. Ron, I just realised something. Do you realise that everything I've done I wasn't allowed to do until I first let Dumbledore know about it? He's been controlling what I've done and what I know and am told my whole life. He's a dictator. My dictator." Harry laughed again. "When we get home there is no way he's stopping me from doing anything."
"Harry mate, that's good an' all but he's in charge so technically he can stop you," said Ron.
"But that's just it. Without me, they're screwed. Without me, they've lost their war. If they blank us out like they did last year and anyone else dies because of me then I'm leaving and nobody's gonna stop me."
"Harry," said Ron exasperatedly. "That wasn't your fault. But, if you do go I'll be right there with you and I'm sure we'll be able to convince Hermione."
"Thanks Ron." Harry smiled in the gloom. Ron didn't see.
"Hey, did I just miss something?" asked the girl. She was very confused.
"No. We'll explain later," said Ron quickly. "Anyway, what did you say your name was?"
"I didn't. I'm Megan," she said cheerfully. "Megan Potter."
What did you think? Please read and review this chapter. It's a bit disheartening to only get a few reviews for each chapter.
