19. School on fire

While the teachers tried to fight the fire on the ground Jade and the others reached the hospital floor. Scabior had just dressed and looked confused at the many wizards to come looking for him. He wanted to protest but was given no chance. The ladies mainly Jade and Hermione told him to move and his feet started walking without knowing where to go.

Draco held Ron's hand tight while they followed Jade down the hall and three stairs up to a door. It was looked but using two gobstones and her wand Jade opened it and led the group into the office of Salem's director. "Quickly. Grab your wands and we get out of here"

"Jade, we have to help. We can't leave everybody in this fire" Hermione stood by Jade and took her wand from Ron's hands who had taken all their wands. With only one left he closed the door magically and sighed. "Hermione, no one of us can control fire. We need to help the others to get out and maybe we can stop the muggles from burning the school from outside"

"Ron, is right. They don't even know this is a school. The muggles burn this house because they think it's a museum from the witch trials" Draco's words were cut off when Jade moved her wands and made all of them be silent for one moment. The witch had to think and looked from Astoria to Scabior and back. The girl looked at her like she was waiting for an answer and Jade felt like she was in charge.

Hermione and the others were visitors but Salem was Jade's school. Seven years she had studied here with friends and servants. She never believed anyone to be equal and now could be her moment to prove it. "Fine. Hermione and Scabior, you go back downstairs and help the students to leave Salem on safe path. Draco and Ron, you will distract the muggles and lead them away from this building. Astoria, you take this gobstone and go with Kendra to the front door. Get as close to the fire as possible but don't get burned. When the stone changes it colour throw it in the fire and run away as quickly as possible"

"And what about you?" Astoria looked worried but Jade didn't answer her. She was already running the back entrance herself to leave the school and get to a safe place.

Hermione and Scabior helped the teachers of Salem to lead every student through another exit out of the school. Three teachers led the students in small groups to the train station where they should take the next way home.

Hermione watched Jade, Draco and Ron leave the school as well and had no idea what Jade had planned to do. She hoped it was something that actually helped Salem and its students. Hermione felt guilty she had been caught and looked at Scabior. "I'm sorry... this is all my fault. I shouldn't have used this magic and... I find a way you get your soul back"

"My soul?"

"I took a part of your soul. It's in here" Hermione showed him a gobstone and sighed. "Or I think it was in here. I don't know what exactly happened. Jade knows more about it but now is not the right time"

"You have my soul? Why? What do you want with it?" Scabior was confused but looked away when he heard a scream. Kendra had stepped too close to the fire and her clothes were burning. He couldn't move to help her until Hermione ran first. They pulled Kendra down on the floor and stopped the fire only to see Kendra run away in fear.

"Okay, how do we do this?" Ron watched the group of muggles and tried to think of a plan to distract them but his boyfriend was faster. Draco simply stepped out of Ron's back and pretend to giggle about something Ron said. While the red haired still looked bewildered his blonde boyfriend said very special words which were just a bit too loud. "I love you, Ron"

"Oh, look... it's the gay couple again. Haven't we told you how disgusting you are? I bet homosexuality is a curse. Yes, the witches cursed you" The muggles stepped closer and Ron got angry at their words. He wanted to cast a real spell at them but instead he took Draco's hand and started running.

Not far outside Salem was an old tree. The ash was one of the oldest of its kind which was unknown to the muggles living close to it. Under the tree Jade put all her gobstones in one line. One after another turned golden before Jade light a fire like the muggles. It was burning the stones and crawling up the tree and died out a moment afterwards. Almost all stones were still golden apart from one which had turned to black.

Astoria saw the change of the gobstone she held in her hand and threw it into the fire just like Jade had told her to. The fire got bigger and Hermione pulled the girl away. They were the last in school but now it was time to leave. The door closed behind them and suddenly it was cold.

"What did you do?"

"I did what Jade told me to do. I don't know what the gobstone will do but from here we won't see it" Astoria suggested to go to the other side of the school which slowly disappeared in front of their eyes. Only the muggle museum part remained when they reached the front door and saw the fire was gone.

Hermione's hand ran over the cold walls which had no signs of any fire and was impressed. "Whatever Jade did... it worked. Now! Let's go and find her and the others"

Ron and Draco hid in a side street and waited until the muggles were gone. Ron's heart was beating faster while he still held Draco's hand and started whispering after awhile. "Are you okay?"

Draco didn't answer his question. The boy simply nodded and his hand was shaking. Ron could tell his boyfriend was scared and he must have been earlier when he stood alone against the group of muggles. They were chasing him and must have reminded Draco one moment of what had happened in Hogwarts. During the battle he had tried to be brave too. Draco was brave in the moment it was necessary but he wasn't brave all times.

"It's over. We are safe and whatever Jade's plan was it worked because you distracted the muggles. I'm sorry they scared you. They... they made me angry when they said we are cursed. I know it's not true. We are no disease or a curse. I... I like you aren't arrogant anymore. You showed me you true self and I'm proud to know you like this"

"Ron, please... I'm a wizard who is scared of muggles" Draco was ashamed of himself and nothing Ron said made it any better. These muggles were different from anything he ever heard of them and made him wish he had never come to Salem.

"They scared me too. These muggles are not like... they hate us and they would kill us. But I promised I save you and I will" Ron made sure the road was clear and led Draco back towards the school until they ran into Hermione, Scabior and Astoria. "What happened?"

"It worked. I don't know how but the fire is gone and now we have to find Jade. Have you seen her?" Hermione looked at Draco and Ron. This time she didn't think of why Ron was with Draco but instead she wanted to be save. Her friends were in danger because she didn't trust Ron's feelings and felt guilty.

Jade shouldn't be the next to suffer. She was alone and had no one in this moment. Wherever she was she had to be found before any muggle was with her. The Salem witches of old times had been burned and no one wanted to see anything like this happens to Jade.