Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine, sadly (otherwise I would be a billionaire by now, sigh). J.K. Rowling owns all the characters (except maybe a few) and most of the plot.
Chapter 6 – Harry Potter
"Hurry up Neville, you'll miss your train!" cried Mrs Longbottom from the entrance of the house.
Neville quickly stuffed the herbology book which he had been reading late last night into his filled trunk and smiled solemnly at Dean.
"Sorry you couldn't come with us," apologised Neville.
They had had the same conversation last night. Dean was disappointed that he couldn't go to King's Cross with them but after the encounter with Dolohov, he knew better than to go. There were possibly going to be even more death eaters there than in Diagon Alley.
Hoot was hooting softly on Dean's shoulder and for awhile it was comforting. Then Dean got up and helped Neville carry his trunk to the front door where Mrs Longbottom was waiting impatiently.
"Hurry along, Neville, and thank you Dean dear," she said.
Dean waved goodbye to the two as they walked out and apparated together, Hoot was fluttering wildly around him.
"What is it Hoot?" asked Dean as he closed the door.
Hoot flew back into Neville's room followed closely by Dean. The brown owl rested on Neville's bedside table atop Neville's muggle studies book.
"Oh no, he's forgotten his book," said Dean, he took it up in his hands and placed it in his satchel.
"Think I better give it to him?"
Hoot hooted.
"Good, this is just the excuse I need to go to King's Cross and see Seamus one last time," thought Dean.
Hoot flew back on top of the wardrobe where he had been resting every day during daylight. He sat there like a statue, his eyes closed.
Dean immediately got down on all fours, searching under Neville's bed for the invisibility cloak. When he felt the familiar touch of the fabric underneath his fingers, he whipped it out and draped it around him.
"Looking good," he thought.
Without another delay, Dean ran outside until he was out of bounds of the anti-disapparition jinx around the Longbottom house and apparated to the familiar setting of King's Cross Station.
-
He found himself standing next to the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. As usual in the morning, men dressed in grey suits and women carrying handbags and suitcases marched glumly off to work. Trains arrived and departed, clouding the place with billows of smoke and a red-head girl was carrying a trunk. She was surrounded by her red-head family except for the absence of Ron and Percy Weasley.
Ginny looked quite miserable and pale, the past events had obviously troubled her as well as the absence of Ron. Dean believed that wherever Ron was, Harry was sure to be with him, he hoped they were safe and glad that they too were not returning to Hogwarts. His face blushed a little and his heart quickened its pace when Ginny turned her head around and looked exactly at the place where he was standing. Though she looked extremely tired and skinny, it was essentially the same person and the familiarity enlivened Dean and also reassured him, though unfortunately their relationship was now just a memory.
Without hesitation and determined that he would walk through the barrier before Ginny got there and perhaps saw the pieces of floating hair through his cloak, Dean walked at a brisk pace into the barrier – and out through the other side, walking straight into a death eater.
"Whose there?" grumbled the man in a gruff voice. The Death Eater mask turned towards Dean and he found himself starring at a skull.
Dean quickly turned back and retreated.
"Where are you?" yelled the voice over the sound of students.
At once all the death eaters on the station turned their eyes towards the man.
"There's someone here who's invisible, find him NOW."
Immediately the Death Eaters set to work, walking along the station. The chatter of the students had stopped as they looked in horror at the skull-masked men searching through every corner of the station.
"HE'S THERE, SOMEWHERE NEAR THAT GIRL OVER THERE," shouted the Death Eater as Pansy gave a shriek where Dean had accidentally touched her while trying to escape.
Suddenly, there was a Death Eater standing in front of him and Dean could just picture the grin underneath the horrific mask.
"Going anywhere?" the voice sneered.
Dean stumbled back, pushed past a pack of Hufflepuffs and dodged two Death Eaters. His wand was in his hand now as he ran, almost a lap of the station, keeping his eyes open for Neville and Seamus. Soon, Dean found himself at the barrier where Ginny had just ran through and inevitably, the two collided. The force of the collision pushed Ginny onto the floor.
"Harry, is that you?" she whispered.
Dean, whose heart had twisted slightly at the response, realised they were being surrounded by a circle of Death Eaters.
"Reveal yourself, Potter," demanded the figure closest to him.
Dean's mouth was dry, as he struggled to get the words out, the Death Eaters began to close in on him. It was all over.
"OW!" hollered Draco Malfoy who was standing ten metres away near the front of the train. His face was twisted with an expression of pain and he whipped his wand out.
"IT WAS POTTER, I SAW HIM, HE PERFORMED A STINGING HEX ON ME!!! DON'T JUST STAND THERE, GET HIM!" he directed to Crabbe and Goyle who were standing idly beside Malfoy. They turned their head back and fourth but saw no one.
"IDIOTS!" yelled Malfoy, "THERE HE IS." Malfoy was pointing faraway into the distance, where a figure was shrouded in a cloak.
By now, Malfoy had caught the attention of the entire school as well as the Death Eaters who flew off in the direction of the figure, leaving Dean and Ginny where they were. The Weasleys immediately hurried to Ginny's side and Dean had to hurry to get out of their way. Having finally spotted Neville, who was standing with a shocked expression on his face, hands hanging limply, jaw dropping, Dean slipped the book into his hands. Neville almost jumped, before gasping, "It was you?"
Dean patted Neville on the shoulder, and gazed around the station one last time. "Harry Potter" had disappeared and the Death Eaters were still reluctantly searching that end of the station. The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws suddenly voiced phrases of support for Harry and booed at the Death Eaters. As the noises grew louder and louder, Dean exploited the moment of confusion and was about to apparate when someone approached him from behind
"Oh no, you're not going anywhere. Accio Cloak."
It was the Death Eater that Dean had first run into, he was the only Death Eater who had stayed behind. Dean discovered to his dismay that the cloak was slowly slipping off him, without thinking, Dean apparated.
Unfortunately, the first place that came to Dean's mind was not the Longbottom house. He was standing in a place vaguely familiar. However, other more pressing matters caught his immediate attention. Firstly, he was splinched, there was a deep gash that was bleeding uncontrollably on his right upper arm. Secondly, the noise he made had attracted unwanted attention. Somewhere in the distance voices were yelling and the unmistakable sound of footsteps was making its way towards Dean.
Sorry the chapter's a bit short and there might be a few typos and spelling mistakes because I really wanted to get this chapter done so I could get to the more exciting bits.