The events in this chapter happened before chapter 1, and they focus on the beginning of the raid on Hogsmeade.
As it had been for a long time before, and definitely would be for a long time after, the village of Hogsmeade was quiet and tense. Nobody stopped to talk, and people only nipped out for groceries when it was absolutely essential. Now that the Students up at the school weren't allowed to come down at the weekends, there was no laughter or light-hearted fun in the streets – there was only fear.
Lately, Honeydukes and Madam Puddifoot's tea-room had joined Zonkos joke shop on the list of shops that had fallen into disrepair, due to lack of customers and the desire for the owners to keep themselves to themselves. That was now the way in Hogsmeade.
The Three Broomsticks was still open for business, with a now un-imperiused Madam Rosmerta behind the bar, even though the only customer that she ever received was Hagrid. He walked down from the school some nights for a mulled mead, although he didn't stay too long – he was always on his way by 10:00. That was to be expected though – that was the way in Hogsmeade.
The last few shoppers were hurrying home down the street on this particular day. Mrs Scrivenshaft was bustling along past the people who she would have one fine day stopped to gossip with. Those days were not these days, though, and nobody could be trusted anymore – "That Rosmerta woman was proof of that, and who would of suspected her?" she had told her husband that morning before he had gone downstairs from their flat to the shop below to open up. He was all that she had left, and out of all the people that she had once trusted, only he remained.
As she was passing The Three Broomsticks, with absolutely no intention of calling in ("No indeed!" she thought to herself, "Fancy stopping for a drink at a time like this!"), when she heard frightened screaming and cruel, mocking laughter coming from up one of the side streets – by the Hogs Head perhaps. She looked around, and was not at all surprised to see that there was nobody around. She was starting to get anxious, not knowing what to do, wondering if she should go and help, or just mind her own business, and hurry back home to her husband. All of a sudden a large man and a smaller, older man ran out of the Three Broomsticks and dragged her inside.
It was Hagrid and Abeforth, the barman from the Hogs Head. She raised her voice angrily for an explanation, but was quickly flapped quiet by Rosmerta, who ran out from behind the bar as fast as she could with her glittery high heels on and led her downstairs into the cellar.
"What's going on" asked Mrs Scrivenshaft, as the two men joined them in the dimly lit room.
"Death Eaters in disguise have been in the Hogs Head all night, and a few minutes ago they pulled out their wands and started killing anyone that they could see!" whispered Abeforth as Rosmerta gave a loud sniff and Mrs Scrivenshaft's eyes widened. "I escaped into the cellar and through a hidden tunnel into here" he gestured around them. "I'm not the duellist that my brother was. I wouldn't have stood a chance!" he added sadly.
"I wanna go out there an' rip 'em up" growled Hagrid, more to himself than to the others.
"No, you need to stay with us!" exclaimed Rosmerta, recovering herself. "We need to make a break for the school as soon as possible! We need to warn them!"
"I have a feeling the other villagers will be already pounding on the gates" said Abeforth quietly. "Those that aren't dead anyway. But you're right, my dear. We've got to make a break as soon as the coast is clear and get up to the school. They'll have taken Honeydukes and the Shrieking Shack already I'm sure! We'll have to wait until they've all got in through the secret tunnels and then follow them up and find a place to hide. I've no doubt in saying that they'll have the outskirts of the village completely surrounded, so we can't escape into the country. Anyway, I've got a plan! All that we need to do is get into the Castle."
The others leaned in and listened closely…