America and Russia came to an abrupt stop and stared at the sign in front of them.
"Hogsmede" America read, his eyes squinted as he struggled to see in the darkness. "That...is a horrible name for a place."
"It is England" Russia pointed out.
"...True."
Russia stepped forward and frowned at the sign, his eyes drifting over the words.
"Hogsmede" he said. "Hogwarts. See a connection?"
"No" America frowned. Then a moment later, this eyes widened in realization. "Hey!" he cried. "They both have 'hog' in them!"
Russia snorted. "Well done."
"Oh shut up" America grumbled. "So...do you think we're close to Hogwarts now? I knew following those train tracks would be a good idea!"
Russia snorted, again. "It was my idea."
"Yeah, you keep believing that" America told him, rolling his eyes. He turned away from his rival, and allowed his eyes to roam the village.
"Do you want to continue to Hogwarts now?" he asked. "Or should we just stay the night somewhere?"
"I would like to continue our journey" Russia replied. "I am eager to wrap my hands around England's throat, and demand he tell me what has been going on."
America turned to stare at him, his eyes wide.
"Hey, hey!" he exclaimed. "There will be no wrapping your hands around England's throat, understand?! We'll ask him nicely - he probably won't know, but since you're so determined - and that's it."
"Will you try to stop me?" This seemed to amuse Russia.
"Yes" America nodded his head, firmly. "I'm the hero, aren't I?"
This seemed to amuse Russia even more; he started to laugh.
"Don't laugh at me!" America snapped. "It's the truth! I'm not going to let you kill England!"
"Despite the fact that he hates you?"
"How many times do I have to tell you?!" America howled. "I left him!"
"Da" Russia nodded. "But he still hates you."
"Yeah, well" America struggled to find words. "The world hates you!"
"They fear me" Russia corrected him. "And it makes me very happy."
"I'm not afraid of you!" America snapped. "In fact, I laugh in the face of your -"
Russia raised his pipe; America let out a squeak of fear.
"Stop doing that!" America cried. "And don't laugh at me - how do you think a normal person would react, when having a pipe raised over their head?!"
"I would laugh" Russia replied.
"Yeah, well, you arent normal."
"You know, America" Russia murmured, ignoring his previous statement. "Petty arguing is getting us no where. Perhaps we should continue our journey now?"
America scowled at him, but shrugged his shoulders anyway.
"Fine" he snapped. "Let's get this over with - I can't wait for this all to be over, so I can go home!"
...
"Ron wake up" Harry hissed, to his sleeping friend. "Come on, it's time to go!"
"Five more minutes, mummy" Ron muttered, turning over slightly. Harry shook his friend and Ron let out a loud snort, before once again falling silent.
"RON!"
"I'm up, what is it, where's the hippogriff?!" Ron sat up abruptly, his eyes wide. Harry stood back, looking at him oddly.
"The hippogriff?"
Ron, realizing where he was, turned red in embarrassment. "Don't ask" he muttered.
He climbed out of bed and stretched. He ran a hand through his now-messy hair, and blinked at Harry sleepily.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"We're going now" Harry told him. "To see Snape's penseive, remember?"
"Oh yeah." Ron suddenly looked a lot more awake and alert. He headed towards the doorway and Harry followed, trying to keep his footfalls as quiet as possible, in order to avoid waking up their roommates.
"There you are" Hermione sighed, once they'd made it outside. "I was waiting here! What took you so long?!"
"Ron was having fun with the hippogriffs" Harry repied. Ron went red and muttered something under his breath. Hermione glanced at the oddly, but didn't press the matter.
"I brought the invisible cloak" Harry informed his friends, pulling it out of his pocket and straightening it out. "We should be safe, although let's make an effort to avoid Filch and Mrs. Norris anyway. Better to be on the safe side."
"I'm still not happy with this" Hermione grumbled. Harry simply shrugged in response, and held out the cloak to her. The three of them all gathered together under it, trying to conceal themselves with the material. It wasn't an easy job, what with how much they had all grown since Harry had first received the cloak. Ron, who was the tallest of them all, seemed to be having the most trouble.
"Perhaps we should just go to bed?" Hermione suggested, her voice hopeful.
"You can" Harry replied. Hermione frowned slightly but made no movement to go back to her room.
In the end, the trio managed to make it to Snape's office without having to face any obstacles. Hermione pulled out her wand, prepared to use it to unlock the door if need be. When Harry tried the handle, the door swung open, and Hermione once again pocketed her wand.
"Come on" Harry whispered. The trio stepped into the office, and Harry gently closed the door behind him.
"So this is Snape's office" Ron observed, his eyes wandering around. "Somehow, I always imagined it to be...darker."
"I don't know, it's pretty dark" Harry replied.
Ron shook his head. "Nah" he responded. "I mean, I expected it to be full of bat posters, and dementor figurines."
"Yes Ron" Hermione snorted, rolling her eyes. Ron frowned.
"Hey!" he said, defensively. "It's perfectly reasonable!"
Harry glanced around the room, searching for the penseive. He spotted it in the place he had earlier than day; he turned back to Ron and Hermione, and gestured for them to quieten down.
"The penseive is over there" he told them, pointing towards it. Hermione and Ron followed his finger, allowing their gazes to fall upon the object.
"That little thing?" Ron raised one eyebrow. "That's what all the fuss is about?"
"It's an amazing object, Ron" Hermione retorted. "Do you know the things a person could do with one of those? Why, the list goes on -"
Harry cut her off. "It's going to help us quite a bit."
"Only if it has what you want" Hermione pointed out.
"It will" was Harry's response.
...
"Wow..." America gazed up at the large castle in front of him, his eyes wide. "So...that's Hogwarts?"
Russia snorted. "I've seen better castles in France."
"Oh come on!" America cried. "You've got to admit, it's pretty impressive!"
"It is a pile of rubble" Russia argued. "There is nothing 'impressive' about that."
America rolled his eyes, and scowled at his rival. "Like you can do any better" he grumbled.
"You are defending England" Russia told him. America quietened down after this.
The two nations walked forward, perfectly in step with each other. While Russia didn't seem to be too impressed with his surroundings, America looked around gleefully, resembling a child in a candy store (or France in a strip club).
"So what's the plan?" America questioned. "Are we just going to walk inside and look for Iggy?"
"Yes" Russia nodded his head. "It should not be too hard. We will simply demand an answer from a few students, and they will help us. My pipe will do most of the work in convincing them."
"Russia!" America snapped. "We aren't going to harm the students, alright?"
"As usual, you will not have a say in it" Russia responded. America opened his mouth to let out an angry retort; before he could, a loud voice boomed through the area.
"Who are yeh?"
Both nations glanced up, to see a large man barrelling towards them.
"Holy shit, he's huge!" America cried.
"And fat" Russia noted. "Fatter than you."
America whirled around to glare at him. "I'm not fat!" he snapped.
"Who are yeh?" the man came to an abrupt stop in front of them, and glared at them suspiciously. "Yeh aren't students."
"How do you know that?" America retorted. "We could be!"
"Shut up" Russia told him, before turning to the man. "Tell us where England is, or I will be smashing you with my pipe, da?"
"Shut up, you can't say things like that!" America hissed. Then, processing the beginning of Russia's sentence, his eyes widened. He turned to the man.
"He didn't mean 'England'" he told him, forcing himself to laugh. "That was a slip of the tongue. He meant...the English-dude. Yeah, that's right."
Russia stared at him. "They are all English."
"What the bloody 'ell are yeh talkin' about?" the man demanded. "Yeh aren't makin' any sense!"
"We ah...need to go into the school" America told him. "There's...someone we need to find."
"You will let us in, da?" Russia growled.
The man stared at them, as if they had multiple heads. "I ain't takin' yeh into tha school!" the man snapped. "Whod'yeh think I am?"
"A very big man" America muttered.
"Who are yeh anyway?"
"That is not important" Russia replied, calmly. "What is important, is that you take us into the school. Now."
The man's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"Because. There is someone we need to kill."
"What? No!" America whirled around and glared at Russia. "I told you, we aren't killing Iggy!"
"Iggy?" the man frowned. "I don' know anyone by tha name of Iggy."
"I mean Eng - er, Arthur. Arthur Kirkland."
The man's eyes widened in realization. "Yeh mean, Professor Kirkland?" he asked. "Yeh friend's of 'is?"
"Yes" America responded.
"No" Russia replied.
Both nations shared glances; Russia smiled pleasantly, while America glared at him.
"I'm Hagrid" the man told them. "I'm tha games keeper, round 'ere. Now, who are yeh? I might be more willin' ta help if yeh tell me."
"I am Ivan" Russia replied, using his human name. "This is Alfred - he is Arthur's brother."
America frowned slightly at that, feeling a twinge of sadness. England's brother...he hadn't been called that, or thought of himself as that, for a long time. The fact that Russia had introduced him that way...well, it was nice.
"Arthur hates him very much."
...Or not so nice.
"You asshole!" America growled.
Hagrid was now gazing at America, recognition in his eyes. "So, yer Alfred!" he exclaimed. "Some'ow I though' yeh'd be younger."
America's eyes lit up slightly. "Iggy mentioned me?!"
"...Yer, he did" Hagrid said, after a brief pause. "A bit o' an...interestin' story. Did yeh really set someone's pant's on fire?"
Russia gazed at him curiously; America blushed.
"Why the hell did he tell you about that?" he muttered.
"Fun Christmas story" Hagrid replied.
"Will you take us to him now?" Russia asked. "I would like to finish this, so that I can go home."
"Eh, sure" Hagrid hesitated for a moment. "I mean, yeh are friend's of 'is, right?"
"No" Russia replied. "He is his brother" he jerked his head towards America. "And I hate him. That is all."
"Well, eh..." Hagrid frowned slightly. "I guess...if yer his brother, it should be alrigh'" he glanced at America. "I'll have to ask Dumbledore though."
"Dumb Whore?" America let out a snort of laughter. "Who the hell is Dumb Whore?"
"Dumbledore" Hagrid sounded slightly annoyed. "It's tha 'eadmaster."
"A headmaster named Dumb Whore" America shook his head, still chuckling. "What will they think of next..."
"C'mon, then" Hagrid sighed. "Let's go ask 'im, then."
As the nations followed him, Hagrid glanced back at them, his brow furrowed slightly.
"I have ter ask" he said. "But why are yeh comin' 'ere so late at night?"
"We were looking for this place for days" America told him, shuddering slightly. "Trust me, it wasn't fun."
Hagrid simply shrugged his shoulders, and continued to walk.
...
Gazing around, Harry observed the scene that the penseive was showing them.
"Where is this?" he murmured. "It looks...a bit creepy, actually."
"Yeah" Ron agreed. "This is how I expected Snape's office to look."
"THERE IS NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS!"
The trio all simultaneously jumped at the sound of Snape's voice; they turned around, in time to see the professor storm past them, a dark expression on his face. Walking beside him was...Professor Kirkland.
Harry's eyes widened in shock. "What is he doing here?"
Hermione's brow furrowed. "I don't understand" she murmured. "Professor Snape seems to hate Professor Kirkland...what are they doing together?"
"Severus!" called another voice. Hermione and Ron both looked confused; Harry on the other hand, paled dramatically.
"Harry?" Hermione asked, sounding concerned. "Are you alright?"
Harry shook his head, struggling to find words.
"Mate?" Ron's brow furrowed as he stared at him.
"That voice" Harry managed, at last. "That...that's Voldemort's voice."
Ron and Hermione both stared at him, their eyes filled with shock. Ron's jaw dropped open.
"Are you saying that You-Know-Who is here?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly. Harry swallowed and steeled his shoulders.
"Only one way to find out."
Professor Kirkland and Professor Snape had begun to head of in the other direction; Harry, Ron and Hermione followed after them.
"I don't understand" Hermione muttered, shaking her head. "Why would Professor Kirkland be coming to see Voldemort?"
"Maybe you were right after all, mate" Ron said.
The trio reached a door and stood outside, hesitating for a moment. Harry stared at the door, unsure of what to do. In the end, it was Hermione who opened the door.
The trio stepped into the room, in time to see Snape collapse onto the ground, screaming in pain.
"Oh Merlin!" gasped Hermione, her eyes wide and horrified. "It's the crucius curse!"
"My God" Professor Kirkland murmured, shaking his head. "You certainly don't give second chances, do you?"
"How can he be so calm?!" Harry cried, his voice disbelieving.
Ron looked pale as he stared ahead of him - not at Snape, but at the figure standing over his professor.
"Is that You-Know-Who?" he choked.
"Yes" Harry nodded his head. "That's him."
"Dumbledore values you" Voldemort murmured; it took Harry a moment to realize that he was speaking to Professor Kirkland. "He trusts you...and yet I find you completely annoying. So this will make me happy...and it will annoy the old fool. Perfect."
Voldemort pulled out his wand and pointed it at the other man.
"What's he doing?" Hermione asked, in a shaky voice.
Voldemort's next words made all three of them pale.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Harry's eyes widened in alarm as he watched, almost in slow motion, as the green light rushed towards his professor.
"NO!" he cried. In the back of his mind, he was trying to calm himself, rationalizing that there was no way that Professor Kirkland could have been hit, since the man was still alive...
...But then the light hit the man, and all hope went down the drain.
Harry, Hermione and Ron watched with wide eyes as Professor Kirkland toppled to the ground, dead.
Hermione started to scream.
Harry numbly watched the dead body on the floor, his entire form trembling. How...how was that possible? Professor Kirkland...he wasn't dead...
Suddenly the room vanished and, once again, the three of them were standing in Snape's office. Harry continued to stare numbly ahead, trying to make sense of everything.
"Merlin" Ron choked. "I...really wasn't expecting that."
Hermione had stopped screaming and was now staring ahead, her eyes wide with confusion and fear.
"I don't understand" Hermione whispered. "He...died."
"But he didn't" Harry shook his head. "He...he's still alive. He's still in the school..."
"Snape is terrified of the bloke" Ron choked. "Bloody terrified..."
Any further conversation was halted as the door of the office suddenly opened.
...
AN:
Hey everyone! :D Review and tell me what you think :D Also, I posted out a new fic called "Child's Play" where, thanks to Prussia, America and Germany end up getting de-aged. If you like to check it out, its on my profile :D