Chasing a Dream

Chapter Two

The Bad News

Mr. Weasley ran out to the owl perched on top of his new Intrepid. The owl stood as still as a statue. Mr. Weasley took the letter from its beak and hastily ripped open the envelope and began to read.

"What is it, Dad?" Ron asked quietly. Harry noticed that he looked nervously anxious. Mr. Weasley turned to face them, his face white. He had an expresion so serious that he looked like an entirely different person. "Molly!!"

Mrs. Weasley appeared in the doorway. "What is it Ar-" She stopped dead, staring at the owl. Her eyes grew wide as she muttered "Oh, dear!"

Suddenly the owl took off and was out of sight faster than a speeding snitch, causing Harry to jump with surprise. Mrs. Weasley ran over to the side of her husband and he handed her the letter. Harry watched her eyes grow wide in horror as her eyes darted back and forth across the piece of parchment in front of her.

Tears sprang to her eyes and she dropped the letter on the stone driveway.

"What is it, Mum!!" Ron demanded, the panic in his voice rising. Mrs. Weasley looked up as if noticing the two of them for the first time. She swiftly picked up the letter and held it close to her so that neither could have a chance to read what it said.

"Come, boys. Into the library." Mr. Weasley said, a stern note in his voice Harry had rarely heard before. "But, dad, what about the airport!? What about Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley burst into tears as Ron said this.

"Now." So they marched into the library. Mr. Weasley locked the door behind them so they could be certain of no intrusions. Mr. Weasley instructed them to sit. Harry and Ron sat down on a red leather love seat, Mr. Weasley remained standing, while Mrs. Weasley took a chair facing the fire.

"Harry, do you know what Sonic Senders are used for, or even what they are?" Mr. Weasley asked in a business-like tone. Harry shook his head.

"Sonic Senders are owls, Harry. But they aren't just any owls. Sonic Senders are special owls trained by breeders for use at the Ministry of Magic. They are trained to be as fast as the speed of sound and to, of course, hold letters. Sonic Senders were used mainly during You-Know-Who's reign of terror. They are used to deliver only bad news as soon as it happens.

Sonic Senders are a dreaded sight because it usually meant that one of your loved ones was attacked and is dead, dying, or injured beyond repair."

Harry got a sinking feeling in his stomach. He suddenly knew that he didn't want to hear what that letter had to say. He also thought he had a pretty accurate idea what it said anyway.

"So that of course explains our reactions to the owl. Now for the worse part: the letter. I'm sure you'd rather not hear this but I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter. I will not sugar coat it. You are men and I hope you will handle the situation thusly. Ok, here we go."

To whom it may concern,

        This morning at aproximately 9:27 a.m. flight 296 made a crash landing in the Atlantic Ocean. It is to our knowledge that one Miss Hermione Granger was to come spend the remainder of her summer vacation at your new residence. Thirty-four bodies have been found, including Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Granger. Fourteen of the bodies have yet to be identified. Miss Granger may be one of the many fourty-nine people lost to the sea but we still rquire that you to come down to the morgue at St. Mungo's hospital to identify her body if it has yet been recovered. We are sorry for your loss and for this inconvenience.

                    Department of Medical Complications

                                Ministry of Magic

Harry's mind didn't seem to be able to absorb the information Mr.Weasley just read. Ron certainly did by the way he was massaging his head saying "It isn't possible" over and over again until Harry thought he would go mad if Ron didn't shut up. There is truth in his words, though. Hermione couldn't be dead. It's true. The dream was a warning of what was coming. Just think about it. The people in the stormy water. The debris. Hermione. Dead. She just can't be dead. She is. His brain argued furiously with him. So many thought chased each other around Harry's head until he felt dizzy. Harry's breathing grew heavy as his thoughts turned to the nightmare he'd had that morning. There was so many things that just didn't make any sense to him at all.

He recalled how Hermione had looked while she was clinging desperately to his ankle. The things she had asked him to tell people stood out vividly in his mind. Only one of them made any sense to him.

"Tell Ron that I-I'm sorry for arguing. Tell Ginny that she was right. And tell Andy that he doesn't have to save the day anymore, you're my hero."

Who in the world is Andy? What was Ginny right about? She's not dead, right? The questions just wouldn't stop.

Harry was only jogged back to the present when Mr. Weasley spoke. "I'm going down to St. Mungo's. I understand if you two don't want to go-"

"I'm going." Said a voice that made them jump. It was Harry.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~