Harry Potter and the Year of Toil and Trouble

Chapter six

The train stopped moving. Everything was silent except for the rain and the rumble of thunder overhead. Harry's glasses were broken. He blinked, trying to ascertain what had happened.

Their carriage was on its side. The windows were all broken. Harry looked up at the ceiling, or rather the wall of the carriage and saw nothing but rain pouring into the carriage.

"RON! HERMIONE! WHERE ARE YOU?" he yelled. Other people in other carriages had begun to scream also.

"I'm here," came Ron's voice from the other end of the carriage. He groaned and harry could here movement from where his voice came from.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked urgently. "What about Hermione?"

"I don't know, Hermione!" Ron called. There was no answer.

"We need to find her," Harry said, starting to feel anxious. "I can't see, my glasses have broken."

"Feel your way towards my voice," instructed Ron.

"Can't you use your wand?"

"Nope, it's broken, again."

Harry felt in his robes for his wand. It was still intact. "I've got mine. I'll give it to you, hang on..." he started to grope his way blindly towards the sound of Ron's voice while Ron continued shouting for Hermione. He found Ron's outstretched hand and handed over his wand. "Lumos!" the wand lit up their carriage and the beam fell on an unconscious figure on the floor.

"Hermione!" they cried together, rushing over to her. Harry knelt down and felt her pulse. It was very faint and weak. "We need to get help," he muttered desperately. "I need to send Hedwig to Dumbledore, tell him what happened..."

"But what if it's too late?" cried Ron, "what if she dies?"

"What, are you a doctor or something?" Harry snapped in response. "We need Madam Pomfrey."

But Ron wasn't listening. A look of terror was on his face as he looked over Harry's shoulder to where there was a big crack in the train ceiling. Wondering what else could possibly go wrong, Harry turned to look. There were five large, hooded wizards outside their carriage - Deatheaters. Each of these wizards had their wands out and had them pointed straight at Harry and Ron.

"GET DOWN!" Harry yelled and he dived at Ron and pulled him to the floor just as the five Deatheaters shouted in unison: "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

There were a blinding series of green flashes of light and Harry's hair ruffled as the spells missed him. Raising his head slightly, he saw a Deatheater slightly in front of the others, raise his wand again, but it was pointing to the night sky.

"MOSMORDRE!" he yelled. And just like last year, at the Quidditch World Cup, a colossal skull moved from the wand into the air, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. It blazed in a haze of greenish smoke as it rose. All around them screams emitted from students they could not see.

"STUPEFY!" yelled Ron, pointing his wand at the Deatheaters. He had evidently recovered his voice but the spell had no effect as for some strange reason, the Deatheaters had disapparated. The reason why became clear almost instantly. Professor McGonagall's panicked voice cut through the night air:

"Everyone OUT! Quickly now! Get out! Anyone who is injured in any way, get them straight to Madam Pomfrey!"

"Is Hermione okay?" Harry asked Ron urgently. Ron knelt down and checked Hermione's pulse again. "Yeah, they didn't get her," he said with audible relief.

Harry looked around them. How to get out? How to get Hermione to safety? He couldn't understand what was happening, but they had to get out. He looked up at the ceiling, which was really the wall of the carriage.

"Ron, you're taller than me. Can you climb onto one of the seats or something and open the door up there? Then you can see what's happening. I can levitate Hermione and you can carry her to safety."

Ron looked up. "I could probably reach, yeah. But are you sure you can levitate when you can't see? Maybe I should do it from the roof, and levitate you too."

"We're not supposed to levitate people until we're older, Professor Flitwick said so,"

"You sound like Hermione." They didn't laugh; instead they looked down at Hermione in concern.

"Right then," said Ron, in determination. He climbed onto one of the seats and started hammering at the door, trying to force it open. He pulled at the doors, but they wouldn't budge.

"Here," said Harry impatiently, handing Ron his wand again.

"Oh...right...I forgot," said Ron, embarrassed. He held his wand to the door and cried: "alohomora!" The doors sprang open. Ron climbed out of them and onto the roof. There was silence as Harry waited for Ron to tell him the situation and start to levitate Hermione. After several minutes, there was still no sound from Ron.

"Ron? Are you okay?" Harry shouted eventually.

"Yeah," came Ron's voice. "Harry...there's...there's carriages on fire...and...dead...dead bodies."

"WHAT?"

Ron's head poked between the doors, he looked very pale and shaky. "We need to get out," he stated simply.

Harry gathered Hermione up into his arms. She was limp and pale.

"Wingardium leviosa!" Ron cried, pointing Harry's wand at her. Amazingly, he was able to levitate her. She drifted out of Harry's arms and out through the door and out of sight. After several minutes, Ron poked his head between the doors again. "Okay, Harry, your turn."

He levitated Harry. It was the strangest feeling, Harry thought. He had only really levitated feathers before. Ron had a bit more experience, having levitated a troll's club in their first year. He hoped sincerely that Ron could keep control and wouldn't drop him. Fortunately, Harry made it outside the carriage and on to the roof. The sight made his mouth fall open.

All around him were dented carriages, some were on fire and some were completely burnt out. Students were milling around, several screaming, others trying to get into burning carriages to reach friends or relatives. The Deatheaters were gone but Harry could see teachers tending to injured students, and organising groups of uninjured students to safe places. Nearby, Harry could also see groups of spectators who looked like Muggles. Some of the Muggles had come forward to assist. They'll need memory modification afterwards, Harry thought grimly.

"Ron, where'd you put Hermione?"

"Down there," Ron pointed to the ground, where Hermione was now lying. Both boys slid down the side of the carriage and landed next to her. Harry took his wand off Ron and used it to send red sparks into the air to attract help, while Ron tried vainly to bring Hermione back to consciousness.

"RON! RON!" came several new voices. Both Ron and Harry looked up to see Ginny and the twins running and sliding down the embankment towards them, Ginny in the lead. She threw herself at Ron when she reached him.

"Oh Ron! I was...so scared!" she wept with relief into his chest. To Harry's surprise, the twins had grabbed him and given him a hug.

"Wha...?" he said in surprise.

"We were worried about you both," said Fred.

"We thought You-Know-Who might have killed you both," said George.

Ginny caught sight of Hermione. She gasped. "What happened to her?"

"The Mudbood's dead, you stupid girl. What does it look like?" came Draco Malfoy's drawling, gleeful voice.

Harry and Ginny had to jump in front of Ron and the twins to stop them jumping on Malfoy.

"She's alive actually," Harry snarled. "Disappointed are you? That your father and his fellow Deatheaters were unsuccessful?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say they were unsuccessful, Potter," whispered Malfoy, with a smirk.

"What are you talking about?" Harry snapped, with some dread filling him. But Malfoy just continued smirking and walked away.

"What was he talking about?" Harry now turned to the twins and Ginny. All three looked very pale and avoided Harry's eyes. Eventually, Ginny whispered. "Some of the students are dead...they got...got...Colin Creevey..."

"What?"

"He...he's dead..." Ginny began to cry. "And...oh Harry...they got...they got Cho Chang."

Harry felt numb. Cho Chang was a sixth year student in Ravenclaw house. Harry had had a huge crush on her for two years and last year Cho had dated Cedric Diggory. Guilt flooded through him as he thought of both Cedric and Cho - young lovers, now both dead.

"Wh...why?" he forced out at last.

"She was half-wizard," said Fred at last, "there's a lot of muggle-borns and students with one Muggle parent dead or injured."

"Do you think it had anything to do with Cedric?"

George shook his head. "No, I think it was just her blood."

Ginny looked at Harry. "I'm sorry, Harry," she knew how Harry had felt about Cho.

Harry started blinking furiously. It had happened again. Two innocent people he had known had been killed. He could feel the familiar burning, prickling feeling behind his eyelids and stared at the ground, so the twins and Ron wouldn't see him crying.

"It wasn't your fault, Harry," Ginny whispered quietly, wrapping her arm around him and giving him a comforting hug. Harry looked up, and they saw the tears streaming down his face. He looked around at the charred train carriages, the dead bodies, the Muggles getting their memories modified, the doctors from St Mungo's and the teachers attempting to regain some order. It all fell to him. All this was his fault because he had prevented Sirius and remiss from killing Wormtail, and because he had taken the Triwizard Cup allowing Voldemort to use his blood. Voldemort was back because of Harry; people were dying because of Harry.

Harry shook Ginny off roughly. "Yes it's my fault! Don't you understand? I'm responsible for all these deaths!" he gestured around him.

"No, you're not!" said Ron, fiercely. "Voldemort and his followers are responsible. You didn't make them kill these people! You didn't tell them too! You need to shut up and realise you're only mortal. You're not some kind of superhero person. You can't save the world Harry."

"I should let Voldemort kill me. Then he'd be happy."

"Do you really think he'll stop killing people just because he'd killed you? Harry, people are risking their lives to keep you safe! Think about Sirius and the Dementors! Think about those stupid spiders, and me! Think about HERMIONE!" Ron gestured at Hermione who was now being magicked onto a stretcher several feet away by a St Mungo's nurse.

"I know...I'm sorry," Harry muttered, as Ron trembled with fury in front of him. "I just feel so frustrated."

"I know, so do I," said Ron, waving away Harry's apology.

"HARRY!" came another voice from behind them. Harry and the Weasleys turned around to see Professor Snape...Snape? running down the embankment followed by their former Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor 'Mad-eye' Moody. when Snape reached Harry, Harry froze in shock and horror as Snape grabbed him and hugged him tightly.

"You're alright, you're alive," he muttered distractedly. Harry pulled away from Professor Snape and looked at him, dumbfounded, wondering if perhaps he was dreaming. Professor Snape was Harry's least favourite person at Hogwarts. Snape had always hated Harry back, or so Harry thought. The Weasley children were also staring at Snape, open-mouthed. Even the Weasley twins could say nothing.

"Snape, control yourself," snapped Moody, in a low and gravelly voice. Snape broke away from Harry and straightened himself up, fixing his usual sneer on his face and acting as if nothing had happened. Professor Moody's magical eye spun around, taking them all in and Hermione on the ground.

"You five get yourselves over there," he instructed, pointing at a clump of trees nearby. "There's some ministers from the Ministry of Magic there with portkeys that will take you to Hogsmeade. Hagrid is there, with Professors Sprout and Hooch to escort students to the school. Miss Granger will be taken to St. Mungo's."

"Will she be alright?" Ginny whispered as they gathered up their discarded belongings.

"I can't say," Moody answered honestly.

Harry, Ron, Ginny and the twins headed into the trees where a Ministry minister handed them an old bicycle wheel as a portkey. as Harry touched the portkey, he felt the familiar feeling of a hook behind his navel pulling him forwards. they were all speeding forwards in a rush of wind and swirling colour before landing in a heap in front of The Three Broomsticks pub. Witches and Wizards who lived in Hogsmeade gathered around them asking questions but they ignored them. as Harry stood up, he saw the large outline of the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid, pushing his way towards them. Harry looked at Ron, who had a totally confused expression on his face.

"What the hell is going on?" Harry asked.

******

Hagrid and the other teachers directed them into horseless carriages, which trundled in the direction of Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and Ginny filled one carriage. They did not speak, each was thinking of Hermione, lying unconscious on the ground, and of other students who had been killed. The carriages took them through the gates, which were flanked by statues of winged boars. Harry peered out of the window of the carriage, hoping for a glimpse of the castle, but all he could see was darkness and a blanket of rain. Thunder rumbled overhead as their carriages came to a stop before the great oak front doors. Carriage doors opened and frightened pupils hurried up the stone steps into the Entrance Hall. Draco Malfoy and his group of Slytherins did not look frightened, Harry noted, instead they looked merely bored.

Professor Dumbledore, was standing at the top of the Great Hall, looking down at the students as they assembled. As Harry looked up at him, he noticed that the headmaster looked older than ever. A look of worry was etched across his face. The headmaster raised his hands to silence the chattering students.

"There will be no start-of-term feast tonight," he said simply. "Students will be eating in their common rooms. The sorting will take place in a separate private room..." he gestured to his right, where a door lay open leading into a small room. Harry could see the sorting hat sitting on its usual stool. Professor Dumbledore continued. "...then first years will be directed to their common rooms by prefects. I understand..." he lifted his hand again to silence the students who had resumed talking, "that you are concerned about your fellow students. I am sorry to say that five students have been killed today and 15 injured. Those most seriously injured are in St Mungo's hospital while those less injured are in our hospital wing. If you feel you would like to talk about today's events, if you are particularly distressed, please do not hesitate to consult a prefect or your Head of House." With that, Professor Dumbledore disappeared upstairs, presumably to his office.

"Alright!" came Professor McGonagall's voice. She looked pale and tired, as well as extremely soaking wet. "all students follow their head of house to their common rooms! Quickly now! Gryffindors follow the head girl please! Hurry along now!"

Harry and Ron made to move off after Angelina Johnson, the Gryffindor Head girl but Professor McGonagall called them back.

"Potter! Weasley! I'd like a word with you both please!"

Harry and Ron followed her to her office, assuming she wanted to talk about Hermione. Once inside, she motioned for them to sit down.

"First things first, are you both alright?" both boys nodded. "Good, we shall be taking statements from students to find out exactly what happened. The Ministry of Magic have caught some of those responsible but most apparated," she sighed.

"How's Hermione?" Ron asked anxiously.

"She's in the hospital wing. Miss Granger was fortunately one of those least injured. She is still unconscious and has suffered a wide variety of hexes. It will take some time for these hexes to be identified, but I am assured she is likely to make a good recovery." Professor McGonagall stood up and the boys stood up also. She led them out of the office and up towards the portrait of the fat lady which concealed the entrance to Gryffindor tower. After giving the password, she left both boys to go inside.

The Gryffindor common room was full but so silent you could have heard a pin drop. The students were eating sandwiches and most weren't eating at all. Angelina came up to them as they approached the table with the food on it. "Professor Snape said he wanted a word with you, Harry. And you too Ron, before breakfast tomorrow morning."

"What about?" asked Ron in surprise. Angelina just shrugged.

"Did you see the way Snape behaved next to the train?" Harry whispered. "He hugged me!"

"I know!" Ron whispered back. "It was awful and everything, but I always thought Snape would be glad if you'd snuffed it. I wonder what he wants to talk to us about," he mused.

"I just want to know what the hell's going on," Harry said again.