Split Second

Chapter 4

    Ron flew up from the table, anger etching on his face. “THIS!” he began, struggling for words. “This is a party! A PARTY FOR SEVENTH YEARS! WHY is my sister here? No wait, I don’t want to know. Probably because you’re here....” Ron looked at Harry, suddenly calmer. “Oh, Harry, mate. I didn’t mean that!”

    “I know,” said Harry, and he did know. He knew Ron often flew off the handle and said things he didn’t mean to. He just wished he’d watch what he said in case he made the mistake of saying to someone who DIDN’T understand. He stood up next to Ron, who continued.

    “I cannot BELIEVE this! If McGonagall catches her here, she’ll be expelled next term! WHY would Ginny DO something like this?! She’s going to have to go back...” Ron kept ranting, tearing off angrily towards his sister. Harry followed, just to make sure Ron didn’t humiliate himself... or Ginny.

    Ginny had her back turned to Ron and Harry, but not for long. Harry flinched as Ron raced up behind her and whirled her around. Her current smile etched into a severely frightened look, and she backed up a bit.

    “GINEVRA Weasley... WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!”

    Good thing the music is loud, thought Harry, glancing around.

    “Um, I--I, well. See, Ron, I. I-I wanted to. I just thought I--I. I don’t know,” she finally croaked, scared.

    “Ginny,” Ron started, becoming more relaxed. “You’re going to have to go back. You know that. We just need to get you back quickly and so you’re not seen by anyone at school.” Ginny hung her head. Harry and Ron knew that no one at the party would say a word, it was just Hogwarts they were worried about.

    Good thing Malfoy wasn’t around to see this, thought Harry. He had taken Crabbe and Goyle and went back to Hogwarts to change robes since his others had been smitten with dust. Malfoy announced he was allergic to dust. Ironic really, Ron had said, since Malfoy is no more than dirt. Harry had laughed.

    Ron and Harry led Ginny to their table, where Hermione finally was with Lavender.

    “Gins!” said Hermione, sort of slurred, next to a giggling Lavender. “Glad to see ya!”

    “Hi, Hermione,” Ginny said quietly, staring at the ground, glad for some sort of kindness shown her. Harry placed his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. She looked completely grateful.

    “’Mione,” Ron started. “We gotta get Gins back to Hogwarts.” Hermione gave him a knowing grin.

    “I’ll take ‘er! I’m ready to head back muhself!” Hermione said.

    “But Hermione, you said you wanted to drive the car!” Harry pointed out. This was probably the last time she’d ever get to try since they all lived so far apart, and he didn’t want her to miss out on it...even if she was acting a bit.....strange.

    “Ohhhh, yes!” Hermione said almost falling over a chair. “What about that? What to do?” She asked, looking at Ron expectantly.

    “Well,” Ron said. “Take the keys (he tossed them to her). Take her back, I trust you. The car basically drives itself anyway. I’ll floo back to Hogwarts and get the keys for Dad in awhile, just leave them on the common room’s end table.”

    “OK then, Ginsy! It’s just younme!” Hermione said, snatching the dangling keys from Ron’s hand and walking, or rather, straggling, with Ron, Harry, and Ginny towards the car, parked behind the barn, as Parvati had previously reported to Ron. Finally, they reached it. Hermione hopped in the driver‘s side, grinning rather strangely. “See ya guys in the mornin’ to move on outta here!” she said, giggling and slamming her door shut.

    “I’m so sorry,” said Ginny, teary, turning to Ron and Harry. “I’m sorry I ruined this for you guys...I really am so sorry...”

    “You didn’t ruin anything,” Ron said, grabbing her and hugging her as she cried silently. “I just worry about you, Gins, because I love ya so much, you kook!” He petted her hair, she finally grinned, and they separated. Ron and Ginny were definitely close. Very close. He had a bond with her like with no other sibling. She turned to Harry.

    “We’re okay?” she asked tentatively, avoiding his gaze.

    “Always,” Harry said, lifting her chin up to meet her gaze and whispering again, “always.” He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and hugged her tightly. He loved how she just fit the contours of his body. It was like, fated that she be there. He loved her. She loved him. It was silently understood yet needed to be said. He grinned inwardly. Soon, he thought. Very, very soon. They separated and he kissed her on the cheek. She gave him a genuine smile.

    Ginny gave a final wave to the guys and jumped into the car. Hermione started it.

    “Alright, bye now!” she said through the window giggling and slamming the gas hard as a startled Harry and Ron stared after her. Ginny’s surprised shriek could be heard as the car tore down the road at high speed. Brake lights could be seen in the distance. She obviously was driving it the muggle way, thought Harry. She’d have to fly it once they neared Hogwarts though.

    “HARRY! RON!!! NO! STOP!!!” screamed Parvati racing towards them.

    “Parvati...what? Wait, WHAT?!” said Ron, catching her as she stumbled.

    “Hermione, you shouldn’t. SHE shouldn’t.....”

    She didn’t have enough time to finish her sentence. A shrill scream pierced the air, followed by a sickening sound of metal crashing which rung through the still night air like garbage cans in a tunnel. Silence dripped over everyone present.

    “Hermione, she....” Parvati began crying. “She was DRUNK, Harry, She had too MUCH!” She fell to her knees. “She was drunk....” she collapsed in sobs as students raced over to calm her as she still screamed. “She only said she’d have a TASTE! ‘JUST ONE, LAVENDER!!!’ she’d said to Lav. BUT SHE HAD MORE! SHE WAS TRASHED!” She retched in sobs on the ground.

    Harry turned to face Ron, stunned and wavering between shock and insanity.

    “My sister...” Ron said as the realization slowly hit him. “My sister was... in that car....” He stood there silently as Parvati’s cries echoed through the night breeze. It was the only sound to be heard as everyone looked at Ron. Finally, he tore off down the road and Harry followed suit.

    “STAY HERE!!!!” commanded Harry towards everyone else as he ran. “EVERYONE JUST STAY HERE! SOMEONE CONTACT HOGWARTS!!!!” A frenzy of students raced to do as Harry instructed. He and Ron flew down the road, faster than a Firebolt. Not very far down the road, smoke became visible like a cloud of dense fog. Past the smoke lay the car, wrapped snakelike around a tree, another tree smashing the top in. A hand was visible, Harry saw, from the passenger side. Or what used to be. It was hard to tell in the mess.

    Ron couldn’t go any further. He stared at the car then collapsed in terrified, gasping sobs.

    Harry, thinking Ron needed to be alone for the moment, walked up to the car carefully, not worrying a bit if the car would explode, and he took the lifeless hand in his own. “Help is coming.... just hang in there you guys. We’ll have you out soon... I promise.“ Tears came to his eyes as he continued to stroke the hand.

    And the rest was just a blur.