Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls

Act 4

Questions With No Answers

INT. HOGWARTS - HOSPITAL WING

Harry, Ron, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall stand around the bed of Ginny Weasley, who is beginning to stir.

She looks around as her brown eyes try to focus. She starts in surprise when she sees Harry.

GINNY

Harry....

Harry smiles gently.

HARRY

Hello Ginny.

Ginny closes her eyes and lies back in bed.

Hermione and Neville, their wounds now mended or bandaged, walk over to Ginny's bed.

GINNY

What happened?

NEVILLE

We were hoping you could tell us.

Ginny screws up her face in concentration as she tries to remember. She suddenly cries out in pain.

Harry grabs her hand in concern.

HARRY

Ginny?

Ginny continues to grimace in pain.

GINNY

It hurts...can't think straight....

Professor Dumbledore gently places his hand on her forehead, and she lies back, relaxed.

DUMBLEDORE

There now Ginny. Everything will

be all right.

MADAME POMFREY walks past and sees the commotion. Anger spreads across her pleasant face.

MADAME PROMFREY

I knew I shouldn't have let you all

in here.

(pause)

How many times do I have to say it

Albus? What she needs now is rest,

not interrogating. Now out! The

lot of you!

She pushes them all toward the door of the hospital wing.

INT. HOGWARTS - HALLWAY

Professor Dumbledore walks through the still silent halls of Hogwarts with Harry and Professor McGonagall at his side. Ron, Hermione, and Neville walk behind them.

HARRY

I don't understand it Professor.

If Malfoy didn't want us to know

they were here, why did they nab

Ginny? And how did they get inside

in the first place? Only Voldemort

and I can speak parseltongue!

Dumbledore nods silently.

HARRY (CONT'D)

It just doesn't add up. We must be

missing something...some key element.

HERMIONE

And why did they leave in such a

hurry once the dementors showed up?

RON

Maybe the dementors scared them off.

HERMIONE

Ron, the dementors work for

Voldemort. They were working with

the Death Eaters.

NEVILLE

They must have already have found

what they were looking for when we

arrived.

RON

Ginny'll be able to fill in the

gaps once she's rested up a bit.

DUMBLEDORE

In the meantime, you are invited to

stay for the end of term feast and

for Ginny's graduation.

MCGONAGALL

Are you sure it's wise to still

hold the ceremony Albus?

(pause)

Death Eaters and Dementors...in

Hogwarts!

DUMBLEDORE

We cannot allow ourselves to be

driven to hide in fear Minerva. We

must set the proper example for our

students. But, as always, we will

take the proper precautions.

HARRY

And we'll do whatever we can to

help, of course.

Ron and Hermione nod their assent.

NEVILLE

We can't ask for better than that.

Professor McGonagall smiles wistfully.

MCGONAGALL

I suppose not.

DUMBLEDORE

Professor Longbottom, will you

please show our guests to their

rooms? You will find that they

have already been prepared.

NEVILLE

Yes Headmaster.

Dumbledore nods and he and Professor McGonagall head back in the direction of Dumbledore's office.

RON

Where are we going?

NEVILLE

The guest suite. It's near my room.

INT. HOGWARTS - GUEST SUITE - PARLOR

Neville enters Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's guest suite, and looks around.

The torches along the wall are already lit, casting a warm glow around the room.

The walls are adorned with tapestries depicting the crests of the school's four houses, along with the Hogwarts crest.

A comfortable sofa along with two padded armchairs sit in the parlor, in front of a roaring fire in the hearth.

Three short hallways lead from the parlor, each with one door at the end, leading to the bedrooms.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione's brooms are already inside, and leaning against the walls, along with their backpacks.

NEVILLE

Looks like the house elves brought

in your stuff.

(pause)

Did you guys fly here?

Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter the room and look around.

HARRY

Yeah. Why?

NEVILLE

Why didn't you just Apparate?

HARRY

You can't Apparate into Hogwarts.

NEVILLE

But you can into Hogsmeade. That's

what I would've done, but I hate

flying.

HARRY

(shrugs)

Old habit I guess.

Neville looks at the packs as Ron searches though his, pulling out sock after sock.

RON

(muttering)

Crazy elf.

NEVILLE

(grins)

I guess you didn't plan on staying

overnight.

HERMIONE

If we need anything, we can always

go down to Hogsmeade.

Harry peeks inside one of the bedrooms.

HARRY

Looks like Dobby beat us to it.

He nods toward the bed, where three extra pairs of clothes are laid out. Next to the clothes sits a pouch of toiletries, and about ten pairs of socks, all mismatched and garishly colored. The other rooms are the same.

HERMIONE

How are the house elves?

NEVILLE

Fine I guess.

HERMIONE

Have any of them accepted paid

positions yet?

Ron glances at Harry and rolls his eyes.

NEVILLE

Not yet. Dumbledore's offered on

several occasions, but you know how

stubborn they can be.

Hermione surprises Ron and Harry by shrugging.

HERMIONE

I'm sure they'll come around

eventually. It won't do them any

good to force them into anything.

She sits down in one of the chairs.

Harry and Ron sit down on the sofa, while Neville sits in the other chair. He shakes his head wistfully.

NEVILLE

It's really great to see you guys

again. This place just isn't the

same without you.

HERMIONE

(smiles)

We miss you too Neville.

Ron leans forward and grins.

RON

So what's it like? Being a teacher

and all.

NEVILLE

(sighs)

All in all, I'd have to say it would

probably be easier to be an Auror.

The others laugh.

NEVILLE (CONT'D)

Seriously though, I love it. It's

been great.

(laughs)

But I have to tell you. I don't

think I'll ever get used to calling

Professor McGonagall by her first

name.

(pause)

She laughed the first time I did it,

I was so nervous. And do you know

what she told me? She told me to

relax! Can you imagine that?

McGonagall telling me to relax!

The others laugh.

NEVILLE (CONT'D)

She's been a real inspiration

though.

RON

What about Snape?

NEVILLE

(shrugs)

What about him?

RON

I bet he's been stalking around

Hogwarts, angry that you got the

Dark Arts post.

NEVILLE

(shakes his head)

No. Actually he was surprisingly

conciliatory. But, we do avoid

each other as often as we can.

Ron nods, disappointed that Snape isn't suffering.

NEVILLE (CONT'D)

Anything new at the Ministry?

HARRY

I don't know. They keep us so busy

training, that I'm not sure we'd

notice if the rest of the world

disappeared.

NEVILLE

(laughs)

It can't be that bad.

RON

Oh it can!

(pause)

Do you remember how hard the

O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. were?

Neville nods.

RON (CONT'D)

They don't even come close to Auror

training! It's like comparing a

simple levitation charm to a

Patronus!

HERMIONE

(shakes her head)

It's not that bad.

HARRY

It is hard, but that's the way it

should be. I'd be disappointed if

it were easy.

Neville nods.

HERMIONE

Exactly.

Ron frowns in annoyance.

Neville stands and pulls out his pocket-watch.

NEVILLE

Well, I'd better be going. Today

is final exams. And I'm sure you

guys are dead tired after flying

all night.

(pause)

If you need anything, just...well....

(grins)

you know where everything is.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione smile as Neville waves and exits the suite.

INT. HOGWARTS - HALLWAYS

Ron, Hermione, and Harry walk through the halls in the late afternoon, after a few hours rest.

Students hurry past them on their way to final exams.

Most rush by without noticing the visitors, so intent they are about arriving on time for their last classes of the year.

Some, mostly older students, look at them in surprise as they pass by, and whisper to their friends as they continue on.

Only their fellow Gryffindors bother to stop and chat or give a quick handshake to their former classmates, before hurrying on to class.