Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls

Act 8

New Members

INT. MINISTRY OF MAGIC - AUROR TRAINING CHAMBER

Ron and Hermione fly through the air and hit the far wall of the Auror training chamber, as two Death Eaters charge toward them, wands raised.

HARRY

(yells)

Stupefy!

RED SPARKS fly out of Harry's wand, and the Death Eaters are hit with a stunning spell from the side.

The Death Eaters fall to the ground, but two more immediately appear behind Harry.

He whirls around and points his wand at them.

HARRY

(yells)

Petrificus Totalus!

The two Death Eaters fall to the ground stiff as boards.

TONKS

Hold!

Everyone pauses, and looks at Harry in surprise.

Tonks steps forward, grinning.

TONKS (CONT'D)

Outstanding Harry! Great

concentration!

She grins at Ron and Hermione.

TONKS (CONT'D)

But the point of this exercise is

striking from concealment.

HERMIONE

It was my fault. I acted too soon.

Ron looks over at Harry.

RON

(in awe)

How'd you do that?

HARRY

Do what?

RON

You hit two people with the same

spell. Twice!

(pause)

I've never seen you do that before.

Harry shrugs uncertainly.

RON

You feeling okay Harry?

HARRY

(grins)

I feel great actually.

Ron glances at Hermione, who shrugs.

RON

Cool.

Tonks claps her hands together to get their attention.

TONKS

Okay, lets try that again, but this

time, lets switch it up a bit.

She pulls out her wand and waves it through the air.

TONKS (CONT'D)

Simulo silva!

The torches darken, and the chamber dissolves into a dense, dark, forest.

Ron and Hermione crowd around Harry as they stand at the edge of the tree line.

HARRY

(quietly)

You guys take the path on the left.

I'll take the right.

Hermione and Ron nod, and head off toward a small path that leads into the forest.

FADE TO:

Ron and Hermione converse quietly as they slowly edge their way through the underbrush, scanning the area.

RON

I'm worried about Harry.

HERMIONE

What are you talking about?

RON

He's been acting awfully funny the

last week, ever since we got back

from Hogwarts.

HERMIONE

He's not acting funny Ron, he's

acting happy.

RON

Happy?

(pause)

I guess it's been so long...I forgot

what it's like to see him happy.

HERMIONE

You know why don't you?

RON

(uncertainly)

Uh...sure. 'Course I do!

HERMIONE

Why then?

RON

Because England got to the World Cup

Finals without him last weekend, and

he doesn't have to feel guilty about

not playing.

Hermione looks at him in disbelief.

HERMIONE

You are so dense sometimes! Do you

know that?

RON

It's true! He told me that last

night!

Hermione shakes her head in annoyance and walks on ahead of Ron.

HERMIONE

(under her breath)

Men.

RON

Well he did!

They continue to scan the area as Ron catches up to Hermione.

RON (CONT'D)

All right, explain it to me then.

Why is Harry so happy all of a

sudden?

HERMIONE

Well, you said it before yourself

Ron. Harry is only truly happy when

he's flying or when...

They crouch in the bushes as a Death Eater appears in the forest beyond. Ron holds up his hand, stopping Hermione from acting.

RON

This one's mine.

He grins and waves his wand at the Death Eater, causing him to turn into a ferret.

Ron begins moving his wand around, and the ferret begins to bounce off of the surrounding trees.

Hermione quickly transfigures a nearby boulder into a small metal cage. The ferret is hurtled into the cage, and the door slams shut.

HERMIONE

(amused)

Feel better now?

RON

A little. Of course it would have

been better if it had been Malfoy.

INT. GRYFFINDOR'S FLAT - KITCHEN

Ron, Hermione, and Harry sit around the kitchen table, laughing as they eat dinner.

HARRY

And then it just sat there, stunned.

RON

So I said, no Harry, I don't think

it did.

Ron and Harry begin laughing hysterically, while Hermione tries to keep from choking on the bit of food she just put in her mouth.

HERMIONE

(laughing)

You two are terrible!

They look up as a TAPPING sound is heard on the window. A great white snow owl is sitting on the ledge outside the window.

HARRY

It's Hedwig!

He stands and walks over to the window to let the owl in. Hedwig playfully bites Harry's finger as he takes the message from her leg. He feeds the owl a bit of food, and she takes off again.

Harry unrolls the message and sits down.

HARRY (CONT'D)

It's from Remus.

Ron and Hermione look up, as Harry grows grim.

HARRY (CONT'D)

It's just as we expected. The

Order of the Phoenix is calling a

meeting. Tomorrow night. Eight

O'clock sharp.

RON

No rest for the weary, eh mates?

Harry grins halfheartedly at Ron's joke. The rest of the meal is spent in silence.

INT. 12 GRIMMAULD PLACE - LIVING ROOM

Several people are crowded into the living room of a dusty old house. It is a large room, but it is barely large enough to contain the number of people presently there.

Among the crowd, are Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid, SEVERUS SNAPE, and several other teachers from Hogwarts.

Others in the crowd include Tonks, Kingsley, ALASTOR MOODY, REMUS LUPIN, AMOS DIGGORY, several Aurors, and all of the Weasley's.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stand in one corner of the room waiting for the meeting to start.

Neville and Luna are deep in conversation nearby, along with several other former classmates of Harry's, members of all houses except Slytherin.

Everyone quiets as Dumbledore clears his throat.

DUMBLEDORE

I think, that enough of us are here

to begin.

He claps his hands and several chairs suddenly appear around the room. Everyone, including Dumbledore, takes a seat.

DUMBLEDORE (CONT'D)

First off, I believe that we have

two new Hogwarts graduates that

wish to join us. Miss Ginny

Weasley, and miss Luna Lovegood.

A hush falls over the crowd.

DUMBLEDORE (CONT'D)

Please stand Ginny...Luna.

Ginny stands nervously, while Luna calmly stands.

DUMBLEDORE (CONT'D)

Miss Lovegood, has already proved

herself invaluable to us on several

occasions when dark forces

threatened Hogwarts, as has her

father, the publisher of The

Quibbler.

(pause)

Miss Weasley, was a Gryffindor

Prefect, Head Girl, and has proved

herself quite capable of fighting

Voldemort and his minions on

several different occasions.

(grins)

And if I may say so, she was also

one of the most well rounded

Quidditch players in the history of

Hogwarts, playing not one, but two

different positions during her time

there.

Everyone chuckles at this last remark.

DUMBLEDORE (CONT'D)

All those in favor?

Almost every hand is raised, and a chorus of "I's" fills the room.

DUMBLEDORE (CONT'D)

Those opposed?

One "Nay" is heard, and all eyes turn toward Molly Weasley. She pulls her shawl tighter in defiance.

MOLLY

You cannot do this Albus! You

cannot enlist another of my

children!

DUMBLEDORE

I did not ask her to come here

Molly. She came of her own accord.

This is her choice.

MOLLY

But why my children Albus? Why all

of them?

DUMBLEDORE

I think, that it is a testament to

you and Arthur, that all of your

children have chosen to accept the

noble task of standing up to

Voldemort and his followers.

(pause)

I think, that deep down, you would

expect nothing less of them.

Molly nods reluctantly.

GINNY

I know that you want what's best

for us Mum, to keep us out of

danger and protect us from harm.

But Voldemort threatens all that we

hold dear, and we'll never have

peace as long as he lives, and is

aloud to roam free.

(pause)

I want to have children someday too,

and I want them to grow up in a

world free of fear, where we don't

have to look over our shoulders

every time we leave our homes. We

have to stop him now! Not just for

our generation, but for all

generations!

Several people clap, while others shout "Here, here!"

Molly wipes tears from her eyes and hugs her daughter.

MOLLY

Oh Ginny. I'm so proud of you!

DUMBLEDORE

(clapping)

Well said Ginny, well said.

Everyone settles down, and Ginny sits. They quiet as Dumbledore begins to speak again.

DUMBLEDORE

Assuming that my calculations are

correct, I believe we have two new

members.

(pause)

Now, onto the business at hand...

FADE TO:

The living room is now empty, save Dumbledore, Snape, and Harry, who watches from the doorway.

SNAPE

I shall inform you the moment I

know more.

Dumbledore nods, and Snape whirls and exits the room, glaring at Harry as he passes.

SNAPE

Potter.

HARRY

Professor.

Harry watches Snape leave, then walks up to Dumbledore.

HARRY (CONT'D)

You wanted to see me sir?

DUMBLEDORE

Yes Harry. I just wanted to stress

to you, the importance of

continuing your Auror training.

(pause)

I must ask you, not to leave like

that again.

HARRY

But Ginny was in trouble!

DUMBLEDORE

Yes. And if you had not come to

her aid, she may well have died.

But you must complete your training

Harry. If you do not, Voldemort

may yet win.

HARRY

I understand sir. It's just...it's

hard not to go, when someone you...

care for...is in danger.

Dumbledore smiles sadly.

DUMBLEDORE

Yes Harry, it is. A lesson you

have learned many times now,

sometimes painfully.

Harry looks down sadly as he remembers Sirius Black.

DUMBLEDORE

But you must trust in your friends

abilities from now on. For you

will need them, when the time comes,

which unfortunately, I believe may

happen very soon.

Harry nods, remembering the subject of the meeting.

HARRY

With Voldemort on the move again...

DUMBLEDORE

(nods)

Now, I must be going. I have

business to attend to, that cannot

wait.

They walk to the front door, where Dumbledore stops and turns back to Harry.

DUMBLEDORE (CONT'D)

Remember what I have said Harry.

HARRY

I will sir.

Dumbledore nods and exits through the door.

Harry walks into the kitchen and is approached immediately by Ron and Hermione.

HERMIONE

What did Professor Dumbledore want?

HARRY

He uh...told me not to go running

off and abandon my Auror training

again.

HERMIONE

Good. That was a little foolish of

us.

RON

What'd you mean foolish? Harry's

the only one of us who could've

gotten into the chamber! Ginny

would be dead if he hadn't gone!

HERMIONE

I'm not saying we shouldn't have

gone, I'm just saying that we might

have gone about it in a better way.

Ron looks at Harry and rolls his eyes. Hermione glares at him.

HERMIONE (CONT'D)

(hurt)

I'm standing right here you know!

Ron cries out as his mother suddenly smacks him upside the head.

RON

Ouch!

He looks at his mother in surprise.

RON (CONT'D)

Mum!

MOLLY

Ronald Weasley! I know I raised

you better than to treat your fiancé

like that!

RON

Fiancé? Mum we've only been dating

a couple of weeks.

MOLLY

That doesn't matter!

RON

But Mum...

MOLLY

No buts Ronald. You never treat

someone you love with such

disrespect.

Ron sighs in defeat.

RON

You're right.

He turns toward Hermione and grins apologetically.

RON (CONT'D)

Sorry Hermione.

Hermione shrugs.

HERMIONE

It's okay.

(pause)

I guess we've always fought like

that haven't we?

RON

(grins)

Yeah. I guess we'll just have to

find new ways to argue from now on.

Hermione laughs, and Molly shakes her head and walks away muttering.

MOLLY

Hopeless.