Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls

Act 11

The Search

INT. THE BURROW - KITCHEN

Ron, Neville, and Harry sit forlornly at the kitchen table, while Molly prepares a pot of tea, crying softly. Minerva McGonagall tries her best to console her.

Arthur and Dumbledore are talking to Tonks, Kingsley, and Lupin on the front porch.

Fred and George enter the house, exhausted, and sit down across from Ron, Harry, and Neville. For once, they are at a loss for words.

HARRY

How are Angelina and Katie?

FRED

They'll be okay. They were just a

bit shaken up.

GEORGE

They're staying in St. Mungo's for

the night, just to be sure.

They sit silently for several moments.

NEVILLE

What are we going to do? What if

we never see them again?

HARRY

We'll see them again Neville. I

promise you!

RON

(dejected)

How? We don't even know where

they are! They could be anywhere!

HARRY

(yells angrily)

Then we'll go and search for them!

The adults glance in their direction.

HARRY (CONT'D)

(lowers his voice)

I'll die before I let Voldemort

harm Ginny in any way.

(pause)

I know for a fact that you feel the

same way about Hermione and Luna!

I know I do!

Fred and George look up in surprise as Ron suddenly pounds the table with his fist.

RON

(fired up)

You're right Harry! We'll find

them! As long as it takes!

Harry looks over at Neville, who is looking down at the table.

HARRY

Neville? Are you in?

Neville looks up, with fire in his eyes, and nods.

Fred and George glance at each other and nod. They turn back to Harry, Ron, and Neville.

GEORGE

Anything you guys need, just let us

know. We've come up with tons of

new stuff that you could use

against...

The angry young men look up as Dumbledore clears his throat.

Dumbledore and McGonagall stand before them, looking at them sternly.

Molly, Arthur, and Lupin stand beside them, with concern etched on their faces.

DUMBLEDORE

Need I remind you of your promise

Harry?

A flicker of doubt crosses Harry's face.

MCGONAGALL

Please Harry! Be reasonable!

HARRY

This isn't the same as Sirius!

LUPIN

We didn't say that it was.

HARRY

It's what you were thinking though.

(beat)

But Sirius wasn't in danger. The

girls are!

LUPIN

You can't go rushing off anytime

one of your friends is in danger!

We can't afford to lose you!

HARRY

(angry)

But we can afford to lose them?

LUPIN

We can't afford to lose anyone!

Least of all you!

HARRY

I can't just abandon them!

DUMBLEDORE

We will all have to make sacrifices

before the end of this war I am

afraid.

(pause)

Many, many sacrifices.

Arthur steps forward.

ARTHUR

Don't worry Harry, I have no

intention of letting Voldemort get

away with harming my daughter or

her friends.

(pause)

The Ministry will do all it can to

find her, I can assure you. Now, I

need you to return to your training.

He looks at Harry and Ron, pleadingly.

ARTHUR (CONT'D)

Please.

Harry and Ron look at each other, and nod, crestfallen.

FADE TO:

The sun is setting as Neville follows Harry and Ron down the steps of the porch.

HARRY

You can stay with us as long as you

like Neville.

NEVILLE

Thanks.

Tonks and Kingsley are waiting at the bottom of the porch. Harry frowns when he sees them.

HARRY

(sulking)

Don't worry guys. We won't be

running off if that's what you're

worried about.

Kingsley nods grimly.

KINGSLEY

Good. Because I think that you're

going to enjoy the next phase of

your training.

Harry remains angry.

HARRY

Why's that?

Tonks grins and grabs Harry by both shoulders to get his full attention.

TONKS

Field training Harry!

She winks at him.

Harry looks over at Ron and Neville. Hope is returning to their faces.

Molly suddenly bursts through the door, and hurries over to Harry with a bundle of fine cloth in her hands.

MOLLY

Sorry to interrupt, but Ginny asked

me to give you this in case she

forgot to.

She hands the invisibility cloak to Harry.

He clutches it tightly in his hands, remembering the night he lent it Ginny.

Tears well up Molly's eyes as she watches the pain tear Harry up inside. She reaches out to comfort him, then turns and hurries back inside.

KINGSLEY

Come on. We have a lot to do.

(glances at Neville)

You too, Longbottom. Dumbledore's

granted you a leave of absence.

Five loud BANGS are heard as they disapparate.

EXT. LONDON - SHABBY-LOOKING NEIGHBORHOOD - EARLY MORNING

Harry, Ron, and Neville stand in an alley between two abandoned office buildings located above the Ministry of Magic Headquarters, in the early hours of the morning.

All three are dressed in black robes, and have backpacks slung over their backs. Their broomsticks wait nearby.

Tonks and Kingsley exit a nearby doorway to join them, dressed similarly, and carrying broomsticks.

KINGSLEY

Good. Right on time.

He looks from Ron, to Harry, and then to Neville.

KINGSLEY (CONT'D)

Did you bring everything on the

list?

Harry nods.

RON

When you said field training, I

didn't know you meant us to go out

in the wild!

TONKS

It's our best shot at finding the

girls.

Harry looks up nervously.

HARRY

Does Dumbledore know what we're

doing?

TONKS

(grins)

Of course. Who do you think came

up with the idea? Why do you think

he granted Neville a leave of

absence?

KINGSLEY

We thought Voldemort might try

something like this, so we came up

with several contingencies. This

is one of them.

Harry, Ron, and Neville look up angrily.

RON

(angry)

Wait! You knew this would happen?

KINGSLEY

We...suspected that they would

attack a large gathering. But we

thought it would be in a public

place

(glances at Harry)

like the World Cup. That's why

Arthur and Molly suggested that the

wedding be held at The Burrow. We

thought it was too secluded to be

attacked.

RON

Why wasn't there any security?

TONKS

There was security. Heavy security.

Nobody could have gotten in without

an invitation.

HARRY

How would not having an invitation

keep someone out? Unless...the

invitations were jinxed?

TONKS

(nods)

It was Ginny and Hermione's idea.

Each invitation had a special seal

on it, that could only be seen by

an Auror. And each guest had to be

screened by our Aurors, so there's

no way anyone could have gotten

past.

RON

(frowns)

But they did.

HARRY

But why are we going into the wild?

KINGSLEY

Albus believes that the attack was

meant to draw you out, to make you

charge off blindly.

Harry grimaces, knowing that it was precisely what he would have done.

KINGSLEY (CONT'D)

And if you did that, we'd never

find the girls. This way, only we

know where you are, we can still

coordinate with the ministry and

other countries, and most

importantly, Voldemort gets to

think he's accomplished his goal.

NEVILLE

You're hoping he gets careless!

Kingsley nods.

HARRY

How many people know about all this?

KINGSLEY

Albus, Arthur and Molly, Remus,

Minerva, and Severus.

RON

(frowns)

Snape?

TONKS

He's our most important link to the

girls! If anyone can locate them,

he can!

Harry looks over at Ron.

HARRY

You know what Hermione would say.

RON

Yeah. Dumbledore trusts him, we

should too.

(pause)

We have no choice now, do we?

HARRY

No.

Ron determinedly grabs his broom and positions it between his legs. He looks at the others.

RON

Well, come on then! Lets get moving

before I change my mind.

The others mount their broomsticks. Seconds later, they all soar off into the sky.