Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls

Act 13

Slight Deviations

EXT. EASTERN EUROPE - MOUNTAINS - NIGHT

Four figures in white robes lay close together under a rocky outcropping in the snowcapped mountains of Eastern Europe. The burned out ashes of a fire lay at their feet.

Ron, who is lying next to Harry, rolls over and grunts.

RON

Everywhere I lay, there's a great

dirty root sticking in my back.

(pause)

Incendio!

He waves his wand at the burned out wood, and the flames burst back to life.

HARRY

We've been out here for six months

Ron! You should be used to it by

now.

Ron grunts in annoyance.

HARRY (CONT'D)

You're too excited. You need to

relax.

RON

I can't relax.

(pause)

Whenever I close my eyes...all I

can see is her face.

(softly)

We're so close now!

HARRY

I know what you mean. But you can't

save her if you fall off of your

broom from exhaustion...

Harry trails off and Ron looks over at him in concern.

HARRY (CONT'D)

Hermione told me that once, right

before a Quidditch match.

RON

Yeah, I remember.

(grins)

You did fall off of your broom.

Of course you fell off your broom

in every match.

HARRY

I didn't fall in every match!

Even if I did, it was to catch the

snitch.

RON

Not that time against Hufflepuff.

HARRY

What are you...oh, right. I forgot

about that one.

RON

The only match you ever lost.

(pause)

Bloody Dementors!

Harry stares off into the darkness as he remembers Cedric Diggory. After several moments, Ron breaks the silence.

RON (CONT'D)

Harry? Do you think Snape was

right?

HARRY

About the traitor?

(pause)

I hope he was wrong Ron. But

despite all our differences, he's

never been wrong before.

RON

But who could it be?

HARRY

I don't know. It could be anyone.

RON

My money's on Snape himself.

HARRY

Snape?

RON

Think about it! He calls a

meeting without telling Dumbledore,

he shows up with a map and claims

to know where Hermione, Ginny, and

Luna are being held, and, he

claims to know of a traitor. I

mean, who else could it be?

(pause)

Like he's had that much time to

search and teach at Hogwarts at

the same time!

HARRY

If you don't believe him, why are

you coming along?

RON

And let you walk in there alone?

(shakes his head)

I'm telling you, it's a trap.

TONKS

Are you two going to keep this up

all night?

Harry and Ron turn to look at Tonks who is lying on the other side of Harry. Neville continues to snore away on Ron's far side.

TONKS (CONT'D)

You'll be of no use to anyone if

you don't get some rest.

(pause)

Now sleep!

Harry and Ron grin apologetically and lie down. Tonks shakes her head before lying back down. Soon, the sounds of gentle snoring are all that is heard.

EXT. ABOVE THE URAL MOUNTAINS - SUNRISE

Four figures in white fly above the tops of the Ural Mountains as the sun rises in the distance.

They crest the top of a mountain and land on a smaller mountain below. The small village of Ronsk sits in a valley, far below them.

Harry pulls out the map as the others crowd around him.

HARRY

We'll have to go on foot from here.

If we fly, we'll be seen.

TONKS

The ravine's next eh?

HARRY

All the way to the bottom, then

follow it for...five miles.

RON

Are you sure we can't fly down

there? It'll take all day to walk!

I mean, it's gotta be at least a

thousand feet to the bottom!

HARRY

Positive.

TONKS

We'd better wait here for Kingsley

then. These mountains are crawling

with giants. If they see us we're

done for.

Harry straps his broom to his back, and takes a couple of steps forward, and stops, when he hears a cracking and crunching sound behind him.

They all turn around and see a giant, about twenty-five feet tall, rising out of the snow behind them.

Ron and Neville dart off to the side, while Harry stands frozen in place. The giant rushes straight for him.

It reaches for Harry, but stops when a swiftly flying object strikes its hand.

Tonks' broom shatters and she is thrown to the ground. She tries to stand, but the giant backhands her, sending her tumbling headfirst into the ravine.

The sight of Tonks being hit finally breaks Harry out of his stupor.

HARRY

Tonks!

He runs toward the edge of the cliff and leaps out into the air.

The giant swings its monstrous arms at Harry and misses, causing it to lose its balance. It falls into the ravine after them.

Ron and Neville rush to the edge and look down in shock.

RON

(yells)

Harry!

FADE TO:

Tonks tumbles through the air unconsciously, as she falls towards the bottom of the thousand-foot ravine.

Above her, Harry struggles to pull his broom free. They continue to fall toward the bottom of the ravine.

Harry finally pulls his broom loose and positions it between his legs. He rockets towards Tonks, and catches her, about a hundred feet above the ground.

Harry glances backwards and sees the giant, falling towards them. He pulls up on his broom as they reach the bottom, and they skim the ground, with snow flying in their wake.

Harry glances up, and then shoots forward, barely avoiding the giant, as it smashes headfirst into the frozen earth.

The ground shakes violently with the impact, and the noise echoes off of the walls of the ravine.

Harry looks back at the giant nervously. Viscous black blood trickles from its mouth, nose, and ears. It does not move at all.

Harry sighs in relief when he realizes that the giant is dead.

He looks down in concern as Tonks stirs in his arms.

TONKS

(weakly)

Harry...

She closes her eyes and her body grows limp.

HARRY

Tonks!

He reaches down and checks her vitals, sighing in relief when he finds her pulse.

Ron and Neville apparate next to Harry, which causes two loud BANGS that echo throughout the ravine.

Harry glares at them in anger.

HARRY

(angry)

What are you doing? The map said

to walk down!

RON

Fat lot of good that did Tonks!

Neville looks at Tonks in concern.

NEVILLE

Is she...

HARRY

She's unconscious.

A deep rumbling sound catches their attention and causes them to look up. A tidal wave of snow is rushing down the mountains, coming straight at them.

Harry glares at Ron again.

HARRY

(angry)

That's why we were supposed to walk!

Ron and Neville already have their broomsticks out, as Harry races off. They follow right on his tail as they try to outrace the snow.

The three broomsticks weave their way through narrow ravine as the avalanche nips at their heels.

RON

(yells)

Faster Harry! Faster!

The avalanche of snow continues to gain on them.

NEVILLE

(to himself)

This is why I hate flying!

They look up in horror as another avalanche barrels down the mountains in front of them, surrounding them on all sides.

Harry spots a cave and makes right for it. Ron and Neville follow closely.

They quickly enter the cave, but Neville who is in the rear, is slammed against the side of the cave entrance, when the snow hits the back end of his broom as it thunders by.

The snow continues to rush by with a giant ROAR, and the sunlight is extinguished. Eventually the sound dies out, leaving them in total darkness.

HARRY

Lumos!

The end of his wand LIGHTS UP, and they see a wall of white where the entrance to the cave once was.

Neville pulls himself to his feet, clutching his right arm.

Ron looks down remorsefully.

RON

Sorry guys.

Harry gently lays Tonks on the ground.

Ron looks over at Neville.

RON (CONT'D)

Alright there Neville?

NEVILLE

I think my arm's broke. The snow

caught the tail of my broom and

pushed me into the wall.

RON

(glum)

Wonderful. We're not even close

to Voldemort's lair and we're down

two people already!

HARRY

We'll be okay. We just can't make

any more mistakes.

RON

That's easier said than done.

HARRY

Well, we'd better be able to do

it.

(beat)

If not...

Ron considers Harry's words, as Harry looks around the cave.

HARRY (CONT'D)

I guess we could make a litter for

Tonks, out of our brooms, and some

robes.

NEVILLE

But how are we going to get out of

here? We'd never be able to dig

out of all that snow!

HARRY

I think I have an idea.

Harry walks toward the snow-covered entrance, and looks it up and down, appraising it.

HARRY (CONT'D)

I'll use a heating charm to melt a

tunnel in the snow. Then Ron can

use a freezing charm to freeze the

walls.

RON

Yeah! The ice would be strong

enough to support the weight of

the snow!

(pause)

Well, I think it would anyway.

NEVILLE

Really think it'll work?

RON

What do you say Harry?

Fifty-fifty?

HARRY

More like thirty-seventy.

Neville shakes his head.

NEVILLE

Thirty-seventy eh?

(sighs)

I guess that's better odds than we

normally get.

(pause)

What are we waiting for?

EXT. URAL MOUNTAINS - DAY

A ravine filled with snow sits silently in the late afternoon sun, until a small blast suddenly shoots a section of the snow up into the air.

Ron and Harry emerge from the hole in the snow with Tonks on a floating litter, and Neville with his arm in a makeshift splint and sling, bringing up the rear.

HARRY

(to Ron)

Why'd you do that?

RON

(grins)

I saw sunlight.

Harry frowns as Ron's eyes go wide in surprise.

RON

Hey! Look at that! Think that's

it?

They look down into the bottom of a valley, where a crumbling ruin marks where a majestic castle once stood. They quickly duck behind the crest of the hill.

HARRY

(frowns)

We shouldn't be there yet.

He pulls out the map and looks at it, then frowns and puts it away.

HARRY (CONT'D)

But I can't really tell where we

are anymore. We got all turned

around in the snow.

(pause)

But it is what the map describes.

Ron claps Harry and Neville on their shoulders.

RON

(grins)

We did it lads! We found them!

HARRY

Now comes the hard part.

He turns to Neville.

HARRY (CONT'D)

Neville, since you're hurt, you'll

have to stay behind and take care

of Tonks.

NEVILLE

But...

HARRY

We can't leave her unprotected!

Neville looks away in anger, then turns back to Harry, about to say something, and stops.

His eyes narrow, as a thought seems to work it's way through his mind, until he finally looks up again, seeming to have come to a decision.

NEVILLE

Fix my arm Harry!

RON

What?

NEVILLE

Fix my arm!

HARRY

But I'm not a healer!

NEVILLE

You've had first aid training!

You can do it! I know you can!

(pause)

I trust you.

Harry nods.

HARRY

Okay.

He pulls out his wand and waves it at Neville's arm. There is a FLASH of light, causing the splint to fly off of Neville's arm, and causing him to fall over.

HARRY (CONT'D)

(concerned)

Neville!

Neville sits up and shakes his arm. He grins and claps Harry on the shoulder.

NEVILLE

Good as new!

RON

But that still doesn't solve our

problem Neville. One of us is

still going to have to stay here

with Tonks.

NEVILLE

Maybe we should draw...

They look over at Tonks in surprise as she speaks softly.

TONKS

(weakly)

Go on boys. I'll be okay.

HARRY

Tonks! You're awake!

TONKS

(smiles weakly)

Wotcher Harry!

HARRY

How do you feel?

TONKS

(weakly)

Don't ask.

Harry helps Tonks sits up gingerly.

TONKS (CONT'D)

Go save the girls. I'll go find

Remus and Kingsley.

HARRY

Are you sure?

TONKS

I'm well enough to apparate.

HARRY

But...

TONKS

Go Harry! Save the girls!

She stands shakily, swaying back and forth.

TONKS (CONT'D)

With any luck, I'll be back before

you can say Quidditch.

HARRY

(smiles)

Thanks Tonks.

She kisses Harry on the cheek, and then playfully smacks the same cheek. She pulls out her wand and disapparates.

The three boys crouch together at the top of the hill and look down at the crumbling ruins.

NEVILLE

It's up to us then.

RON

Do you have a plan yet Harry?

HARRY

Not yet.

RON

(grins)

Good, because I do.

Harry glances at him curiously.

RON (CONT'D)

It's like wizards chess really.

(pause)

This is what I was thinking...we

draw them out away from the

king...the girls. Then we'll have

to take out their knights and

bishops...Death Eaters and

Dementors...so we won't have to

fight them on our way out. Then

by the time we have the girls, the

others should already be here, and

then...checkmate.

HARRY

But what about the queen?

RON

The traitor?

(sighs)

Whoever they are, they could ruin

the whole thing.

HARRY

Maybe we should wait for Tonks to

come back.

RON

I don't think so. If we do that

we'll lose the element of surprise.

(pause)

But it's your call mate.

Harry takes a deep breath.

HARRY

We go in.

He leans forward.

HARRY (CONT'D)

How do we draw them out?

RON

(grins)

Still got that invisibility cloak?

EXT. RONSK - OUTSIDE OLD CASTLE - SUNSET

A lone set of footprints appears in the snow, their maker unseen, as they approach the gates of the decrepit castle. The sun is setting behind the mountains in the distance.

Harry Potter holds his hands in the air above him, holding his invisibility cloak aloft as he approaches the castle.

He shivers slightly as he sees dark shapes move in the castle beyond. Several seconds later, torchlight appears inside the castle and begins moving toward the entrance.

Several figures in black hooded robes exit the castle carrying torches. They look around, but see no one.

A tall, thin, female Death Eater, BELLATRIX LESTRANGE, looks over at LUCIUS MALFOY.

BELLATRIX

What did the Dementors see Lucius?

LUCIUS

An intruder approaches.

He looks around, and spies the bodiless footsteps approaching slowly.

LUCIUS (CONT'D)

There!

He points to the footprints and the other Death Eaters immediately surround them.

LUCIUS (CONT'D)

There is no point in hiding! We

know you are there!

Harry immediately removes his invisibility cloak and throws it to the ground.

LUCIUS (CONT'D)

(malicious)

Harry Potter! What on Earth are

you doing here?

(pause)

All alone in the wilderness...

without your friends...or your

Headmaster...

Lucius looks around for Harry's hidden friends. After a few seconds, he turns back to Harry.

LUCIUS (CONT'D)

It was very foolish of you to come

here alone boy! I thought you were

smarter than that!

(pause)

Perhaps my incompetent son was right

about you all along.

He glances at a tall, but skinny Death eater behind him. The Death Eater shifts his feet uncomfortably.

LUCIUS (CONT'D)

Perhaps you really are ignorant.

He waves the other Death Eaters forward.

LUCIUS (CONT'D)

Take him alive! The Dark Lord

wants to watch him suffer!

The Death Eaters rush forward, wands out, and RED SPARKS fly as several stunning spells shoot at Harry. He is already moving, and dodges them easily.

HARRY

Petrificus Totalus!

Draco Malfoy goes rigid and falls on his face as Harry's spell hits him.

Harry is immediately surrounded again by the Death Eaters. They move in closer this time, so close that the Death Eaters are elbow to elbow, giving Harry no chance to slip in between them.

LUCIUS

Surrender now boy! Though I can't

promise that the Dark Lord will

show you any mercy.

Ron and Neville watch from the shadows as the Death Eaters surround their friend.

RON

(whispers)

C'mon Harry! You got em!

BELLATRIX

What's the matter Potter? Cat got

your tongue? You're not so

confident this time are you?

She looks at the others.

BELLATRIX (CONT'D)

(mocking)

Perhaps he's afwaid he's going to

share the same fate as his wittle

girlfwiends!

Harry glares at Bellatrix.

Lucius signals the other Death Eaters who raise their wands and point them at Harry.

LUCIUS

Stun him!

RED SPARKS illuminate the area, as the Death Eaters send stunning spells at Harry.

Harry immediately drops to the ground and flattens himself on the snow. Every spell misses.

The Death Eaters are caught in a cross fire, and every single one of them falls.

Ron jumps for joy from his hiding place.

RON

Yes!

He and Neville rush over to Harry and help him stand.

RON (CONT'D)

That was bloody brilliant!

(looks down at Draco

Malfoy)

Stupefy!

RED SPARKS fly out of Ron's wand and hit Draco Malfoy in the back.

Harry grabs his invisibility cloak and stuffs it into a pouch in his robes.

NEVILLE

(curious)

Why'd you stun him? He was already

unconscious.

RON

No. Before he just couldn't move.

Now he's unconscious.

Ron grins, and keeps grinning, even as he falls face down in the snow, revealing a lone Death Eater standing behind him.

Before Harry or Neville can raise their wands, the Death Eater stuns them. Harry and Neville fall to the ground in a heap.