Hermione's Letter

Chapter 9

Hermione ran as fast as she could towards the front of the Hufflepuff transport, although the transport's angle was making it extremely difficult for her to do so. Falling over various Hufflepuffs in the corridor she could finally see her destination. The huge transparent front of the transport was in visual range, and she could see the clouds through it, but she could also see that the incline was getting worse, and it wouldn't be long until the transport was pointing straight down.

She pulled out her wand, chanting "Combustare verde!" A blue pulse emerged from the tip and smashed the glass entirely. The pressure difference started to suck everything out of the front of the transport and expel it into the air. But it didn't collide with the dragon pulling the Hufflepuff transport.

The dragon was gone.

Hermione had expected this. But she had a more immediate problem. She was being pulled out along with the debris. Grabbing a door frame which no longer possessed its door, having just lost it to the sky, she cast a Steadying Charm, which allowed her to walk safely without being sucked out.

Approaching the exit carefully, she pulled herself out and onto the roof, which allowed her an unobstructed view of what was above. She saw a small purple rupture in the sky; circular and most definitely what she had been looking for.

"Inverte invertala temporala!" she chanted as she swung her wand out towards the rupture. A yellow-orange beam hit the rapidly distancing purple swirl, causing a massive flash, and the rupture vanished softly and silently.

But the transport was still falling.

Hermione climbed back inside the transport, restored the front of the transport, and then found herself walking along it. The transport had now turned through 65 degrees and was facing more towards the ground, falling rapidly. People were falling down the corridors and landing hard on the magic energy field, and such a landing was far from free of pain. Although it could not compare to the pain caused by the feared Cruciatus curse, it was still shockingly powerful.

Hermione tried her best to grab hold of something on the wall which was now above her, but she wasn't tall enough and couldn't reach it. She could do nothing from where she was to help the transport, so she decided to help the people who were with her, and hope with all her heart that someone else could do something. But the feeling of helplessness was awful.

***

Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout had managed to grab hold of a door handle and had managed to pull themselves into a room in the middle of the transport when the incline had begun. But they'd seen the missing dragon too; they'd caught a glimpse of the magic window.

"Can we save the transport? Or should we evacuate, Minerva?" Professor Sprout asked urgently.

Minerva McGonagall considered the options. There was no way they could get the transport to a safe height any more. They had no real choice but to abandon. But if the Muggles saw it...

"Get as many students as you can to the back of the transport. I'm going to try and balance the transport once you've done that. We need to land at the correct angle; we're going to fall into the sea. It's a terrible risk, but it's the only way. As soon as we've splashed down, we'll get everyone out. We're not letting anyone get drowned." She opened the door again and they rushed out, Professor Sprout gathering people and blocking corridors to stop people falling further, and Professor McGonagall doing her best to reach the back of the transport, which was a difficult task in itself. Ron had already been placed in the hospital wing, which was located aft of almost every other room, and a couple of sixth years were doing their best to move him to the back without injuring him further.

***

Within five minutes the Hufflepuffs were assembled at the back of the transport, which was now leaning at a slightly more acceptable angle due to the mass shift. But Hannah Abbott was not there yet. Fred had taken a shine to a particularly attractive Hufflepuff sixth-year, and was trying to impress her with his latest plans for practical jokes; George, his twin, was talking to one of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team about how best to humiliate the Slytherins at the magical sport.

Ginny and Sam stood with a girl of third-year-Hufflepuff origin, Susan Bones. They could see that this girl was getting more and more agitated as time went on.

Ginny whispered to Sam as covertly as she could, "I hope we haven't done something to upset her."

Sam shook her head. "She's worried about someone. Not us though. A friend, I imagine, or perhaps a lover."

Ginny's eyes widened quite significantly at this. "I didn't know Susan had a boyfriend..."

The third year Hufflepuff, who was almost as striking a redhead as Ginny, called over to a boy named Justin Finch-Fletchley. He took over Susan's role as she pelted off round the corner and deeper into the transport.

Sam nodded. "I'm sure now. She's gone to look for them."

Ginny was still wide eyed as she looked to the younger girl. "How do you know all this, anyway?"

Sam suddenly flushed red. There was no conviction in her voice. "Umm... well, I guess I just notice these things."

Professor Sprout dashed into the area looking very flustered, her hair bobbing about randomly and her wand readied in her hand.

"OK, have we got everyone?" she demanded in between breaths.

Justin yelled back. "No Professor, Susan's just gone to look for Hannah. And Potter's not here either. Or that girl he likes so much, that Granger."

Sam raised her eyes at Ginny. "Seems I was wrong about them. Although I was sure they were more than friends, I could just feel Susan's despair."

Professor Sprout tutted. "We're going to hit the water in a minute, we need them here! Justin, come with me! Fred, Sarah, break it up and look after the girls! This is no time for romantic endeavours!"

Fred and the girl jumped in shock. He'd managed, in an uncharacteristic moment of romantic success, managed to seduce the girl, Sarah, who he had been kissing merrily in a corner. They glanced at each other, both embarrassed to have been caught, using the Muggle expression, 'red-handed', and moved over to Ginny and Samantha. Ginny shot him a smirk, and he glared back at her.

"Have to admit, I didn't see that one coming," Samantha commented with a grin.

"Me neither," Ginny replied in a whisper. "He's usually such a klutz with women." She earned another glare from Fred, who had apparently overheard them, and presumably now was praying Sarah hadn't heard them too, although, as Ginny pointed out, "if she was kissing him that quickly I doubt overhearing us will make any difference."

Professor McGonagall came around the corner at that point with Professor Sprout, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Susan Bones, who between them were carrying Harry and Hannah, both of whom were now unconscious and also in need of medical attention. The two sixth-years assisting Ron also arrived from the other side at that point, sealing the corridor behind them with their wands.

A group of Hufflepuff students split up to assist in supporting the students.

"Do we have everyone now?" asked Sprout once more. "Let's see, Ron, Hannah, Susan, Potter... where's Hermione?"

A murmuring surged through the crowd; no-one had seen her. Then someone called out.

"There she is!"

Hermione's big bushy hair was just visible at the end of the corridor. She was still having difficulty climbing the corridors, she was out of breath, and lacking in energy. McGonagall pulled out her wand, and shouted loudly enough that her voice would reach Hermione, "Accio Hermione!"

The spell swept up the Gryffindor girl easily and brought her up to them, as Professor Sprout sealed the corridor. Waving her wand in the air, sparks shimmered across the ceiling to reveal three large hatches, round and as wooden as the walls. They had previously been ceiling, and there was no indication that they had been there before.

Professor McGonagall moved to the centre of the corridor and stood ready to address the crowd.

"When this transport hits the water below us you will immediately start exiting on to the roof via these hatches. Ladders," she said waving her wand, and three ladders extended from the hatches and rooted themselves into the floor, "are provided. Stay on top until everyone is out. We will then use rafts, conjured by myself, Professor Sprout, and the seventh-years, to sail to shore, which is about fifty metres away. Some of you will need to assist the injured. Is this all clear?"

There was a general murmur of agreement with nodding of heads. Professor McGonagall nodded briskly.

"Until then, brace yourselves. This will be quite an impact." She trailed her wand along the walls and the sealed corridors, creating strong, yellow and black ropes. "Hold on to these as tightly as you can."

There was a rush of movement as everyone grabbed hold of a rope. Fred and Sarah grabbed onto each other as well as the rope; Ginny and Sam stood close and were doing the same. Hermione was gripped onto the rope in between some rather large Hufflepuffs and felt a little squished. She was deathly scared of what was about to happen; if it didn't go well, they'd all die here inside this old, irrelevant transport. And the events set in motion by Peter Pettigrew, no doubt ordered by you-know-who... no, Voldemort, she scolded herself for failing to use his name, would not be stopped. They had to survive. It was more important than the life of one Hogwarts house, one additional professor and a few Gryffindors.

Professor McGonagall waved her wand around and around, making the walls glow as she did. The incline of the transport started to level off, and headed back towards an angle parallel to the sea below.

***

The impact was incredible. People were thrown clean off of the rope, smashing into walls and supporting pylons; amongst those who did hold on there were a good number of bumps and bruises. There were small breaches in the base of the transport caused by the impact, and water was starting it's penetration of the hull.

"Move!" yelled McGonagall, and everyone scrambled to the nearest ladder. The hatches swung open as the Professor yelled, and students started climbing out at speeds previously thought impossible of humans. Fear was a good reason to get moving.

It was probably a record time for evacuation, if you discounted the time added by the plenty of injured people lying on the floor now, being covered in water. Professor Sprout and McGonagall and some fifth- and sixth-years assisted in evacuating them as best they could, while the seventh-years were assigned the task of conjuring rafts and oars to bring the other students to shore.

Most of the students were evacuated within ten more minutes, but the water was filling the insides and Harry and Ron had still not been hoisted out. Hermione was out of the transport and on top with Ginny and Sam, all three of them resisting attempts by seventh years to move them onto the rapidly growing raft fleet. The third-year had no intention of leaving Harry and Ron behind, and was trying to fight her way past the Hufflepuff seventh-years, albeit with little success. She snarled at them, and pushed as hard as she could, knocking some of them over in doing so, but she was worn down and eventually they managed to force her, Ginny and Sam onto a transport and to launch it. It joined the rest of the fleet and sailed away from the doomed carrier, moving towards the land so close to them.