The Greatest Kind of Magic

8. Fire and Rain

Liam ran along the path, his frenzied thoughts drawing images of Ellie surrounded by Dementors, of them leaning over her, of her soul-less body slumping to the ground, an empty shell. It would be his fault, all of it, if something happened to her. Why did he have to be so tactless? Why couldn't he say something to make her feel better?

He saw a shape up ahead, which gradually resolved itself into two figures - one lying on the ground and the other kneeling beside it.

"Ellie!" he screamed. His voice was snatched away by the wind.

He drew level with the figures. The one kneeling was Ellie. Liam breathed a sigh of relief - she appeared unhurt, though her face carried a horrified, anguished expression.

The person on the ground was Jeremy. He appeared to be unconscious.

Liam grabbed Ellie by the shoulders. "Are you alright?" he asked, shaking her.

She didn't reply. For a moment she just stared at him, then she quickly looked away. "It was horrible," she whispered.

"What happened?"

"They... they came up behind me. Four of them... It was so cold. I remembered every bad thing that's ever happened to me... I don't know what happened next - when I felt myself again, they were gone. There was a huge silver stag here - it must have been a Patronus. It disappeared after a couple of seconds."

Liam glanced at Jeremy. "What about him? What happened to him?"

"I met him on the path - he was running towards the village. When those... things appeared, he just collapsed."

Liam sucked in his breath. "They didn't... get him?"

Eloise shook her head. "No - at least, I didn't see it. But... he passed out as soon as he saw them."

Harry came splashing up to them. He stared at Jeremy's unconscious form, at Eloise kneeling in the mud, at Liam crouching beside her. "Is he..." he began, but Liam cut him off in mid-sentence. "I don't know - I don't think so."

He began to shake Jeremy's unconscious form. Harry knelt beside him and slapped the boy's face. After a few seconds, Jeremy let out a soft moan. His eyes opened - he looked around, then rolled over and vomited.

"Liam - I've got to get back to the village," said Harry, talking fast. "The Three Broomsticks is on fire. Can you get him to the hospital wing?"

Liam looked back towards Hogsmeade, and for the first time, saw the blurry green skull in the sky. He felt the space between his chest and stomach contract. He felt as if he'd been stabbed with an icicle. "Jesus Christ," he whispered. "Is that?..."

Harry nodded. "It's an attack. I have to go back. Please - get back to the school. Alert Dumbledore!" He was already jogging back along the path.

"Wait!" screamed Liam. He turned to Eloise. "Ellie - I'm really sorry - about everything. There's no time - please, just get him back to the school?"

She seemed about to object, but then she nodded. Liam, wasting no more time, set off in pursuit of Harry.

***

Harry was stumbling with weariness by the time he got back to the scene of the attack. But there was no chance of any rest now - the Three Broomsticks was engulfed in flames. People were crowded around outside, with several of the older Hogwarts students trying to keep the others at bay. There were also people lying on the ground, some unconscious, many displaying terrible burns.

Harry could see no sign of Ron or Hermione. He looked around wildly, terrified that something had happened to them.

"Harry! Over here!"

It was Ginny, who appeared to be one of the students in charge of holding back the crowd. Harry rushed over to her. "Ginny, have you seen..."

"It's okay, they're not hurt. They're helping people to get out. There's a lot of people still in there." Her voice shook a little as she said this, but she betrayed no other sign of emotion.

"If there's people in there, why won't you let us in to help?" screamed a Gryffindor fourth-year, attempting to run past Ginny.

Ginny was shorter than him, but she grabbed his cloak and hauled him back. "Because we don't want you to get trapped in there as well! Stay right where you are!"

The boy scowled, but obeyed. Ginny's glare was a powerful instrument of crowd-control.

Harry turned towards the building just in time to see Hermione emerge from the flames, levitating a student with her wand. Ron was beside her, casting flame-freezing charms to clear their way.

Harry rushed towards them. Before he said anything, Hermione indicated the levitating student with a nod. Harry understood: shut up and help. He picked the limp body out of the air and laid it down next to the others. Immediately, a seventh-year Ravenclaw, and an elderly witch, who must have been one of the villagers, rushed over to check for signs of life.

"There's a pulse!" said the witch. "Rescucitation spells, on three..."

That was when Liam arrived, puffing and panting from running. "Are there people still inside?" he yelled. "We've gotta help them!"

Hemione opened her mouth, but whatever she was going to say was drowned out by a scream from inside the burning building. Liam's eyes widened in horror. "Jesus Christ!"

And before anyone could stop him, he dashed into the flames.

"Liam, no!" screamed Hermione.

But he had already vanished. "Oh my God," said Hermione. "Harry - no, don't you rush in, too!" she screamed as he made to run after Liam. She pulled on his sleeve to stop him. "Flame-freezing spells - it's a magical fire, so they'll only last for a few seconds - but they're better than nothing - let's go!"

Harry had moments to recall the flame-freezing charm, and felt a momentary flash of panic when he remembered that he was not very good at it. And then there was no more time to think, and all he could do was cast the spell and follow his friends into the fire, hoping desperately he had done it right.

The heat was so intense, that in mere moments Harry's rain-soaked clothes were steaming, and he felt the water evaporate on his face. The flame-freezing charm did hold back the fire, but just barely - Harry knew that if he slipped up and neglected to cast it every few seconds, he would be engulfed in the inferno.

Liam had not gone far before the heat and the smoke had knocked him unconscious. They found him lying near the entrance, his face and hands already blistering from the heat.

Harry and Ron maintained the flame-freezing charms, while Hermione levitated the body. Once they had taken him outside, they did not even wait to see if he was alive - there were more people still trapped in the building.

As they made their way through the burning pub, Harry was dimly aware of other people moving about, levitating bodies (Harry fervently hoped they were merely unconscious) out of the building. Hermione shouted instructions over the roar of the flames. "There's some people upstairs. Dean and Seamus went up there, but I never saw them come back. The roof might collapse at any moment!"

They understood.

The stairs at the back of the pub were still sound, though flames were climbing up the walls and the banister had caught fire. They ran up as fast as they could, casting charms to clear their way. When they reached the top, however, Harry was dismayed. "There's like, a dozen rooms!" he screamed.

"Split up - if you find people - yell!"

Harry nodded. He could see Ron doing the same beside him, his blackened face a mask of barely-controlled terror.

"Come on, Ron!" yelled Harry. Then, straining to make his voice heard above the flames, he screamed, "Is anybody up here?"

There was no response. He began opening doors.

The first room was empty. It was full of smoke, though he could see no flames just yet. He knew it was only a matter of time.

Ron had checked the second room and moved on to the third, so Harry ran on to room four. This one was also empty, and had not yet been touched by the fire - it was hot, but it had not even filled up with smoke. Harry was about to leave when he heard a high-pitched wail behind him.

He spun around, looking for the source of the sound. The room appeared empty as before, but a second later, the wail came again, and this time Harry knew it was coming from under the bed.

He dropped to his knees and reached out to grab the child, who was hiding there. The boy, however, only wailed louder and shrank away.

"Come on!" yelled Harry. "There's no time!"

"Mama!" screamed the child.

Harry thought fast. "Your mama's outside. She's waiting for you. She'll be angry if you don't come out right now!"

The threat seemed to work, and the child reluctantly crawled out. Harry grabbed him by the hand and ran back into the hallway. With a terrifying roar, the entire room burst into flames behind them. Harry realised that the child's innate magic had been holding back the fire.

Now the boy began to wail again, and when Harry made to run for the stairs, he refused to budge. Harry had no choice but to lift him up onto his shoulders. "Hold on!" he yelled.

The boy did hold on, wrapping his arms tightly around Harry's head and effectively blinding him. Harry forced his hands down, so he was now strangling Harry's neck. It was not much of an improvement, but at least he could see.

He saw Hermione come out of a room at the far end of the hallway. "I've found Dean and Seamus," she panted. "Seamus is trapped. I need to find Ron, we can get him out together. You get this boy outside."

"But..."

"Harry - get the child outside!" she commanded firmly. Ron emerged from Room Five. Before he could open his mouth to question her, she grabbed his arm and they ran back down the hall. Harry made for the stairs.

They were on fire. The pitch of the child's screams rose by several octaves as Harry began casting flame-freezing charms to clear the way.

He had only come down two steps when the staircase collapsed. It wobbled beneath his feet, and he had just enough time to whirl around and grab onto the banister at the top before the entire structure disappeared beneath him. For a terrible moment he thought he would follow, plunging into the inferno along with the child, but the banister held. He hauled himself back up to the second floor, the boy still clinging desperately to his neck.

The room at the end of the hallway was burning fast. When Harry ran inside, he saw Hermione levitating a large wooden beam as Ron helped Seamus out from underneath it. Dean was casting flame-freezing charms around them.

"The stairs have collapsed," said Harry breathlessly. "We'll have to go out the windows, somehow."

Ron and Hermione nodded, Seamus groaned. The wooden beam had broken his leg. Dean continued to cast the charms. Harry joined in as they all began to move towards the window.

The glass had already blown out from the heat and smoke, but jagged pieces remained in the window frame. Harry pulled them out and threw them to the street below.

"The boy first," said Dean. "We were looking for him when that beam fell on Seamus."

Harry nodded. He peeled the child off his neck and put him down on the floor. Pausing only to make sure Dean was maintaining the flame-freezing charms, he pointed his wand at the screaming boy and said, with a practised swish-and-flick, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Screaming, the boy rose into the air, and screaming, he floated out of the window and down towards the wet cobblestones outside. The window faced onto a lane beside the pub, and as soon as the child was released, he ran out towards the main street.

"Now Seamus," said Hermione. "Be careful, his leg's broken."

Harry repeated the procedure, puffing as he levitated the much heavier Seamus to safety.

Hermione lowered the wooden beam. As if to celebrate, it burst into flame. There was no time to lose. "Dean," said Hermione. It was a voice that would tolerate no argument. Harry took over the flame-freezing charms and Dean was levitated out.

It was just the three of them now, Harry holding back the flames, Ron and Hermione standing by the window. "Ron..." began Hermione, but he cut her off.

"No way. You're next."

Hermione frowned. "Ron, this is no time for heroics!"

"Wingradium Leviosa!"

Hermione was still protesting loudly as Ron levitated her out the window. It was too late, however. In seconds, she was on the ground, and Harry and Ron were the only ones left.

"Now what?" said Harry, in between flame-freezing charms.

Ron looked down at the cobblestones, some twelve feet below. "Umm... I don't know." There was no drainpipe to climb down, no convenient dustbins to fall into. He leaned out. "Hermione! Can you levitate us out?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you!" she yelled back. "I can't do it from that distance, you'll have to jump!"

Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances. "Jump?"

A burning roof beam collapsed onto the bed, setting the quilt alight. The floor wobbled menacingly.

"Right. We jump."

Ron swung his legs over the window frame and leaned out hesitantly. "Merlin's beard, it doesn't look this high from outside!"

"Just jump!" yelled Hermione from the lane below. "I'll catch you!"

"Catch me? Yeah, right! How the hell..."

"Jump!" screamed Harry, as the flames began licking the floor at his feet.

"But..."

Harry pushed him. There was no choice - they had seconds left before the entire building would collapse. He backed towards the window, all the while maintaining the flame-freezing charm. Finally, with his back pressed against the window sill, he released the spell. Immediately, tongues of flame reached towards him, licking at his robes. There was no time to think. He hoisted himself onto the window sill, closed his eyes and launched himself into empty space.

The cobblestones rushed up to meet him, but they slowed down at the last moment. He still hit the ground hard, jarring his knee painfully and cutting his hands on broken glass, but it was not as bad as it could have been. Ron hauled him to his feet, and together with Hermione, they ran out of the narrow lane. They had just reached the street when they heard a crash and a roar, and the Three Broomsticks collapsed, a ruin of ash and smoke. They turned around to watch, not really taking in what had happened. The Three Broomsticks was gone, burned to the ground. The Dark mark hovered menacingly in the sky above. As they watched, the fire seemed to lift off the ruined building, forming a sheet, and then resolving itself into words.

Mudbloods and traitors beware. Your time is coming to an end. Those who throw their lot in with Muggles will pay Lord Voldemort's price.

***

Liam woke up in darkness, and his first sensation was of pain. There was pain in his face and hands, which he quickly realised were covered in thick bandages. Then there was pain in his back, where he had fallen when chasing Ellie. There was pain in his knees, where he had fallen under the spell of the Dementors.

And there was pain in his chest. Liam realised he was finding it hard to breathe, He was also shivering, not from cold, but from fever.

He groaned. Immediately, he heard Tara's voice beside him. "Liam, Liam! Madam Pomfrey, he's awake!"

"I'll be there in a moment," he heard an adult voice reply. "After I've tended to Mr Chow. And please keep it down. There are other patients asleep."

"Liam, how are you feeling?" whispered Tara.

If he could have, Liam would have rolled his eyes. But all he could do was croak, "Like hell. What do you think?"

"I thought you were dead. You had burns all over your face. They said you ran into the burning building."

"Jesus Christ."

"You got bandages everywhere, but don't worry, Madam Pomfrey says the burns will heal by tomorrow. Mum is gonna kill you."

"Not if you don't tell her, you twerp!"

Liam heard a muffled sob, and realised his sister had burst into tears.

"Aww, Jesus, don't do that!"

"They... they c-came into the school with all these stretchers and you w-were on one and your face was all bloody and peeling and I th-th-thought you w-were dead! J-J-Johnny O'Connel in th-third year is dead and s-so is Rahit Shandran in fourth year! Th-they're s-saying it was You-Know-Who and that he will kill all the traitors and anyone who l-likes Muggles, and that's you! W-what if You-Know-Who comes after you?"

"Jesus. Calm down, Taz. I'll be alright, didn't Madam Pomfrey say so?" He broke into a violent coughing fit. It felt as if his chest was about to explode. When he stopped, it was a struggle to speak. "You-Know-Who isn't gonna come after me, why would he waste time on someone like me?" he croaked. "I'm a nobody! Don't cry, okay, Taz? It'll be alright."

Tara sniffed. Liam could almost see her wiping her nose on her sleeve. "I didn't tell Mum anyway, but I reckon the school will. She'll find out anyway, there were reporters here before. And the hospital wing is full, they had to put in extra beds."

"All right, you can go off to bed now and stop disturbing the patients," said the stern voice of Madam Pomfrey. "Your brother will be all right."

"But..."

"No buts, it's off to bed with you, young lady. I let you stay with him until he woke up, now it's time for you to go back to your dormitory, and for me to care for my patient!"

"I'll see ya later, Taz," croaked Liam.

He heard Tara's soft footsteps retreating from the hospital wing.

"Now, Mr Grady. How are you feeling?"

Liam groaned.

"That doesn't help me," snapped the matron. "Does your chest hurt?"

"Yes. And my face, and my hands."

"The face and hands are just burns. I've put a salve on them so they should heal overnight. It's you chest that's the problem. As if it wasn't bad enough that you rushed into a burning building, you somehow managed to catch pneumonia while you were at it!"

"Pneumonia?"

"An inflammation of the lungs, Mr Grady. The smoke inhalation didn't help, either. Drink this - it'll help you sleep, and reduce the fever."

A cup was placed against his lips. Liam drank deeply, and burst into another coughing fit as the potion reached his tastebuds.

"Fuck, piss and damn! That's horrible..."

"Mr Grady, there is hardly any need for such profanity! Now drink the potion - I have other patients to care for!"

He drank. It was horrible, but he forced it down. Immediately, he felt the pain in his chest recede. As he began to drift off to sleep, he thought of Ellie Midgen. It was lucky that she was upset and ran away from me. Otherwise, she might have been injured in the blaze. And finally, what was Leighton doing there? Running to the village in the pouring rain...

With that thought whirling in his mind, Liam fell asleep.