Chapter 4
Unexpected
Hermione had just got off the phone with a frantic Ron. She walked over to Paul looked at the burning mass, "What will you do when this is out?" she asked him as she watched the flame engulfed building start to waver into smaller flames.
"Well, we'll have to see what caused the damage and then find Potter." He stopped a bit and looked at the ground, "I still don't know what would make that man go into a burning building with out any protection… breathing wise. He could have died just from the smoke in his lungs."
"Please…" Hermione said turning her head.
"Sorry…"
"What should I do?"
"My words of wisdom would be to go home with your children and try and calm down a bit… what ever happens now will keep you posted…this fire won't be out for a while…there are still three active sections in the building that could cause major explosions and I don't want people around to get the chemicals in there lungs especially not you or your children."
"Well you know what's best here… Please keep me posted…" Hermione turned to leave.
She had walked back to her car where the boys and Kat where sitting silently and she told Kat that she could leave with the boy's in Harry's car and that she would drive her car home.
"I'm sorry Hermione." Was all Kat could muster up to say.
Hermione just nodded and got in the car. Kat went over to where Chris and Ste were standing looking at the building. She went up to Chris and hugged him around his middle. Chris looked at her, tears still streaming down her eyes; he lifted her face to his and gently kissed her. He gave her a hug and held her tight.
"Your mum said that we better get going she's going to take Nick and everyone else back and we'll go in here." She looked in the backseat at Brandon.
Chris couldn't speak, he was too shocked to understand any of it he felt that he just had his heart ripped out and mashed in a blender, he felt it wasn't real, that it was all just a sick dream that he would snap out of at any second. He got in the drivers seat of the car as Kat got in the passengers and Ste got in the back and placed Brandon's head on his lap as not to wake him. Chris started the car and drove off silently. After some time it was getting a bit too quiet for Chris's liking, so he turned on the radio.
Kat looked at him, she had never seen Chris so upset, with so much pain inside him. She reached out and put her hand on his, Chris looked at her and gave what Kat thought was a tiny smile. He gave her hand a soft squeeze as he drove.
~'*'~
When Chris and everyone got home, Hermione was already there but she was still in the car. Chris and everyone got out of the other car, Ste carrying Brandon, and told them to go inside and that he'd be in, in a minuet. Without any problems Kat and Ste went inside while Chris walked over to his mother.
The other kids had left the car and were obviously in the house. Chris opened up the passengers seat and got in with his mother. He sat there for a few minuets not saying anything, nor Hermione.
"Mum…" He said slowly. Hermione didn't say anything, she just looked at him, "Wanna talk…"
Hermione gave a small sniffle and took her son's hand, "I think we should." Hermione said whipping a stray tear from her eye, "But we need to go and pick up James… it's almost three-thirty, he'll be waiting for your father. Then we need to get Mandy from Lavender, she has to get to her mothers…" Lavender had to go to her mothers because her father was very sick and wanted the family there for support.
"Ok…" Chris said as Hermione started the car.
Ste was watching threw the window as Chris and Hermione pulled out of the driveway. He turned to Kat who was sitting on the couch, the rest of the kids where on the floor watching the TV while they waited for Brandon to wake up. Ste turned to Kat and looked her in the eyes, "They left…" He said.
Just then Brandon started to stir on the couch, and he opened his eyes. He looked around seeing everyone around him. He sat up and looked at Ste and Kat, he seemed to have forgotten what had him so tired. He looked at Nick and said with a yawn, "I think we should go to the garage and start practicing."
"But Brand…" Nick started to say but Ste gave him a look that said 'Just go', "Ok… c'mon guys let's go." Nick, Brandon, and the rest of there friends left threw the back door and into the garage.
Kat turned the Ste, "That was weird… wouldn't you say?"
"No, I think he knows what happened… but just doesn't want to show his feelings in front of his friends." Ste looked back out the window, "James will be home soon I expect… and Mandy… I wonder how they'll tell them."
For the next half hour Kat and Ste sat in the living room waiting for Chris to come home. It was about three thirty when they got home, Ste was asleep on the couch and Kat was flipping threw the TV channels when the door busted open and a very upset Chris stormed in the hallway. The bang was so loud that Ste almost fell off the couch in shock.
Chris didn't even look at them the sprinted up the stairs and then stomped up another set of stairs and the door slammed. The next thing that happened was a rush a loud hard music. Ste looked at Kat and mouthed out 'the attic' Kat shook her head; she was clueless to the situation.
"He's up in the attic… it's like his second bed room. I better go and talk to him." Ste got up righ when Hermione came in holding a crying James at her side and Mandy at her side. Ste walked over to his little sister and picked her up, she obviously was upset, Ste looked at Hermione.
"I'll tell you later… he's upset, Chris is devastated and Mandy here doesn't know what to say or think. I think you better talk to her, I- I need to find out what were going to eat."
"No! You're not doing anything… I'll call and get some pizza's my treat… this isn't a time for you to be cooking." Ste said. Hermione nodded and took James into the kitchen.
~'*'~
Chris was up in the attic; up there it was black. The walls were painted a deep midnight black, he had a mattress by the window with a fleece blanket on it, and a flat pillow with practically no stuffing in it. He had a nice new stereo up there with all his hard rock and rap Cd's that he would listen to when he was upset.
Chris sat there just looking at the wall, alone, with no noise but the little bit comeing from his garage where Brandon was practicing for his compotation. He sat and listened to the music and just thought about things that didn't matter or were really not even questions with answers. He sat like that for a while until there was a soft knock at the door.
"Cm'in" He said not even caring who it was. The door opened and Kat stepped in with James by her side. Chris looked at them he saw his youngest brother looking at him.
"James wanted to see you, he was upset and felt he needed someone to talk to besides your mum or Ste or me." Kat explained.
"I see…" Chris said just looking at them, "Come here lil buddy." Chris said holding out his arms. He felt happy knowing that his little brother wanted to come to him for someone to talk to.
"I'll let you to alone then, Ste is ordering some pizza later is that ok with you two?" She asked.
Chris looked at his girlfriend; "I need to talk to you later…" He said with a half smile.
"Any time you feel like it." She said as she closed the door.
Chris sat there with James for a while before either one could say something, it just seemed right to just sit there knowing the other was there to talk when they felt free.
"Why did dad do that?" James finally asked after what seemed like hours, "Why didn't he have the protection?"
Chris shook his head, "You know James, I really don't know… But in a way what he did was heroic, he saved a life in there risking his own, that's why I want to join the department,"
"NO!" James shouted, "Your not gonna do what he did!" Tears started to form in his eyes.
Chris wrapped James in a hug, "No, no, no, no, Jamie I would NEVER do what he did… but I would be much more careful as to what I was doing… I could never just leave you behind. You or mum or Brand, not even Ste or ANYONE…"
"Dad did, why would he do it if he knew the whole thing wasn't safe." James said crying on his older brother.
"To be honest buddy, I really don't know…"
~*~
"I'm glad he rather talk to Chris about this, I think it's better for two men to talk, you think he's ok?" Hermione was frantic in the kitchen with Ste and Kat; Mandy had been put up in her room for a nap. She was worn out from the day.
"It's fine Aunt Hermione… There men… they have to talk to each other. You know James, he look's up to Chris like some superhero." Ste said trying to calm down Hermione, "But why was Chris so upset to begin with?" Ste added.
Hermione took a breath, "I don't think that right now is the right time to talk about it… I'd rather wait till your father got home; he should be here by six or seven. The ministry said that there was something wrong with the port key's and floo network is down so he has to wait for one of them to open up."
"Why doesn't he just Apperate?" Kat asked.
Ste huffed a laugh, "My Father Apperate… that's a laugh, my dad can't even get from our kitchen to the living room when he Apperate's, let alone from one country to another."
"If he only tried to learn it then by trying to get me to do it for him then maybe he could get from the kitchen to the living room… with his whole body." Hermione said letting out a small laugh.
~*~
It was about 7:30 in the evening when Chris had finally come from the attic and sat with his family and friends in the living room. It had looked like he fell asleep up there because his hair was messier than usual and his eyes had bags under them.
He sat down next to Kat and held her hand giving her a reassuring smile, or at least the best he could give at the time. James was sitting on the floor with Mandy watching a cartoon on the television and Brandon and his friends playing a game of exploding snap and wizard chess on the other side of the room. Ste was sitting on another chair reading a book about a young wizard named Daniel Radcliff who was always getting into trouble, but ended up saving the day in the end.
Hermione was on the computer looking up some muggle ingredients for a potion. The house was rather quiet with everyone just lying around; the occasional pop or crumble from the two games that were going on and the TV. Chris was half dead but he must have been really hungry by the way his stomach was wining.
"Hungry mate?" Ste said without looking over his book.
"Just a bit," Chris replied rubbing his face.
"We still have Pizza from earlier," Kat said, "Plenty if you're hungry."
"Foooooood…" Chris said trying to lighten to mood. It did the trick at least everyone let out a small laugh.
Chris got up from his chair and headed in the kitchen holding his arms out like a zombie from the grave, "Must eat foooooooood…" He said again, Kat got up and followed him into the kitchen.
When they were in the kitchen Chris opened each box checking to see what was what and what he wanted. There was pepperoni and sausage on one, bacon cheddar cheeseburger on another one, a plain, and a veggie feast.
"Yummy…" He said looking at the food.
"You seem a lot better then when you came home with your brother and Mandy." She said holding him around the middle.
"Yeah, I donno maybe I just needed a rest for a while…" He said putting his hand over hers.
"You know when you fell asleep James must have too, well I guess he woke up and came down here and I was sitting by the fire just relaxing and he came over to me," She said getting a smile on her face.
"Yeah, then what?" Chris asked.
"I smiled at him and he said to me, Chris was thinking about you in his dreams." Chris raised his head to look at the ceiling, "Is this true?" She asked with curiosity.
"Was I really?" He asked interested
Chris turned Kat to look him in the eye, "You know, I have to tell you something…" Kat turned her head away, "Don't think I'm saying this because of what's just happened, I did plan on telling you this over vacation."
"What's that?" She said looking at him putting her hands on his chest.
"Kat, I have never been more happy about anything in my life until I met you. I would have never thought the day I first talked to you that you would want someone like me…" He rubbed his thumb over her cheek, "And I was so happy when you said you would go to the ball with me that day when we were 14."
"Chris just say what your gonna say, your making me cry…" Kat interrupted.
"Kat it's hard to say this at a time like this but I know that you have to know, Kat, I-" Chris was about to finish his sentence when the front door opened and there was a yell.
"HERMIONE!" the voice said.
Chris knew that voice too well, he looked at Kat, "Uncle Ron…" He said in a disappointed tone.
He walked out of the kitchen with Kat in hand and saw Ron in the hall, "Chris!" He said, "God what happened?" Chris walked over to him and Ron grabbed him in a crushing hug.
Hermione and the rest of the residents on the house where in the hall door looking at the scene; Ste Nick and Mandy ran over to there mother and hugged her at the same time. Ron let go of Chris and looked at Hermione.
"Hermione…" He breathed out. Hermione walked over to him and squeezed the life out of him. Ron and some tears in his eyes when Hermione had held him so tight.
"What took you so long Dad?" Ste asked.
Ron looked at his son, "Well…" He looked concerned, "Something is happening, something big… The port key's where messed up, they were sending people to the wrong locations and the floo network was malfunctioning, people were starting to get bad burns in there bodies because the passage was closing to soon and they would get caught in it…" Ministry thinks that it was dark magic, but I said that it was one of those new members that Fudge decided to put in charge before they even learn to do the keys right." He explained.
"Ron they might be right." Hermione said.
"You never know Herms, but still, but I'm not the point right now. What happened here, I mean are you sure he's dead?" Ron's look of panic and shock ran over him again.
Hermione's eyes welled up as she looked at her best friend, "Yes." Was all she could say before her tears broke and feel down her cheeks.
Ron grabbed her in another hug trying to calm her down, "Calm down Hermione… it's going to be ok," He said while he himself was a wreck and just wanted to cry.
At that moment the phone rang, Chris ran and got it, "Hello?" He asked, "Paul! Wha- what's up?" He stood there in silence with every one waiting to hear what he had to say. Chris stood frozen as Paul talked into the phone. Finally after what felt like hours Chris answered him, "Yes, Yes sir, we'll be down in a few. Yes you to sir." Then he hung up the phone and looked at everyone.
"Mum, we have to go… the fires out and they found something." Chris said shaking a bit.
"Ok, lets go, Ron… could you watch them?" Hermione asked.
"No, I'm coming with you… that's my best friend, Ste watch them and make sure Mandy and James are in bed by 10:00." Ron ordered.
"I wanna come!" Brandon said.
"No Bran, You can't." Chris said sternly.
"He's my dad!" Brandon yelled.
"NO!" Chris barked that made everyone back off, "Your not coming and that's it!"
Brandon looked at Chris like he had never seen him before, He never did something like that before, and he walked behind Ste and just looked at his older brother scared.
"Lets go." Chris said grabbing his coat and walking out the door. After that they were gone.
~*~
"What was that all about?" Ron asked Chris when they were in the car half way to the fire scene.
"What was what?" Chris asked still a bit harsh, "This isn't something he has to see…"
"Why did he tell you what were going to see?" Hermione asked.
"No, but still what if it's something we can't even handle?" Chris stated seriously.
"True." Ron agreed, "If it's something gruesome someone of his age shouldn't see it." Hermione just nodded her head and for the rest of the car ride it was silent.
When they got to the scene Paul and the other fire men where al still there and over by the truck there was a hose gushing water on top of firemen who were in the building, "They want to get the chemicals off of them men so it won't sick if it's hazardous." Chris explained. They walked over to Paul who was sitting there waiting for the police to come out of the extinguished building.
"Paul!" Chris yelled, "Paul!"
Paul looked at who was calling his name and when he say Chris and Hermione walking towards him he felt like an air tank just landed in his stomach, "Chris, Mrs. Potter, and…"
"Ron Weasley, Harry was my friend." Ron held out his had for Paul to shake.
"What did u find?" Chris got right to the point.
"Well, here's the problem… We didn't find anything." Paul said trying to get to the point.
"What do you mean you didn't find anything?" Hermione and Ron said in unison.
"I mean we when right to his location and all we found was his burnt fire uniform." Paul explained.
Hermione and Ron ran to the building where there were cops surrounding. They pushed threw the men and women and looked at where there was police tape surrounding a circle. They looked in shock, Chris and Paul followed suit… but what Chris found shocking more than Paul was that there was a lighting bolt scorch mark on his coat just like the one on Harry's head!
Ron leaned into Hermione's ear and whispered, "He's alive!"
~*~
Miles away in a dark stone room with two candles a small orb shown in the center of the room and with a bright flash a body fell to the ground; Harry's body fell to the ground with a loud swack! an ash faced, sweaty Harry in nothing but a pair of boxers and a beater. Being in so much pain he could barley move, he heard a voice,
"Welcome Harry, welcome home…"
A/n: GOD IM SOOOOOOOOO SORRY, *hides in corner from angry crowd* this is short cuz I wanted to get this chapter out to you guys cuz I felt so bad 4 the wait. Hopefully I can get chapter 5 up quick… Please review and if u want im gonna try to get my stories over at www.portkey.org. Chapter 5 we find out what the hell happened and where Harry is!
Thanks to my reviewers who are sticking with this story I promise u don't want ot stop reading it's gonna get better from here on out.
P.s Happy meg! Hope you enjoy!