Chapter 18 - Attack on the Express
The morning of September 1st was nothing short of chaos. Even though they'd all packed the night before, nothing seemed to be where they thought they'd left it. Hedwig and Pigwidgeon had perched on top of the wardrobe, out of reach of the two boys who were trying desperately to get the birds into their cages. They did, however manage to make it to King's Cross by ten thirty.
Harry and Draco exchanged nervous glances as they both remembered their conversation from the day before. "Do you think he'll be here?" Harry whispered, as they walked through the barrier.
"I really don't know." Draco muttered. "I'm more worried about your other thought, to be honest."
"The train?"
Draco nodded. "Now that I've thought about it...it makes perfect sense."
Harry glanced around the platform nervously. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny caught up to them and glanced around as well. Even though they hadn't been included in the discussion the day before, they had similar fears. The five made their way silently to an empty compartment where they stashed their trunks and took their seats. Draco exchanged glance with Harry before taking a seat next to the youngest Weasley; Harry had to turn his face toward the window to keep from laughing.
After a while Neville and Luna made their way into the compartment, giving confused looks to Draco but said nothing. Those two were fallowed, much to Harry's surprise, by Remus and Tonks, both who gave the group small smiles before taking seats. Answering the questioning glances, Remus said, "For the safety of you students."
He didn't need to say more, they all understood. Harry glanced around at his friends. All of them where anticipating the worst but hoping for nothing. Hermione, seated next to him (awfully close, he noticed), let a heavy sigh and pulled a large book from her bag. "Well, seeing as you won't talk around us, Remus and I'll head up and talk to the driver," Tonks chuckled.
The two stood and exited the compartment, leaving the seven teens behind. Each of them instinctively reached into their pockets and grasped their wands. Neville was the first to break the tense silence, "D-do you think they'd really attack the train?"
"Unfortunately, it's a very good possibility," Draco said, heavily.
Neville looked more confused than ever. "Okay, not to sound...I don't know...out of place, but why exactly are you here?"
"He's alright, Neville," Harry said. "He's helped us a lot over the summer."
Neville's confusion obviously wasn't laid to rest but he said nothing further on the subject. "Why would they attack the train though?"
"Think about it, Neville," Ron said. "You-know-who...alright alright...V-Vold-de-mort, rules through fear. The best way to scare witches and wizards to his side is by attacking their children where they have no way to help."
Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, both rather impressed with their redheaded friend. Harry spoke up, "We beat them once before. But I have a feeling it's not going to be as easy this time...if they do attack."
Neville frowned, "Why's that? We've got Professor Lupin and Tonks plus the rest of the DA here this time."
"We've also got a train full of younger students as young as eleven," Hermione reminded him. "It won't be just ourselves we're protecting."
The round boy blanched. "I guess I didn't think about that."
"What if they send Dementors?" Ginny asked nervously, Harry understood her concerns, he had a feeling he knew what she remembered when a dementor was near.
"Just remember the Patronus Charm," He said.
She nodded slightly but shivered at the thoughts. Hermione glanced at Draco, "Would they more likely attack themselves or send Dementors?"
"One is just as likely as the next," Draco sighed. "Though knowing my father, he knows I will be here and will probably want to lead an attack himself."
"We'll need a plan, won't we?" Luna said, finally speaking up.
"A plan?" Hermione asked.
"What to do with the younger students. They'll be in danger if they get caught in the middle." She said logically.
Draco opened his mouth to speak with the train lurched to a sudden stop, much like it had in third year when the Dementors were searching for Sirius. The seven teens rose to their feet as the lights went out, there was a sounding "lumos" through the compartment as each wand lit. They silently made their way out of the compartment, and were met by the rest of the DA.
"What's going on, Harry?" came the voice of Seamus Finnegan.
The group fell silent as the awaited an explanation, "Alright, we've got reason to believe that there is a planned Death Eater attack on the train. Remus Lupin and Auror Tonks are aboard, scouting right now. We need to make sure all the younger students, the ones who can't fight back, are out of harms way."
Everyone agreed, "Be careful everyone and try to stay in at least groups of two, don't go alone and keep your wands ready," Said Hermione's voice.
Harry and Hermione slipped silently down toward the front of the train while others scattered in effort to protect the younger kids. Things where too quiet for Harry's comfort. He glanced back at Hermione as he felt her grab onto his hand. Once they reached the front compartment, one filled with first years, they slipped in right as the compartment across the corridor exploded. Harry shielded Hermione and the nearby kids from the blast. There were sounds of similar explosions down the train.
Hermione whispered brief instructions to the kids to stay low and out of the way, after the explosion they did as they were told. The two 16 year olds placed themselves between the crouching students and the hooded figures that were making their way through the hole they had made.
"Oooh," Said one of the figures in a feminine, "We found wittle baby Potter, again."
Harry's jaw clenched at the familiar sound of Bellatrix LeStrange. "So how much trouble did you get in, Bella."
"How is my dear cousin doing?" She asked tauntingly.
Harry's grasp on his wand tightened. Hermione squeezed his hand slightly before releasing it.
"Oooh, what else have we here?" Bellatrix said. "The little Mudblood, ooh and a bunch of little babies for them to protect. Do you seriously think you can stop me from hurting them?"
"We stopped you from getting the Prophecy," Harry said as he absently pulled Hermione behind him.
Bellatrix pulled off her mask and tossed it to one of the Death Eaters who stood behind her. She smirked and pointed her wand, "Crucio!" She hissed pointing at one of the smaller children. Hermione had wrenched herself from Harry's grip and put herself in front of the curse.
"Hermione!" Harry yelped, "Stupefy!" he shot the spell at the witch who reflected it with a quick "Protego," Which also lifted the curse from Hermione. He quickly helped her to her feet and pulled her behind him again.
"You never did answer my question, Potter." Bellatrix sneered.
Harry smirked, "Oh, Sirius is doing quite well, I'll be sure to tell him you asked."
"Sirius Black is dead, foolish boy," Bellatrix hissed.
"Are you quite certain?" Hermione said, trying--and failing--to come out from behind Harry.
"I put Black through that veil myself," the woman growled.
"Yes, I suppose you did," Hermione said, nonchalantly.
The other woman growled slightly and sent a white spell toward them. Its force knocked Harry back and the spell hit Hermione's left shoulder, it turned out to be a severing spell that ripped through his friends arm. "Hermione!" he gasped, he quickly ripped the edge of his robes into a long strip. Bringing one of the first years toward them he had the little girl press the fabric onto Hermione's wound.
He turned around and glared at Bellatrix and the other three Death Eaters who had encircled them. "That wasn't a smart move."
"I'm surprised the little witch survived my spell from the last time," Came one of the other's voice. Harry knew it to be the one who'd hit Hermione with the purple curse back that the Ministry.
"You lot won't do any more damage to her, and you won't touch the kids," Harry said, face expression no emotion.
Bellatrix scoffed, "And you think that you alone can stop us?"
"I'll duel each and everyone of you one at a time if I must," Harry said.
"So be it," the woman smirked. Both witch and wizard raised their wands in preparation.
"Stupefy" "Protego, Petrifucs Tolalus" "Protego Avada-" "STUPEFY!"
Harry paused only long enough to catch a breath as Bellatrix crumpled. Another approached angrily. Harry and the other wizard's duel lasted significantly longer than the one with Bellatrix. He was about out of ideas when his tickling charm hit the other wizard, sending him to the ground laughing. "Stupefy!" He said, aiming at the Death Eater on the ground.
There was one Death Eater left there, and Harry cringed, having a suspicion as to who it was. Sure enough, the mask cam off and his parents' betrayer stood before him. "Oh, pity pity. James would have so loved to see how well you've advanced," the rat said.
Within a blink of an eye Harry had his wand at Peter's throat. "I saved your life once, almost three years ago, I really don't know if I can spare it again Pettigrew."
"Oh I'm not asking you to." Pettigrew smirked; Harry thought it uncanny how much like Lucius Malfoy the man had looked. "It'll be your life that may need saving before long."
Harry scoffed but kept his gaze hard, "Not by you, I'm afraid." He started to hex Pettigrew when the man was no longer there, only a rat that scurried away. Harry started after the rat when he saw a large foot come down on the rat's tail. He glanced up to see Remus glaring down at the rat. The older man picked up the, now squealing, rat by the tail and glanced up at Harry. "Are you alright, Harry?"
"I'm fine, but Hermione, she was hit," he said, turning to face his friend.
"Petrificus Totalus" He muttered, pointing at the rat, which instantly fell stiff. He put the rat in his pocket and knelt next to the unconscious witch and carefully pulled the cloth away from the wound. "It's bad. She may be sent to St. Mungo's. Harry, where is your owl."
"Back in our compartment, I'll go get her?" He said, at Remus's nod he took of the tattered and smoking corridor of the train. When he finally found their compartment he rushed in and took the flustered bird from her cage. "It's alright Hedwig, we need you to run an errand, alright?" The bird quieted as Harry made his way back to Hermione and Remus.
Remus glanced up and pulled a bright, fluorescent envelope from his pocket, "Take this directly to Dumbledore," He said to the bird. The owl took the envelope in her beak and zipped out of the hole in the side of the train made by the Death Eater's entrance. "Now, go check on the rest of your friends and the other students, be careful Harry." Harry nodded and with a last glance at Hermione he readied his wand and set off down the train, hoping everyone else was all right.
AN: I know this is a bit of a cliffy, but don't worry, the next chapter isn't too far behind. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter; it had a bit more…adventure to it. Please review and tell me what you liked…or didn't like for that matter. I enjoy reading your comments, so please, REVIEW!
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