Title: Adrift
Summary: It was supposed to be the perfect holiday, but a tragic accident plunges Harry and Hermione adrift in to a new, uncertain life.
Rating: PG-13 for language and adult themes
Authors Notes: I'll start again with a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed and another urging for you to review in any capacity.
I just need to say that I have no experience in the events that follow in this chapter and for people that have, I mean no disrespect if I haven't adequately expressed things and feelings.
I also have no idea if what I've written is possible, but this is something that changed from the original plan, and that tale will get told at the end with all the other changes that were made.
FOUR
Hermione looked at Harry in terror as she jumped off the lounge chair, dropping her book, and stared at the smoke. Harry stood rooted to the spot, a fear in the pit of his stomach that he had not felt in a very long time.
'Is that…' Hermione started, but her voice faltered and trailed off.
'The direction of the market?' Harry finished for her and she nodded, pulling her hands up to cover her mouth as if she was going to be sick. 'I think so.'
Without much thought or saying another word, he reached out and took hold of her hands, pulling them away from her mouth. He kept hold of one and began tugging her.
'Come on,' he urged, starting to move around to the front of the villa. 'Hermione!'
The sound of her name seemed to jolt her from her reverie and she began to jog slowly behind him, clutching his hand tightly. They ran down the stairs out the front, onto the street. The curious from other villas were appearing and people were starting to move down the street, in the direction of the market.
The crowd moved faster and faster as it got closer to the market. Harry was still clutching Hermione's hand in his own and before too long they were running, pushing through the people.
'Everybody stand back!' a police officer called from the very front of the crowd. 'Stand back, let us evacuate the area!'
Harry looked around and saw groups of people clustered around ash and dirt covered people, some bleeding, others wearing a look of shock. People were crying and screaming, adding to the chaos.
'What do we do?' Hermione asked Harry, her face stained with tears. 'We have to find them!'
Harry pushed through the crowd to the police officer who was still shooing people back.
'My wife is in there,' he said to the police officer.
'I can't let you through,' the officer said without emotion. 'We have to make sure the area is safe!'
'And how long will that take?' a man older than Harry and Hermione growled at the officer.
'I don't know,' the officer said, honestly and betraying slight terror in his face. 'I don't know.'
'You'd think they'd all be better prepared for this sort of thing,' the man growled at Harry and Hermione, reminding Harry forcibly of Mad-Eye Moody. 'But no, something has to blow up before they think about how to react to it. And even then they bloody can't get it right.'
'What blew up?' Harry managed to ask.
'Gas line,' someone else said behind them.
'Gas line?' the man who reminded Harry of Moody growled. 'The idiots were doing something to it last week- shut the market down for a couple of days. They probably stuffed it up. Incompetent fools.'
Sirens could be heard coming from the opposite side and through the smoky air, people could be seen moving around. A man suddenly became visible, running forward towards the police officer. They spoke in hushed tones, before the man moved onto the other officers keeping the crowd at bay.
'We need some volunteers!' the officer cried, and looked directly at Harry. 'We need strong people to help move wreckage and look for survivors!'
'What about the gas?' another man yelled from behind Harry.
'The area is secured!' the officer called back. 'Come forward now if you want to help!'
Harry turned to Hermione, who was half pushing him.
'Go, find them,' she said urgently. Harry looked at her, and then at the older man beside them.
'I'll wait here, with your friend,' he nodded at Harry. 'I'd be no good out there,' he added, holding up his leg, which was in a brace.
Harry nodded and turned back to the officer, who nodded at him in turn, and then Harry walked past him and into the smoke.
The scene he walked into was like nothing he had ever come across. The day before, he had jogged past this place. The open air market had been bustling; the stores that opened on to it full as well. The two cafes had been packed with people enjoying the sunshine.
And now it was unrecognisable. Several of the shops and stalls were still on fire, with firemen hosing them down. A police officer in full body armour was handing out gloves and hard hats to the other men coming forward as volunteers, all of whom were gathering around him.
'It's a basic search and rescue,' he was saying loudly. 'Stay away from the still lit areas, but just shift the rubble around and look for signs of any human. If you find any wallets or personal belongings, call for an officer to come and bag and tag it.'
The crowd slowly disseminated and Harry blindly made his way over to a far corner. Before too long the air was full of cries as belongings were found, survivors and bodies unearthed and the horror of what was happened settled in.
Harry was about to pull his gloves on, when he had a sudden thought, and reached for the waistband of his shorts.
His wand wasn't there.
'Damn,' he said aloud, cursing himself for not taking it with him. He usually never went anywhere without his wand. As he was contemplating whether or not to go back and find Hermione, to borrow her wand, he heard a scream coming from nearby that was slightly muffled.
Ears pricked, he stood totally still, focusing on every sound. He heard the scream again and began to run towards the sound of it, pulling the gloves on as he ran. Up ahead he could see a pile of remains of what had been a flower stall. They were charred and smoking, but not on fire. He reached them and began pulling the wreckage apart. The screaming was getting louder and louder and finally he could see a hand, sticking out and moving around frantically. He grabbed hold of it and held it tightly and the screaming stopped.
'It's ok,' he called in the general direction of the buried person. 'We're here to help you.'
'I… can't… breathe…' the woman gasped.
Harry looked wildly around for nearby volunteers, spotting two that were close enough to hear him if he shouted.
'HEY!' he bellowed as loud as he could. The two people stopped and turned around. 'I NEED HELP HERE!'
The volunteers rushed over to him, but not before calling for further help. Before long there was about ten people crowded around, shifting the wreckage around the woman. Harry stayed where he was, holding her hand and speaking to her reassuringly.
He was not aware of how much time had passed, nor was he aware of anything else going on. His focus was this woman, who was almost uncovered. Paramedics had, with Harry's help, determined her injuries and had hooked her hand up to an IV to slowly give her fluids and pain relief.
A cheer went up as the last of the wreckage was removed from the woman's body and the paramedics whisked her away. Harry kept hold of her hand for as long as he could and when they reached the ambulance, she looked deep into his eyes.
'Thank you,' she said in a whisper and squeezed his hand. Harry squeezed back, and then stood aside as she was loaded into the vehicle and then sped away.
He didn't move for a few moments. He watched where the ambulance had driven away and then, shaking his head, turned back to the massive amounts of wreckage. He didn't know if Ron and Ginny had been found yet, and he knew in his heart of hearts that the woman would be the last person they would find alive. He had seen a few sites like this, caused by magical catastrophes and accidents, and he knew the chances of survival. But this was by far the most horrific event he'd attended and he found it sickening.
'Hey, you!' a police officer called, jogging over to him. 'Are you Harry Potter?'
'Y… yes,' Harry stammered, wondering how this man knew who he was, thinking it a strange place and time to be recognised.
'Come with me,' the officer said sternly, beckoning Harry towards him. Harry was too perplexed to ask questions or argue and they walked along the edges of the site, and then out one of the access roads. The police were blocking the road about a hundred meters ahead and a crowd was milling around them, and then a smaller crowd were milling around the door to a storage facility that was just inside the police barrier.
'Where are we going?' Harry finally asked. The officer looked at him mournfully.
'We've set up an emergency centre, for the volunteers. And the dead,' he said grimly.
'And why have you come for me?' Harry's heart was beating faster and faster and he felt sick in the stomach. The officer looked uncomfortable as they reached the small crowd.
The first person Harry saw was the man he had left Hermione with. And it was at that moment that Harry knew, without a doubt, that his world had ended.