Chapter 12
Unexpected Reunion
Unexpected Reunion
Harry stood in front of the wrought iron gate with two winged boars beside it. Ron and Hermione looked at him with great anxiety and concern; they were obviously scared. However, though he himself didn’t know what was keeping the students and teachers of Hogwarts from reaching the outside world, he needs to keep his strength and courage to face it. His son Albus and James were still inside and he wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened to them.
“Harry?” Hermione called out softly to him, noticing that he was in deep thought. He turned to look at her and saw her deep concern. “Hogwarts seem safe and still. But I feel something strange keeping them there. I’ve asked Draco to tell some Ministry officials about what we are doing and he should be back soon; he said he’ll fetch Scorpius himself.”
He nodded and Ron made a grunting sound of agreement. “I gotta tell you, mate, I experienced many raids and ambushes from dark wizards as much as you these past few years, but something evil is keeping from thinking straight here.”
“Yeah… I know… I feel exactly the same as well.” Harry said.
There was a soft swish of the wind and they looked behind them. There stood George Weasley, Ron’s older brother, Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff during their time and Angelina Johnson, Harry’s former Quidditch Captain and a Gryffindor. They looked like they came here in a rush. After seeing Harry’s reaction, George beamed up to him and raised a golden coin.
But before he could even think what he was about to think, there was a series of short pops and more people were now standing before the three. There stood Lavender Brown, Padma and Parvati Patil, and much to Harry’s surprise, Cho Chang.
“Hi Harry.” She greeted in a very casual tone. Harry immediately gave off a very strange feeling that he was so old; it was during his sixth year in Hogwarts when he and Cho became ‘lovers’ and abruptly ended. She was holding a gold coin like George’s in her right hand very tight.
“What are you guys doing here?!” Harry exclaimed.
Hermione made a short whimpering sound; Harry turned at her to see that she is giving off an apologetic look on her face. She was also holding up a gold coin. And it was at that moment that he almost forgotten about the Dumbledore’s Army and how they communicated before.
Ron smiled. “Hermione thought that maybe the others could help. I think this is serious, Harry. And we would need all the help we can.” He said.
“But, you guys could all be in danger!”
“Harry, we fought alongside you during the Dark Lord’s regime. Do you think this kind of danger could beat us?” George said.
Cho smiled and the rest nodded in agreement. “Yeah! I was starting to lose hope that Dumbledore’s Army is forever gone!” Zacharias said in such an excited childish tone it sounded like he did not grow up at all. “The moment I received Hermione’s message, I rushed here immediately!”
“But, guys, this is not right!”
“Well, look who’s talking about right and wrong, when in fact, he is the number one rule breaker here in the Wizarding World.” Another voice said, from behind the crowd. Harry stretched his neck to see who said those words and was shocked to see Ginny, hands on her waist.
“Ginny?!”
She gave a short chuckle. “Don’t tell me to go home, Harry. I still haven’t forgotten the way you dismissed me during the battle against Voldemort but in the end I still joined. I’ve sent Lily at the Burrow.” She said.
“But…”
Lavender laughed. “Come on, Harry! We’re not kids anymore! And I’ve seen this adventure since early September! The Eye told me!” she happily said, the others nodded again.
And suddenly, there was a distant rumble. Their smiles disappeared from their faces and they all looked towards the castle. Still, the castle was silent but it gave off a very eerie aura. Never in his life had Harry felt this kind of feeling towards the school he thought as his home. There was some kind of evil steering inside and everyone could feel it.
Cho walked towards the gate and held out her hands to push it. But the moment she touched the gate, there was a bright flash and a sizzling sound occurred in their senses. Some of the people gasped in shock and covered their eyes. Ron dashed towards Cho, who was now lying on the ground, dumbfounded. Her right hand was gravely burned. She tried to stop herself from groaning but failed miserably.
The others rushed towards her and helped her stand. Zacharias pulled out a small flask and poured a bright yellow liquid in her hand and it slowly healed.
“It’s an advanced barrier casted at the gates.” Hermione said, pointing her wand at the gate. She was closing her eyes every now and then, choosing what spells to use against it.
“Let me!” Ginny said and then flourished her wand at it. “Reducto!” she cried out loud.
There was a short bang and everyone looked at the result. Smoke formed all over the area and it was difficult to see what had happened. After a short moment, the smoke began to subside. The gate was unscathed. The rest of the people looked at it with great astonishment.
“What kind of magic is it?” Cho asked.
“Ah! I know!” Hermione exclaimed. Then, she waved her wand in a complex way. “Infitialia Magi!” she said and with a short shattering sound, the gate burst open.
“There!” she said, panting.
Harry looked at her with awe. “Where did you learn those things?”
“Harry, I’ve been close to Headmaster Deeply! Now, let’s move forward, shall we?”
“Harry?” Hermione called out softly to him, noticing that he was in deep thought. He turned to look at her and saw her deep concern. “Hogwarts seem safe and still. But I feel something strange keeping them there. I’ve asked Draco to tell some Ministry officials about what we are doing and he should be back soon; he said he’ll fetch Scorpius himself.”
He nodded and Ron made a grunting sound of agreement. “I gotta tell you, mate, I experienced many raids and ambushes from dark wizards as much as you these past few years, but something evil is keeping from thinking straight here.”
“Yeah… I know… I feel exactly the same as well.” Harry said.
There was a soft swish of the wind and they looked behind them. There stood George Weasley, Ron’s older brother, Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff during their time and Angelina Johnson, Harry’s former Quidditch Captain and a Gryffindor. They looked like they came here in a rush. After seeing Harry’s reaction, George beamed up to him and raised a golden coin.
But before he could even think what he was about to think, there was a series of short pops and more people were now standing before the three. There stood Lavender Brown, Padma and Parvati Patil, and much to Harry’s surprise, Cho Chang.
“Hi Harry.” She greeted in a very casual tone. Harry immediately gave off a very strange feeling that he was so old; it was during his sixth year in Hogwarts when he and Cho became ‘lovers’ and abruptly ended. She was holding a gold coin like George’s in her right hand very tight.
“What are you guys doing here?!” Harry exclaimed.
Hermione made a short whimpering sound; Harry turned at her to see that she is giving off an apologetic look on her face. She was also holding up a gold coin. And it was at that moment that he almost forgotten about the Dumbledore’s Army and how they communicated before.
Ron smiled. “Hermione thought that maybe the others could help. I think this is serious, Harry. And we would need all the help we can.” He said.
“But, you guys could all be in danger!”
“Harry, we fought alongside you during the Dark Lord’s regime. Do you think this kind of danger could beat us?” George said.
Cho smiled and the rest nodded in agreement. “Yeah! I was starting to lose hope that Dumbledore’s Army is forever gone!” Zacharias said in such an excited childish tone it sounded like he did not grow up at all. “The moment I received Hermione’s message, I rushed here immediately!”
“But, guys, this is not right!”
“Well, look who’s talking about right and wrong, when in fact, he is the number one rule breaker here in the Wizarding World.” Another voice said, from behind the crowd. Harry stretched his neck to see who said those words and was shocked to see Ginny, hands on her waist.
“Ginny?!”
She gave a short chuckle. “Don’t tell me to go home, Harry. I still haven’t forgotten the way you dismissed me during the battle against Voldemort but in the end I still joined. I’ve sent Lily at the Burrow.” She said.
“But…”
Lavender laughed. “Come on, Harry! We’re not kids anymore! And I’ve seen this adventure since early September! The Eye told me!” she happily said, the others nodded again.
And suddenly, there was a distant rumble. Their smiles disappeared from their faces and they all looked towards the castle. Still, the castle was silent but it gave off a very eerie aura. Never in his life had Harry felt this kind of feeling towards the school he thought as his home. There was some kind of evil steering inside and everyone could feel it.
Cho walked towards the gate and held out her hands to push it. But the moment she touched the gate, there was a bright flash and a sizzling sound occurred in their senses. Some of the people gasped in shock and covered their eyes. Ron dashed towards Cho, who was now lying on the ground, dumbfounded. Her right hand was gravely burned. She tried to stop herself from groaning but failed miserably.
The others rushed towards her and helped her stand. Zacharias pulled out a small flask and poured a bright yellow liquid in her hand and it slowly healed.
“It’s an advanced barrier casted at the gates.” Hermione said, pointing her wand at the gate. She was closing her eyes every now and then, choosing what spells to use against it.
“Let me!” Ginny said and then flourished her wand at it. “Reducto!” she cried out loud.
There was a short bang and everyone looked at the result. Smoke formed all over the area and it was difficult to see what had happened. After a short moment, the smoke began to subside. The gate was unscathed. The rest of the people looked at it with great astonishment.
“What kind of magic is it?” Cho asked.
“Ah! I know!” Hermione exclaimed. Then, she waved her wand in a complex way. “Infitialia Magi!” she said and with a short shattering sound, the gate burst open.
“There!” she said, panting.
Harry looked at her with awe. “Where did you learn those things?”
“Harry, I’ve been close to Headmaster Deeply! Now, let’s move forward, shall we?”
