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Grave Days | ||||||
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Category: Post-Hogwarts, Post-DH/AB Characters:All Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama Warnings: Death, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations Story is Complete Rating: PG Reviews: 153 Summary: Front page: THE DAILY PROPHET 4 May 1998 WHERE IS HARRY POTTER? Despite the Official Ministry Statement (published above) we are no closer to receiving an answer to the question on the lips of every witch and wizard in the country. Where is Harry Potter? It appears that Mr Potter left Hogwarts School early yesterday morning, apparently in the company of his close associates Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. An attractive young Ministry clerk, who did not wish to be named, told The Prophet “He’s at the Ministry, having an important meeting with the Minister. My friends and I saw him. He asked us out to the pub, but we had to turn him down.” This statement is at odds with a leaked report from the Portkey Office, which claims that Mr. Potter has fled the country, travelling to Australia with his companions. When asked about rumours that Mr Potter had been seriously injured and was being treated at a secret location, Acting Minister Shacklebolt said simply, "Nonsense." Hitcount: Story Total: 115248; Chapter Total: 7877 Author's Notes: Thanks once again to Andrea and Amelíe for their comments, corrections and input. Constructive criticism is always gratefully received. |
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11: The Corpse in the Cemetery When George vanished, a stunned and horrified silence fell over the Creeveys' garden. Time seemed to stop for Harry. There were decisions to make. He could not afford to hesitate, so he did not. He broke the silence with a command. ‘STICK TO THE PLAN!’ he shouted, ‘GO!’ Inwardly, he cursed George for his stupid recklessness and cursed himself for misinterpreting the gleam he’d seen in the redhead’s eyes. He had only just shown George’s group the location of their opponent. Both Ginny and Dennis were some distance away, halfway down the garden from him. He needed to go now. He would have to leave them behind. Ginny wouldn’t like that, but he had no alternative. He looked towards them apologetically; then braced himself. Ginny, her eyes wide and blazing, her face determined, her hair streaming out behind her, was sprinting rapidly towards him, wand in hand. Dennis hesitated, a confused look on his face; Harry did not wait. He was ready to catch his girlfriend and Disapparate the moment she leapt onto him. He caught her neatly; her wand arm was over his shoulder, her other arm encircled his waist and held tight. He grabbed her around the waist. ‘Go!’ she ordered. Her command was redundant. He had begun to twist and Disapparate before she spoke. The noisy bangs of the DA Disapparating rang out around him. Harry managed no more than an apologetic glance at Dennis before he followed his friends into another battle. He took Ginny to the centre of the cemetery, beside the freshly dug grave, Colin’s grave. As he released her she turned, rapidly taking stock of the situation. He looked at the fierce concentration in her eyes and knew that she was capable of defending herself. He concentrated on assessing the fight himself. He, too, whirled around. The Hufflepuffs stood on an old brick path near the church. They were already in complete control. Stunning jinxes from Neville, Ernie and Susan had blasted an invisible someone against a grave near the entrance from the church. The force of the impact had cracked the gravestone, part of which had fallen forwards. The broken stone had failed to reach the ground. It appeared to be floating in midair. ‘Finite Incantatem,’ Justin shouted, while Hannah shouted ‘Accio Cloak.’ Both aimed just below the floating stone. They smiled at each other. Justin had chosen the correct spell. A feebly struggling wizard appeared underneath the broken gravestone, his disillusion spell dismissed by the curly haired Muggleborn. The wizard’s leg stuck out at an unnatural angle, obviously broken. He looked around wildly, desperately, his outstretched hand frantically scrabbling for the wand he had dropped. It was far beyond his reach. The Hufflepuff group smiled grimly at each other, their opponent was down and about to be restrained. The Ravenclaws were grouped on a patch of grass near the gate leading out into the fields. They were spreading out, trying to surround their opponent. Harry knew Luna to be an extraordinarily impressive dueller; he’d seen her in the Great Hall a week ago. He quickly assessed the others. Anthony, Cho and Michael were competent enough. Terry Boot seemed to have appointed himself the group’s defender. His defensive spells were fast and accurate. He was blocking every spell from his invisible opponent, not just the ones aimed at him. As Harry watched, Luna, with a silent and almost offhand flick of her wand, pulled an invisibility cloak from their opponent. The suddenly visible wizard was immediately struggling to defend himself. The Ravenclaws didn’t need his help. H arry continued to turn. His house group stood on a rough gravel path near the large sarcophagus. They were struggling. Hermione and Ron were still not at their best. They, together with the Patil twins and Dean, were desperately parrying and dodging hex after hex from their invisible opponent. A female voice was screeching, ‘mudblood scum’ from near the stone coffin, and swearing. The shouts were accompanied by a stream of curses, all being directed towards Dean and Hermione. No one in the group was attacking the witch. Ron was frantically deflecting the curses aimed at Hermione; the Patil twins were doing the same for Dean. Accio cloak, Harry thought, following Luna’s lead and flicking his wand. He had chosen the correct spell. His classmates’ opponent was suddenly visible as an invisibility cloak was ripped from the dancing figure of a skeletal witch with wild gray hair who stood atop the tomb. Having helped them, Harry checked the final combat. George was down! Harry took in the scene instantly. Thorfinn Rowle was purposefully advancing towards George’s prone figure. Lee, Angelina, Katie and Alicia were firing hex after hex, but the big, blonde Death Eater, his wand a blur of motion, fired off one defensive spell after another. He was managing to parry everyone. Ginny, standing alongside Harry, silently sent several stunning hexes towards him. Rowle somehow parried Ginny’s hexes too. The massive Death Eater was not attacking. He could not! He was using all of his skill simply to defend himself. For a second, Harry was puzzled by Rowle’s actions. Then he noticed that the Death Eater was holding a wicked looking curve bladed knife in his left hand as he marched forwards. Rowle was now only yards away from George. Harry reacted immediately. ‘Protego!’ he yelled. The hastily cast protection charm Harry used to protect George was more powerful than he’d intended. Not only did it knock Rowle from his feet, sending his knife flying towards a tree; it also pushed Lee, Angelina, Katie and Alicia stumbling backwards. Lee tumbled to the ground, flat on his back. Alicia fell on her hands and knees. Katie and Angelina remained ready to react, although both had stumbled. Angelina remained crouching, her left hand was on the ground, but her wand still pointed at Rowle. Katie had taken two steps backwards, but was still standing. ‘Expelliarmus,’ Harry shouted, as Rowle tried to scramble to his feet. At the same moment Angelina pushed herself upright. She, Katie and Ginny thrust their wands towards Rowle. ‘Stupefy!’ the three girls cried simultaneously. His wand shot into the air. Rowle managed no more than a hate-filled glare at Harry before the three stunning spells hit him in the face and sent him cartwheeling backwards into a huge old chestnut tree. Alicia and Lee had by now regained their feet. They all advanced cautiously on the prone form of Thorfinn Rowle. Ginny, meanwhile, moved quickly towards her now stirring brother. The combat over, Harry did not bother to catch Rowle’s wand and instead looked quickly around to reassess the other combats. Hannah and Justin were busy binding the Hufflepuffs’ opponent. Neville, Ernie and Susan had joined the Ravenclaws. Their new opponent, who had been struggling to defend himself against five attackers, was immediately overwhelmed by the additional spellpower. He collapsed under their onslaught of spells. Anthony and Michael moved forwards to restrain their fallen foe. As if by agreement the others turned and advanced on the only Death Eater still standing, the one whose cloak Harry had removed. The skeletal, wild haired woman was still shrieking ‘Mudblood scum’ and continued to concentrate on hexing Hermione and Dean. ‘Gertrude Green,’ gasped Cho in surprise as she, Terry and Luna advanced on the emaciated witch. Harry recognised the name. Green had been placed in charge of Magical Law Enforcement by Thicknesse. ‘Surrender,’ Harry shouted. ‘Potter,’ she screamed. Diverted by Harry’s shout she whirled around to face him, turning her back on her opponents. She raised her wand and prepared to attack him. ‘Avad …’ was all she managed before she was floored by a combination of stunning spells and full body bind curses, streaking at her from eleven wands. The force of the hexes hurled her from the top of the tomb. Harry, who had silently cast Expelliarmus while she was turning, caught her flying wand as she, too, flew through the air. The crunching sound of her unconscious body smacking heavily into the gravel path signalled the sudden end of the surprisingly short conflict. The silence that fell over the cemetery was instantly broken by Ginny’s shouts of: ‘Finite Incantatem! Finite Incantatem! Damn! Harry!’ ‘George?’ Harry shouted. He removed his shield spell, which Ginny had been unable to break through. When his spell vanished, Ginny stumbled angrily towards her slowly stirring brother. ‘He’s okay,’ she snarled incandescently when she reached George, ‘he’s just been stunned. But Mum will kill him, if I don’t do it first!’ George groaned and tried to stand. Ginny kicked her brother hard on the thigh before holding out her hands to help him to his feet. Harry checked the graveyard, Terry and Justin each had two wands, and were levitating the stunned bodies of their opponents towards him, Ernie was doing the same to the woman who had been last to fall. Hermione was hugging Ron tightly, weeping. Dean was bleeding from a gash to his face. Parvati was bleeding from a leg wound. The white sari she was wearing was torn and covered in blood. ‘Get all four of them together and bind them.’ Harry ordered, moving towards his injured friends. ‘No need for this one,’ gasped Angelina, rolling the body of Thorfinn Rowle over. ‘He’s landed on his knife.’ ‘That’s odd,’ Angelina continued, ‘there’s no blood. There doesn’t even appear to be a wound.’ She reached towards the dagger. ‘NO!’ shouted Harry, Angelina stopped instantly and looked up curiously as Harry sprinted anxiously towards her. Harry arrived panting at Angelina’s side and examined the corpse cautiously. She was correct; there was no sign of a wound. ‘How was he lying?’ Harry asked. Angelina looked at him blankly. Before you moved him,’ Harry explained, ‘how was he lying? Where was the dagger?’ ‘Under his hand,’ Angelina replied, ‘I’m pretty sure it was under his hand.’ Harry nodded grimly, ‘the dagger could be cursed.’ Angelina stepped quickly away from the body. ‘I really need a dark detector,’ he muttered to himself. He cast a shield spell around the dead Death Eater and his dagger. He’d decide how to move him soon; first he needed to make sure that everyone was all right. He again surveyed the cemetery. The three unconscious Death Eaters were being tightly bound by Neville, Luna and Ernie. George was on his feet, but was cowering from his little sister. Ginny was so obviously and explosively angry that Harry expected to see sparks shooting from her eyes. He had never seen his girlfriend furiously aflame like this before; she was magnificent, elemental, terrifying. Harry could not hear what Ginny was saying to her brother. She had, he realised, used a Muffliato spell to keep their conversation private. He decided to leave her to it. Terry, Anthony and Susan were repairing the broken tombstone and tidying up the aftermath of the short fight. Luna, for some reason, had wandered off by herself and was examining Colin’s gravestone. Harry strode over to the largest cluster of people, his former classmates. ‘How is everyone?’ he asked. ‘I’m fine now,’ Dean replied as Hannah Abbott lowered her wand from his face, ‘thanks, Hannah.’ ‘Has anyone got any dittany? Padma asked, looking up from her examination of her sister’s leg, ‘I can’t get this wound to close properly. Hannah pulled a small vial from her shoulder bag and hurried over to the twins. ‘Here,’ she offered Padma the vial. ‘You do it, please,’ Padma asked, ‘my hands are shaking.’ Hannah smiled cheerfully and carefully dropped some Dittany on the wound, which closed instantly. ‘I’ve never been any good with household spells,’ Parvati began hopefully, holding up a torn and bloody length of sari. ‘Sit still please, Parvati,’ requested Hannah, ‘blood on white cotton is difficult. Why are you wearing white?’ ‘It is the traditional colour of mourning,’ Padma told Hannah, while Hannah slowly and carefully cleaned and repaired Parvati’s sari. ‘We asked Colin’s parents,’ Parvati added, ‘we would have worn black if they had requested it.’ Satisfying himself that everyone else was unhurt, Harry approached Ron and Hermione. ‘Bloody George,’ said Ron by way of greeting, as he watched his sister berating his brother, ‘it looks like Ginny’s giving him hell.’ ‘I hope so,’ admitted Harry. ‘Are you two okay?’ He watched Hermione closely. ‘I’m tired of fighting, Harry,’ sighed Hermione, ‘will it ever end?’ She looked weary, worn and desperately sad. Harry put his arm around her shoulder, watching Ron carefully for his reaction. Ron simply nodded and, from the other side, slipped his arm around Hermione’s waist. ‘Yes,’ Harry assured her, ‘it will, I promise. These are the desperate acts of a few wanted criminals. I’m going to make certain that we catch them all.’ ‘So am I,’ Ron added, ‘I promise, Hermione.’ Hermione smiled weakly, ‘I wasn’t of much use here, sorry, Harry.’ ‘Hermione, you’ve helped me get out of trouble for seven years and you’ve saved my life I don’t know how many times.’ Harry released his friend and looked into her watery brown eyes. ‘Let me help you with your parents.’ ‘Ron promised me that he wouldn’t tell anyone,’ Hermione frowned at her boyfriend. ‘Harry doesn’t count,’ Ron shrugged, ‘he never has. When you said don’t tell anyone I didn’t think that you meant “not even Harry”.’ ‘And I’ve got no secrets from Ginny,’ Harry warned her, ‘you’d both better get used to that, too.’ Ron nodded. Hermione looked worriedly at Harry. ‘You’ve enough problems of your own, Harry,’ she told him, ‘you shouldn’t be bothering about mine.’ Harry shook his head. ‘No, I haven’t; I’ve got no problems at all, thanks to you two. I’ve got a house, a job, a girlfriend, money, and a lot of good friends,’ Harry smiled, ‘friends I want to help. But we need to be getting back. We’ll talk later, okay?’ Hermione twisted out of Ron’s grip, threw her arms around Harry’s waist and hugged him tightly. He was thankful that her hair was tied back. ‘Thanks, Harry,’ she smiled sadly. Harry glanced over Hermione’s head at Ron; he was neither jealous nor hurt, he simply watched their exchange hopefully. ‘It’s just another problem for us to solve, Hermione,’ he assured her compassionately, ‘we can do it together. But, now you’d better let me go,’ he continued, gently disengaging her arms and handing them to Ron. ‘You might eventually make that boyfriend of yours jealous, and he’s bigger than me. Now let’s get back for this funeral.’ He turned to face the rest of Dumbledore’s Army and realised that they had been watching and waiting. ‘Neville, Luna, Ernie, would you mind guarding the prisoners?’ Harry asked, they agreed immediately, Harry thanked them and ordered; ‘Everyone else, remove the anti-apparition jinxes and get back to the Creeveys, now.’ ‘Including you two,’ he told Ron and Hermione, ‘and well done everyone.’ ‘Almost everyone,’ corrected Ginny sharply as she strode forwards; she was followed by a cowed and penitent George. ‘Er, sorry Harry, it won’t happen again,’ he muttered apologetically, unable to meet Harry’s eyes. ‘No,’ agreed Ginny forcefully, ‘it certainly will not.’ George jumped, terrified by the sound of her voice. There were a series of cracks as most of the DA Disapparated. Harry looked at George. He had been going to shout at him; his impetuous and foolish act could have got someone killed. But Ginny’s brother looked so pathetic that he didn’t have the heart. Ginny, it appeared, had done the job for him. Suddenly, there were several pops; Harry and the five remaining members of the DA raised their wands. A dozen navy blue robed Aurors appeared in the cemetery; alongside them stood the Minister for Magic, who was wearing a sober black Muggle suit and a black tie. The two groups looked at each other warily. ‘What was the last thing we talked about at the Burrow?’ Harry asked the Minister, his wand pointed at Kingsley’s chest. ‘You will make a very good Auror, Harry,’ Kingsley replied. Harry kept his wand trained on the Minister, though Kingsley lowered his own wand. ‘But I haven’t answered your question, and I’m making you suspicious.’ Kingsley observed, ‘you surprised me by suggesting goblins as Azkaban guards.’ Harry lowered his wand. ‘Now,’ the Minister continued, ‘perhaps you would explain why you disobeyed my direct order.’ ‘We were already here,’ Harry tried to lie. Unfortunately, he was unable to meet the Minister’s steady gaze when he spoke; Kingsley looked disappointedly at Harry. ‘Harry didn’t,’ George admitted, stepping between Harry and Kingsley, ‘I did. I wanted to fight Death Eaters. Everyone else followed me; they risked their lives to save mine.’ George paused, looking regretfully at the Minister. ‘Because they thought it was worth saving,’ suggested Kingsley. ‘I’ve told George that Mum does not need to know,’ Ginny said, ‘she’d only worry.’ Kingsley nodded. ‘My message was too late you say, Harry?’ he rumbled, ‘Oh well, you and your friends seem to have dealt with matters anyway. The Aurors can clean up here. You had best get back to the Creevey house. It must be time for the cars to arrive.’ Harry smiled his thanks, and handed Kingsley the four wands removed from the Death Eaters. The Aurors began checking the prisoners. One, the short plump witch Harry had seen in the entrance hall at Hogwarts a week ago, was approaching the body of Thorfinn Rowle. ‘Philippa,’ Harry called, ‘I think that knife might be cursed. He’s dead, and I don’t know how. We think he fell on the knife he was carrying. I shielded the body as a precaution.’ Harry dismissed his shield. Philippa smiled her thanks and approached the body very cautiously, her wand outstretched. The remaining Aurors looked at Harry with some respect. ‘If someone can take Williamson to the Creevey house,’ Kingsley ordered, ‘we’ll collect Miss Skeeter, too.’ ‘You’ll need to …’ Harry began. ‘We’ll place an anti-apparition jinx over the entire area, and I’ll station the Aurors around the cemetery,’ Kingsley interrupted. He was beginning to sound slightly annoyed. Embarrassed, Harry decided not to try to give more orders to the Minister and the Aurors. ‘It really is time for you to leave, Harry,’ said Kingsley. ‘You will be back here very soon.’ Neville, Luna and Ernie vanished immediately; leaving their prisoners to the Aurors. A tall blonde ponytailed Auror, who Harry recognised as Williamson, strode towards him. Harry was almost knocked off his feet by Ginny, who dashed past Williamson and launched herself at him. ‘Find a different ride,’ Ginny told Williamson, ‘this one’s mine.’ She threw one hand over Harry’s shoulder, slid the other around his back and pulled him close. ‘Come with me,’ George offered Williamson, grinning. The pony-tailed Auror grabbed George’s arm and they Disapparated. ‘Let’s go, Harry,’ whispered Ginny, ‘and well done.’ He slipped an arm around her slender waist, quickly kissed her, and they left. On their arrival back in the Creeveys' garden Harry and Ginny were surprised to find it shrouded in a thick mist. Both reached for their wands. ‘He’s here,’ Harry heard Neville call. A sudden wind blew up, quickly clearing the mist and revealing garden full of people. Harry removed his arm from around Ginny’s waist and looked around the garden. Luna, he noticed, had lifted her long skirt up to her knees and was in the act of shoving her wand down a colourfully striped sock. He hastily stowed his own wand in his jacket pocket. Neville, Ernie and Ginny were also hastily putting wands away, Ginny sliding hers into her boot. There were, he noticed, several Muggles in the garden; all of whom were expressing astonishment at the speed at which the mist had lifted. Harry took Ginny’s hand and looked for George. He was standing alone and wearing a hangdog expression. He looked frightened when they approached. ‘Williamson?’ asked Harry simply. ‘Arrived, picked up Skeeter, and left; very efficient,’ replied George. ‘I’ve had more than enough excitement this afternoon, George,’ said Harry mildly, watching Ginny’s brother carefully; ‘can we keep things calm from now on?’ George nodded and looked warily at his sister before replying, ‘Sorry, mate, I got a bit over-excited.’ ‘Yes, you did,’ Ginny confirmed, ‘and very stupid, too. Now off you go. Let Lee, Alicia, Katie and Angelina tell you off, too, you deserve it.’ George still looked downcast, but he obediently trudged over to his friends. Harry looked down at Ginny and gazed admiringly into her brown eyes. ‘You were brilliant,’ he told her. They smiled at each other, and then both remembered the one DA member left behind–again. ‘Dennis,’ they said together and began looking around the garden. Harry saw him first. He was sitting, disconsolate and alone, on the steps leading from the kitchen. ‘I’m sure that there weren’t this many youngsters here when that mist sprang up,’ muttered an elderly Muggle as Harry and Ginny strode through the garden towards Dennis, ‘and what on earth were those pops and bangs?’ Lavender, Seamus and Leanne were on the patio, watching Harry approach. ‘The house was filling up,’ Seamus whispered, ‘and we couldn’t keep the Muggles inside any longer. The mist was Lavender’s idea. She’s really good with weather charms,’ he added admiringly. Harry noticed the way Seamus was looking at Lavender. That was something else to ask Ginny about later. ‘Good thinking,’ he congratulated Lavender. When he caught her eyes he glanced towards Dennis. Lavender nodded sadly and mimed wiping a tear from her eye. Harry anxiously approached Dennis and crouched down to look at him. Colin’s brother had certainly been crying. ‘Dennis,’ Harry began, but Dennis Creevey interrupted. ‘I know! You had to go! Ginny knew what to do, but I didn’t; so I got left behind! Again! Perhaps you should take this,’ he thrust a DA galleon at Harry. ‘Dennis,’ Harry said, refusing to accept the galleon, ‘you found that photo for us, it was a great help for planning, and no-one asked you to do that. You used your initiative. You’re clever and resourceful. You’re one of us.’ ‘He was a great help here, Harry,’ Lavender added, she and Seamus had followed Harry and Ginny along the patio. ‘He Disillusioned Skeeter before any of the Muggles saw her.’ Harry stood and reached out a hand to Dennis, who took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. When he stood, Ginny hugged him. ‘You can’t resign from this club,’ Ginny assured him, ‘the only way out is if you betray us, like Marietta; or if you’re a coward and a fake; and you’re neither.’ Harry was puzzled. Ginny noticed and smiled grimly. ‘You haven’t even missed him, have you?’ she asked. ‘Who?’ Harry enquired. ‘Zacharias Smith,’ Lavender and Ginny spoke the name together. ‘Neville, Luna and I were worried about him during the first term last year,’ Ginny explained. ‘The smarmy little oik suddenly became very keen on the DA; he wanted to know everything about us. He was especially keen to know whether we knew where you were.’ ‘You weren’t the only ones worried about him,’ Seamus added. ‘There were a few times when I saw him talking to Malfoy,’ he explained to Harry. ‘Two arrogant and cowardly little creeps out of favour with the groups they’d joined,’ Ginny observed wryly, ‘they had a lot in common. Neville, Luna and I talked about him. Nev decided that the Hufflepuffs should sort Smith out themselves; he had a word with Ernie and Susan and they agreed. Ernie never really told us what happened, but about a week before the Christmas holidays Ernie and Susan turned up to a DA meeting with Zacharias’s galleon and told us that he’d resigned,’ Ginny continued. ‘He was one of the first to scarper last week,’ Harry recalled. ‘I never trusted him,’ Ginny admitted. ‘He was a lousy Quidditch commentator, too,’ Dennis added. ‘Yes, Luna was much better,’ Harry agreed. Dennis and Seamus snorted with laughter. ‘Everyone! The cars are here,’ Mr Creevey called from the kitchen door. Dennis and Seamus quickly shut up. They were embarrassed to be caught laughing moments before the funeral. Ginny smiled sadly up at Harry. This was why they were here. The events of the past half hour had made them forget, for a few minutes, what lay ahead. She squeezed his hand. ‘You’ll be fine, Harry,’ she assured him, ‘have you decided what you’ll be saying at the graveside?’ His face fell. |
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