“Are you going to ask Professor McGonagall?” asked Ron. Harry, Hermione, and he were seated at one of the tables set up outside for the wedding party. The band continued to play, the dance floor was filled with various guests of the wedding, and groups of chatting witches and wizards flowed around the tables and collected in small eddies before moving on.
“I suppose I should,” responded Harry. He glanced around at the crowd, and noticed the new Headmistress of Hogwarts talking to Hagrid. “What’ll I say?”
Hermione’s brow furrowed in thought. “I’d come right out with it. Ask her if there were any Order members that should have been Disapparating from the Burrow the other night.”
Harry turned to Ron for a second opinion. Ron shrugged.
“Right, then,” said Harry, standing from the table.
He maneuvered his way around the collection of wizards and witches, and finally came to Hagrid and McGonagall. McGonagall, whose back was facing Harry, continued to talk to the half-giant, in what Harry thought to be a rather low whisper. They also seemed to be standing fairly far away from the other attendants.
“Well hello there, ‘Arry,” boomed Hagrid’s great voice, noticing Harry. Harry nodded and smiled.
“I was wondering, Professor, if I might have a word with you?”
McGonagall shot a furtive glance at Hagrid, who took the clue, gave Harry a weak grin, and shuffled away, muttering something about some more “punch.”
McGonagall grasped Harry by the arm and pulled him even further away from the crowd. “What is it you want to talk about, Mr. Potter?”
Not knowing how to begin, Harry said flatly, “Erm… Professor, was there anyone Disapparating from the Burrow on Tuesday night? An Order member, maybe?”
Her eyes searched Harry’s for a moment, as if she was looking for an answer there. “I don’t believe so,” she finally answered. “Of course, there might’ve been, but I couldn’t tell you why. Why do you ask?”
“I thought I heard someone… the other night. I s’pose it was nothing,” he finished.
“Right.” McGonagall’s reply sounded unsure. To change the subject, She asked off-handedly, “Will you be coming to Hogwarts this term? I assume you’ll have received your letter, at any rate.”
Glad now to have gotten away from the previous topic, Harry nodded his head. “I think so, Professor.”
“Good. Well, you know, Harry.” She paused. “Anything Hogwarts can provide you, or the Order—it’s yours. You know that.”
Harry nodded.
“Well, I must be off, Mr. Potter.” Suddenly, her attitude was very different. She became the brisk, stern Professor McGonagall Harry knew so well. “I expect to see you on the 31st with the other seventh years.” With that, she turned and Disapparated right on the spot. Harry was left briefly by his lonesome.
As he was getting ready to return to the party, something brushed up against his leg, like a cat yearning affection. He looked towards the ground, expecting to find Crookshanks or some other feline slinking by his shoes. Instead, he found only overgrown grass. All at once, one word rang clear in his mind.
Behind.
Whirling about, he searched frantically around him. He wasn’t alone. Something told him he wasn’t alone.
The world had turned off. The party music that had been drifting to him from the gathering only twenty yards away became muffled and distant. Silence enveloped him like a thick blanket on a hot summer’s day.
“Who are you?” he shouted. What else could he do? “I know you’re here.” His heart rate quickened, breath became shallow. “Show yourself!” Automatically, he reached for his wand.
The eerie quiet remained for several moments longer before it evaporated completely, as if it had never existed. Harry was left once again by himself, utterly bewildered. Completely at a loss, he returned rather hurriedly to the reception.
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So, a year later, and I'm still writing. (Just to let you guys know, this is the longest I've ever written a single piece of fiction.)
A quick thanks to everyone who's been reading and supporting me over these many weeks and months. You're the ones who've kept me going (not that I don't love writing this, it's just forcing myself to sit down and actually start to write). Thanks to you all, and here's to more frequent updates!
KMC Community Forums
Dec 3rd, 2006 03:06 AM
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