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Post by Harry J. Potter on Jun 17, 2010 3:34:46 GMT -5
"You don't think anybody saw us, do you?" Ronald asked, peering back over his shoulder at the entrance to Hogwarts castle. "It's only the beginning of term. A little too early to be losing Gryffindor points, wouldn't you say?"
"I don't give a crap about Gryffindor or points right now," Harry said honestly. "All I want to do right now is find my father." He tucked the invisibility cloak under his arm and hurried towards the Whomping Willow. As far as he was concerned, it was the one path he knew of that would get them to Hogsmeade unnoticed. From Hogsmeade they could use the Floo Network at one of the closed shops to get to London, and then the search for a Death Eater, any Death Eater, could begin.
"Harry... We'll find him," Ron promised. "Even if it takes all week."
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Post by Ronald B. Weasley on Jun 18, 2010 1:46:08 GMT -5
"Harry... We'll find him," Ron promised. "Even if it takes all week."
But i really hope it doesn't come to that... i need Hermione to help me finish that Charms essay due tomorrow. Ron thought as a, well, after thought, grimacing at what mum would do to him if he failed another subject, even if he did have a legitimate excuse.
"So... do we have a plan? Cause things would probably move a little faster if we had some sort of plan right? Or is this one of those 'wing it' kinda moments?" Ron asked.
Hermione hadn't really told him what was going on when she came and dragged him out of bed not 10 minutes ago. All he knew was that she had gone off to keep an eye on Harry after Ron had told her about him sneaking off with the cloak again, then BAM, he was dragged out of bed to sneak out of Hogwarts to go and save James Potter. Now he was jogging after Harry towards the Whomping Willow again.
"Er Harry? I'm getting serious deja vu here mate. Last time we went a-walking towards this tree all gun-ho like this i ended up in the hospital wing for a fair bit. Please tell me we're not going to try and sneak into the passage under there again?" Ron babbled as the notorious tree loomed up ahead of them.
He cast a worried look at Hermione. He did not have a good feeling about this plan at all.
(Gah, worst post ever)
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Post by Harry J. Potter on Jun 18, 2010 2:02:46 GMT -5
Harry hoped it would not take all week. It had been three months already. Another day longer was another day too many. Focused and on a mission, he walked determinedly towards that gnarled tree that had, on more than once occasion, tried to cause some serious damage to all parties concerned. But he couldn't let something silly, like the prospect of pain or injury, stop him from doing for his father what he knew his father would do for him.
"Um... Well, I have something of a plan," he admitted. Truth be told, he was hoping Hermione would be her brilliant self and iron out the details, but if not, he had no problem with winging it. "Step one... We get to the Shrieking Shack. Step two, we sneak out of the Shack and go to The Hog's Head to use the Floo Network to get to London. Step three, we get to London and I'll use myself as bait to lure out a Death Eater and then offer up a trade... Me for my father." Okay... so that last part he knew they'd both have a problem with, but after step three, that's where he figured he would wing it. "What could possible go wrong with that?" he asked sarcastically.
Harry came to a stop, further out of the Whomping Willows reach just in case the thing felt partial to beating them into the ground like Whack-a-Moles. "Well... things are different this time, Ron. We know where the secret knot it. So it's just a matter of aiming correctly." He looked back at Ron, seeing the apprehension in his eyes and then said lightly, "All right. Then I won't tell you."
((I thought your post was good))
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Post by Ronald B. Weasley on Jun 18, 2010 2:25:55 GMT -5
Ron felt he had just been whacked over the head with a frying pan. Yes Harry had been known to be a bit hardheaded at times, but this was amazingly stupid, even for him. It was so stupid Ron didn't even register Harry had come to a stop until a moment before he almost ran into him. Next to this plan, the prospect of the facing the Whomping Willow seemed incredibly sane. "You have got to be kidding! There is no way you can trade yourself for James! You'd be killed in seconds!" Ron spun to face Hermione. "Did you know about this plan? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one! How could you agree to this?!" He cried, spinning back to grip Harry by the shoulders. "Harry. I know you miss your dad but you have got to see how stupid this plan is. You're playing right into their hands." Ron said, deliberately calming himself so he could speak slower and try and get the seriousness of this into his friends thick skull. (yep, i'm experimenting with the colors  ) |
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Post by Harry J. Potter on Jun 18, 2010 2:37:04 GMT -5
Well, at least he was expecting this outburst. "My father is not the person they want," he pointed out. In his mind, that was a no-brainer. "Clearly, they have him because they want me. Sure, I've considered that they could just off me and then kill my dad... Or that he could already be dead or not even there when I arrive... But I figured I could jump that hurdle when I get to it. Thing is, they're obviously using him to get to me... And they can have me... Or at least, they can think they can have me, but only as long as they release my father first. My weapon? Or rather, my leverage... Voldemort wants to kill me himself. They can't just off me then and there... So... It's just a matter of holding out until they meet my terms before I give in to theirs."
He frowned when he wheeled on Hermione. "No... I imagine if she knew about it, she'd have tried to stop me. Fact of the matter is, I'm doing this with or without help." His eyes widened when Ron spun on him.
"No... They only think that I'm playing into their hands when, really, they're playing into mine."
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Post by Ronald B. Weasley on Jun 18, 2010 3:01:44 GMT -5
Ah, well now Ron felt doubly bad.
He cast Hermione an apologetic look. Obviously she wouldn't have agreed to the plan, not if there was any way to stop Harry, which, apparently, there wasn't.
Ron let his shoulders drop in defeat, he wasn't much of a arguer anyways. There was no way to stop Harry from going, but he could help Harry and make sure he stayed safe. Who knows, he might finally have one of those 'light-bulb moments' dad was obsessed with at the moment and come up with a genius plan... But that was more Hermione's area.
Ron let Harry go and stepped back with a half shrug, scratching the back of his head.
"So we offer to trade you in for your dad, hoping the death eater doesn't just kill you on the spot cause Voldemort will probably want to finish you off himself, then once they hand James over we bail? Alright i'm in since you're obviously not going to reconsider any time soon." Ron agreed begrudgingly. There were so many holes in this plan there was no way it could ever work as a bucket. Good thing it didn't have to though, after all, the three of them had gotten through worse situations together, how hard could this be?
Ron really didn't want to consider the answer to that question... ever.
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Post by HJG on Jun 18, 2010 7:36:33 GMT -5
Hermione would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. She was terrified. Sure going out with a Ron and Harry was reassuring in its own way, but they were going after Death Eaters for crying out loud! Frantically, she was trying to remember different spells they had learnt so far, and in her own world she almost missed what Harry said, but she snapped back to reality quick enough, a look of muted horror on her face. "Harry! You brought us out all the way over here just so we could hand you over?" She stomped beside the messed up boy, Ron himself looked worried.
Glaring at Harry, Hermione huffed, "I know you miss your dad and you're worried sick, but do you think he'd be happy and accept this swap, coming back without his son?” Her voice softened a bit as she touched Harry's shoulder, "We'll fight every Death Eater if we have to, but we're not swapping you over." Hermione said resolutely. Though she didn't want it to end up like that, though she truthfully she couldn't think of a better idea... at the present. "We'll need to be careful though," she said nervously, her eyes shifting over the looming Whomping Willow that swayed unnaturally in the still night. Then truthfully adding, "And think up of a better plan..."
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Post by Harry J. Potter on Jun 19, 2010 3:52:43 GMT -5
Where was that damn knot that Crookshanks kept touching to make the tree go still. If he could just find it and hit it with a stupefy. He wondered if that would work, actually. He smiled as Ron rehashed the plan in his own words, nodding to confirm. "Reconsider? I thought you knew me," he joked, adjusting his grip on his wand. Okay, so maybe the plan was stupid, and it wasn't Hermione-esque levels of brilliant, but it was the best he could do right now, and it's not like he didn't have a history of getting extremely lucky before. He'd just have to hope that lady luck was on his side tonight... again... for the thousandth time...
"Well, Hermione, if you think of something, just raise your hand and let us know. I'm all for suggestions right now."
Okay... THAT looked like the knot. Raising his wand, he cast the stunning charm at it. He took a moment to look at the Whomping Willow to make sure that it was no longer moving. Taking the first tentative step, he held his breath and mentally prepared himself for having to jump back to avoid being hit. But nothing happened. It had worked!
Happily, he turned around to exclaim to Ron and Hermione, but then he heard a terrible noise behind him. His heart sank in his chest and he turned to look behind him. That was about all he could do in the time allotted. The nubbed branch of the Whomping Willow, big enough to be a tree in its own right, slammed into Harry, tossing him like a rag doll across the grounds, but luckily out of reach. He landed with a heavy thud on a patch of grass and did not move after that.
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Post by Ronald B. Weasley on Jun 19, 2010 4:14:57 GMT -5
Ron couldn't help smiling back at Harry's remark. It was far to hard to remain mad at his friend anyways.
Harry then stupefied a knot on the tree, stepping forward in triumph.
"Um, Harry-" Before Ron could say anymore, his suspicions were confirmed. The knot on the tree that Harry had charmed was the wrong knot, and now the tree wanted revenge.
Before any of the trio could do anything, the giant clobbering arm of the willow smashed into Harry, sending him flying.
"Bloody hell! Harry!" Ron cried out, tugging Hermione further back from the flying limbs of the tree before running after his friend.
He's not moving, why isn't he moving?! I knew this was a bad idea! We haven't even made it through step one of his 'plan' and already somethings gone wrong! If the Whomping Willow hasn't done it already, i'm going to kill the stupid git! Ron thought to himself as he ran, sliding to a stop next to Harry's prone form.
"Harry, mate, you ok?" He asked anxiously, glancing over his shoulder to check Hermione was still ok and hadn't randomly decided to duel the tree, as entertaining as that would have been.
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Post by HJG on Jun 19, 2010 5:44:51 GMT -5
Hermione gave a nervouse smile, with Harry, sometimes all that mattered was just to go out and try. He was never one to just sit around waiting, not that sometimes it wouldn't have done him any harm. Harry Stupified the tree, and as he walked out cautiously Hermione called out, "Harry I don't think Stupefy-" works. Hermione tried to say, glancing at Ron as he too was in midsentence when suddenly Harry was hit hard, sending him flying across the grounds. Hermione gasped, dragged away from the tree by Ron before quickly following behind him after Harry, who lay unmoving on the grass.
"Oh move over Ron!" Hermione said, kneeling over Harry and looking for any signs of injury. But appart from his stillness there was nothing, he was probably knocked out at best. Looking nerviously at Harry, Hermione whispered, "I'm sorry," then said clearly, pointing her wand at his face, "Aguamenti!" With that, a stream of water splashed on Harry's face, in hopes of reviving him.
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Post by Harry J. Potter on Jun 19, 2010 12:58:35 GMT -5
He did not stir with the water hit his face. The force of the tree had done most of the damage to his midsection - the parts of him that could not be seen without living his shirt. Ribs were definitely broken. A shoulder had become dislocated. Organs were bruised... Parts of him were beginning to inflame as his blood rushed to the site of the rather large injury. Apparently one of the benefits to being a wizard was that you still were made of fleshy carbon as opposed to something a bit more durable. Good lesson for later in life - The tree always wins.
Finally, his green eyes flashed open, but he closed them tight again against the pain. This was not over! Not yet! They hadn't even made it to Hogsmeade. With a bit of trouble, he managed to hold up a handful of twigs he'd stolen from the tree with the arm that was not lying limp at his side. "Got... a piece..." he said, trying to smile. "Who won?"
Humor was not prevailing, however. The familiar feeling in his head made him feel lighter than air, and though he struggled to prevent it, he fell back into unconsciousness.
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Post by Claire Lunette on Jun 19, 2010 18:17:48 GMT -5
Although Harry did not want Claire's help, Claire felt that she still needed to be around. Surely she wasn't going to be in the action, but merely the background of everything. The whole time she was watching Harry, Ron and Hermione venture out towards the Whomping Willow. Where are they going? she asked, not knowing that the Whomping Willow could lead towards Hogsmeade. She witnessed him trying to stun the tree, which she thought was quite impressive. Although the tree happened to move thereafter when he got closer to the tree's hole near the trunk.
Witnessing all of the hits he had gotten, Claire knew what she had to do. Hermione and Ron were just standing there asking him if he was okay, but that wasn't going to cut it. He needed a professional, and she knew just where to get one. Not Sirius... she told herself, knowing that was one of his pleads to her prior from Hermione coming into the room where the Mirror of Erised layed in. Running, she ran into the two people she had wanted to tell...
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Post by Ronald B. Weasley on Jun 19, 2010 20:52:46 GMT -5
Ron stepped to the side to get out of Hermine's way as she came rushing over shortly after him. She probably had more of an idea of how to help Harry than he did anyway.
Water to the face... i would of just slapped him. Ron thought randomly as he anxiously waited to see if the water had any effect.
The moment seemed to stretch on for eternity before Harry's striking eyes flashed open.
Ron's face lit up in relief that Harry was ok, but it clanged just as quickly back to one of concern when Harry tried to move, muttering something about the tree and winning. Ron was more preoccupied with the fact that Harry looked like he was about to pass out, which, he promptly did.
"Oh that can't be good." Ron stated mater of factly, dropping to kneel opposite from Hermione, Harry's once more still body between them.
It was then that Ron noticed the funny angle that Harry's arm was lying at. He'd seen that injury before watching the quidditch. Gently Ron lifted Harry's shirt to see if he was hurt anywhere else, only to find Harry's chest a mass of angry blue and purple, with lumps where lumps should not be, and lumps missing where lumps should indeed be.
"Can you heal him? Or do we have to go to med bay?" Ron asked seriously, tearing his eyes from his hurt friend to stare at Hermione. She was far more skilled at healing than Ron was and he just hoped she was smart enough to help Harry, or they would have to come up with a convincingly lie in a very short amount of time.
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Post by HJG on Jun 20, 2010 3:06:33 GMT -5
Hermione grew pale as Ron lifted Harry's shirt, displaying dark bruises blooming across his chest. "I-" She started, looking up at Ron's expectant eyes, as she furiously tried to think of something to help him. There was a spell to bandage him, but there was also another one to clear up minor wounds and Hermione was racking her brains to remember it. It was stated briefly in one of the books from the library but the spell was just out of reach.
"Think Hermione think!" she murmured to herself, pulling out her wand as if it would heal her friend by sheer will power, instead it simply lay, almost tauntingly, in her hand. But why did he have to get hurt so soon over such a stupid thing! "Oh Harry you idiot!" she muttered angrily. For some reason all she could think of was that damned spell Gilderoy used on the Cornish Piskeys. Pesky piskey... urgh no! Hermione thought, slumping her head into her hands, ashamed she couldn't remember something so important.
Suddenly her head jerked up, and Hermione raised her wand and pointed it carefully to Harry's chest, "I- I hope things works," she said, her voice shaking. "Episkey!" She said, her eyes closed, not wanting to open them and see if the spell worked or not. Instead she sniffled lightly, murmuring to herself, "Oh, why does Harry always have to be so stupid? We could have just used Imobulus and the tree would have stoped..." She mutely wiped her eyes.
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Post by Persephone Silverton on Jun 20, 2010 18:41:42 GMT -5
Persephone had already been hurrying with Snape close behind her, but when she saw Ronald and Hermione huddled over a limp and seemingly lifeless form, her heart felt as though it'd stopped in her chest. She took off at a full sprint, racing closer to them, her eyes locked on Harry as she got closer. "Move!" she shouted to Hermione, essentially pushing her out of the way as she knelt beside Harry. "Potter," she said, leaning over him and trying to gently urge him awake. She didn't want to move him too forcefully. She could not know the extent of his injuries. That was Madame Pomfrey's area of expertise.
"What happened!?" she hissed at Ron.
Were these the lengths Harry was willing to go to in order of save his father? She had never known. Had only seen it from one side of the war - the selfish side. Raised to believe that emotion, selflessness, and sympathy were only things used by weak people, she never quite understood when people took such extreme measures for the sake of somebody else. Self preservation was one thing, but here Harry had gone against every survival instinct to rescue his father.
"Save your explanations," she said quickly. Right now, she could not be distracted. Harry had some serious injuries... Possible internal bleeding. He needed medical care right away. "Professor," she said to Snape, not even looking up at him. "Inform Sirius Black right away." She knew that Sirius was his godfather, and Sirius could inform Lily Potter. "You two will come with me," she said, her tone one that implied that she was not to be argued with. Conjuring a stretcher beneath him, she quickly but carefully took Harry to the Hospital Wing.
((Thread will continue at the Hospital Wing))
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