Suffocating In Darkness

Chapter 6

"In here." I said opening the compartment. I pointed to Harry lying still.

"Wotcher, Harry." Tonks smiled. There was a flash of red light and Harry's body unfroze; he was able to push himself into a more dignified sitting position, hastily wipe the blood off his bruised race with the back of his hand, and raise his head to look up at Tonks, who was holding the Invisibility Cloak she had just pulled away.

"We'd better get out of here, quickly," she said, as the train windows became obscured with steam and we began to move out of the station. "Come on, we'll jump."

Harry hurried after us into the corridor. I pulled open the train door and leapt onto the platform, which seemed to be sliding underneath us as the train gathered momentum. The others followed, as Lyra stood alone, staggered a little on landing, then straightened up in time to see the gleaming scarlet steam engine pick up speed, round the corner, and disappear from view.

The cold night air was soothing on his throbbing nose. Tonks was looking at us. Silently she handed him back the Invisibility Cloak.

"Who did it?"

"Draco Malfoy," said Harry bitterly. "Thanks for... well..."

"No problem," said Tonks, without smiling. From what I could see in the darkness, she was as mousy-haired and miserable-looking as she had been when we had met her at the Burrow. "I can fix your nose if you stand still. Episkey," said Tonks.

It was almost as like Harry's nose snapped back into place.

"Thanks a lot!"

"You'd better put that cloak back on, and we can walk up to the school," said Tonks, still unsmiling. As Harry swung the cloak back over himself, Lyra and I ignored it as I removed my trench coat and it vanished, Tonks waved her wand; an immense silvery four-legged creature erupted from it and streaked off into the darkness.

"Was that a Patronus?" I asked, who had seen Dumbledore send messages like this.

"Yes, I'm sending word to the castle that I've got you or they'll worry. Come on, we'd better not dawdle."

We set off toward the lane that led to the school.

"How did you find me?"

"You do realize you have a sister right?" Tonks asks making us laugh.

"But what are you doing here, anyway?" Harry asked.

"I'm stationed in Hogsmeade now, to give the school extra protection," said Tonks.

"Is it just you who's stationed up here, or--?"

"No, Proudfoot, Savage, and Dawlish are here too."

"Dawlish, that Auror Dumbledore attacked last year?"

"That's right."

"Whacky." Lyra mumbled.

We trudged up the dark, deserted lane, following the freshly made carriage tracks. I looked sideways at Tonks. Last year she had been inquisitive, she had laughed easily, she had made jokes. Now she seemed older and much more serious and purposeful. Was this all the effect of what had happened at the Ministry? I reflected uncomfortably that Hermione would have suggested we say something consoling about Sirius to her, that it hadn't been her fault at all, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was far from blaming her for Sirius's death; it was no more her fault than anyone else's (and much less than mine), but I did not like talking about Sirius if I could avoid it. And so they tramped on through the cold night in silence, Tonks's long cloak whispering on the ground behind us.

Having always traveled there by carriage, I had never before appreciated just how far Hogwarts was from Hogsmeade Station. With great relief I finally saw the tall pillars on either side of the gates, each topped with a winged boar. I was cold, I was hungry. But when Lyra put out a hand to push open the gates, we found them chained shut.