Suffocating In Darkness

Chapter 29

Once back under the starry sky, Harry heaved Dumbledore on to the top of the nearest boulder and then to his feet. Sodden and shivering, grabbing Harry's arm, I concentrated upon my destination: Hogsmeade. Closing my eyes, gripping Harry's arm as tightly as I could, I stepped forwards into that feeling of horrible compression.

I knew it had worked before I opened my eyes: the smell of salt, the sea breeze had gone. We were shivering and dripping in the middle of the dark High Street in Hogsmeade. For one horrible moment my imagination showed me more Inferi creeping towards me around the sides of shops, but I blinked and saw that nothing was stirring; all was still, the darkness complete but for a few streetlamps and lit upper windows.

'We did it, Professor!' Harry whispered with difficulty. 'We did it! We got the Horcrux! Where is it?'

'I have it.' I informed handing it to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore staggered against Harry. For a moment, I thought that my inexpert Apparition had thrown Dumbledore off-balance; then I saw his face, paler and damper than ever in the distant light of a streetlamp.

'Sir, are you all right?'

'I've been better,' said Dumbledore weakly, though the corners of his mouth twitched. 'That potion ... was no health drink ..."

And to our horror, Dumbledore sank on to the ground.

'Sir - it's OK, sir, you're going to be all right, don't worry -'

I looked around desperately for help, but there was nobody to be seen and all I could think was that we must somehow get Dumbledore quickly to the hospital wing.

'We need to get you up to the school ... Madam Pomfrey ...'

'No,' said Dumbledore. 'It is ... Professor Snape whom I need ... but I do not think ... I can walk very far just yet ...'

'Right - sir, listen - I'm going to knock on a door, find a place you can stay - then I can run and get Madam -'

'Severus,' said Dumbledore clearly. 'I need Severus, Harry ...'

'All right then, Snape - but I'm going to have to leave you for a moment so I can -'

Before Harry could make a move, however, we heard running footsteps. My heart leapt: somebody had seen, somebody knew we needed help - and looking around I saw Madam Rosmerta scurrying down the dark street towards us on high-heeled, fluffy slippers, wearing a silk dressing-gown embroidered with dragons.

'I saw you Apparate as I was pulling my bedroom curtains! Thank goodness, thank goodness, I couldn't think what to - but what's wrong with Albus?'

She came to a halt, panting, and stared down, wide-eyed, at Dumbledore.

'He's hurt,' said Harry. 'Madam Rosmerta, can he come into the Three Broomsticks while I go up to the school and get help for him?'

'You can't go up there alone! Don't you realise - haven't you seen -?'

'If you help me support him,' said Harry, not listening to her, 'I think we can get him inside -'

'What has happened?' I asked. 'Madam Rosmerta, what's wrong?'

'The - the Dark Mark.'

And she pointed into the sky, in the direction of Hogwarts. Dread flooded me at the sound of the words ... I turned and looked.

There it was, hanging in the sky above the school: the blazing green skull with a serpent tongue, the mark Death Eaters left behind whenever they had entered a building ... wherever they had murdered ...