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When Dark Falls by MithrilQuill

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The atmosphere on the Hogwarts Express was much more subdued than usual. There were fewer students, and those present were quiet and downcast, asking, in whispers, about missing friends. Although there was an abundance of extra space, the students crowded into the compartments in large groups.

Ginny extracted herself from her mother’s worried hug and dragged her trunk along through the corridor, looking for her friends. Zacharias Smith was sitting all alone in a compartment looking grumpy and a few Ravenclaws, including an old boyfriend, were muttering darkly to each other and jumped rather fearfully when they heard her approach.

“Here,” Neville’s voice came from behind her, “Let me help you with that, it’s my fault we picked the last compartment.”

Ginny allowed Neville to carry one side of her trunk while she held the other. This made movement much faster and they flew by the Slytherin compartment with Zabini and that stringy boy in it and several first year compartments. Finally, they reached the last compartment and dragged Ginny’s trunk in, almost crushing Seamus’ foot in the process.

“Dean is he…?” Ginny was almost afraid to ask.

Seamus sighed. “He’s on the run, same as the other Muggle-borns,” he said. “He sends an occasional owl, but it’s not exactly safe. I got one from him last week, it was very vague, but I think he’s met up with some others so at least he’s not alone.”

He was trying to sound calm, but Ginny knew Seamus’ temper and he looked about ready to punch something.

“I hope Ronald is recovering from his Spattergroit?” Luna said from behind a Quibbler.

Ginny felt like laughing and screaming at the same time. What resulted was a low, angry growl. “No,” she said, “He keeps getting worse, the selfish git!”

“You haven’t heard from the three of them then, have you?” Neville said seriously. Ginny shook her head.

Ernie McMillan found them just as the train was beginning to move. Neville ushered him inside and he gave everyone a stiff nod. “Too many people missing,” he said, “I just heard about two Ravenclaws that were killed over the summer. And Dean…he’s alright isn’t he?”

“They haven’t caught up to him yet.” Neville said fiercely.
“Have you heard about Hannah?” Ernie’s voice cracked, “Hannah Abbott.”

Ginny nodded, but the others shook their heads and Ernie launched into a tale about how he and Susan had found her with the help of Lee Jordan.

“She’s still not talking?” Luna asked when he was finished.
Ernie shook his head. “Susan’s with her now, been trying to cheer her up all day, but she just stares out the window…”
There was a long silence that Seamus broke abruptly.

“Snape’s going to be fouler than ever now he’s headmaster.”

“At least he won’t be teaching,” Ginny said. “As long as I don’t have to see him in classes he can go make as many stupid rules as he wants and I’ll be there to break them!”

“Hear, hear!” the boys, even rule-abiding Ernie, agreed heartily.

“Hmmmm,” Luna said, “I wonder if he’ll use Invisible Kneuriklers to try and control everyone’s thoughts…”

They bought sweets from the food trolley and listened to Luna’s explanation of how to thwart the mind-control attempts of Invisible Kneuriklers. Finally, Ernie said he had to get back to his own compartment to check on Hannah and left them.

Ginny straightened up. “I’m going to go take a look around,” she said. Luna went back to her Quibbler and Neville asked Seamus if he still had his DA coin.

Once in the hallway Ginny cast a silencing charm on her feet and crept down the hall slowly, occasionally ducking so she would not be visible through a compartment window. Finally, she reached the compartment where Zabini and the other seventh year Slytherin boy were sitting alone.

Ginny reached into her pocket and pulled out an extendable ear. She fed it in under the door of the compartment after casting a chameleon charm on it so it would be harder to spot.

“…Malfoy?” Zabini’s deep voice floated out of the compartment.

“I don’t think he’ll be coming back,” the other boy replied. “I think the Dark Lord is keeping him busy.”

There was a long silence during which Ginny tried to remember the other boy’s name. She thought it must start with an M…or maybe an N?

It was Zabini who broke the silence. “Fancy a game of Wizards Chess, Nott?” he asked.

There was a rustling of pages and then the scraping and quiet tapping of chess players being put into position.

“Would you play if they have Quiddich this year?” Nott asked Zabini. “You know they’ll ask you – you’re probably the only one left that can think and fly at the same time.”
Someone snorted.

“Knight to H7,” Zabini said. “I like to fly, but I don’t much fancy being chased by a bludger. I suppose I’d play if I have to…”

After ten more minutes of long silences and pointless, forced conversation Ginny admitted defeat. She wasn’t going to hear anything interesting from those two. It didn’t sound as if they were close enough to share secrets. She pulled back her extendable ear and decided to go look in on Hannah.


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