Times of Trouble
A Cabinet Breaks
"EXPELLIARMUS!"
Both Harry's and the Death Eater's wands flew out of their hands and soared back towards the entrance to the Hall of Prophecy; both scrambled to their feet and charged after them, the Death Eater in front, Harry hot on his heels, and Neville bringing up the rear, plainly horrorstruck by what he had done.
"Get out of the way, Harry!" yelled Neville, clearly determined to repair the damage.
Harry flung himself sideways as Neville took aim again and shouted:
"STUPEFY!"
The jet of red light had flown right over the Death Eater's shoulder and hit a glass-fronted cabinet on the wall full of variously shaped hour-glasses; the cabinet fell to the floor and burst apart, glass flying everywhere, a bit of glass pierced Harry's hand. He just had time to wince before the cabinet began putting itself back together.
Bits of wood and glass from around the room began flying back towards the cabinet. Harry watched in horror as his body was jerked towards the rebuilding cabinet. The bit of glass in his hand was pulling him towards it.
"HARRY!"
Harry's head whipped towards the source of Hermione's voice as he scrambled to find something, anything, to hold on to.
Harry grabbed onto a table as he watched the Death Eater – dead, with a piece of glass through his chest – hurtle past him and into the cabinet.
She was coming from the doorway to the room and she was also being pulled toward the cabinet; blood was trickling down her face from numerous cuts that seemed to glitter in the light. Harry let go of the table he was holding on to and tried to get across the room to Hermione, but he couldn't manage it, the cabinet's pull was too strong.
As he was forced to jerk and stumble across the floor towards the cabinet he heard Neville cry out, "Harry! Hermione! What's happening?"
Neville was holding on to a table with one arm, cradling the other arm against his body as the table slowly edged closer to the cabinet. Harry could see a wicked looking piece of wood sticking out of Neville's arm.
"I don't know!" Harry screamed back as the force pulling him grew a hundred times stronger.
Hermione grabbed onto a desk with one hand, "Accio wand!" she cried. Harry's wand flew from a dark corner into her hand.
Harry watched in horror as Neville lost his grip on the table and was pulled head first into the space the cabinet occupied while he cradled his injured arm. An instant later Hermione followed behind him as she lost her grip on the desk. A mere second later Harry was following them, no longer able to stay standing through mere force of will.
As the swirling mass of wood and glass around the cabinet came at Harry's face he threw his hands up over his face and closed his eyes.
Harry took a deep breath and braced himself for the impact, but, instead of hitting the swirling mass of glass and wood he felt himself be sucked into a small whirlwind. It felt as if he was laying against a moving fan.
Cautiously, Harry opened his eyes and then immediately shut them again.
He was in a tornado, with sand swirling around him. He could feel it hitting his face, scratching his glasses, and getting inside of his robes. He was tossed around, upwards and downwards. Eventually he had no idea of what was up and what was down.
Harry wanted to open his mouth and call out to Neville and Hermione; but didn't dare, the sand was already trying to take over his nose, and he didn't want it doing that to his mouth.
After what seemed like eternity the wind around him began to die down. When the wind was nothing but a gentle breeze Harry nervously opened his eyes again. Through his scratched glasses he could make out the distant figures of Hermione, Neville, and the dead Death Eater floating on the breeze with him. They were the only thing visible. Everything else was an almost blinding shade of white.
"Hermione! Neville!" Harry called out as he waved and tried to get their attention. As his mouth was open he felt some left over sand land in it. It tasted disgusting – like burnt bacon.
The two of them turned in midair to face him.
"Harry! Catch!" Hermione yelled out as the wind died down a little more.
Harry reached his hand out and caught the wand she tossed at him. Its weight settled into his hand comfortably. It felt good to be armed again. Before Harry could do more than tighten his grip on his wand he felt the wind come to a sudden halt. His stomach gave a lurch, not unlike the feeling he got from a portkey, and he was suddenly no longer floating on the breeze – he was falling.
A scream escaped his throat as he fell towards the invisible ground. As if from a great distance he heard two more screams join his – Neville and Hermione had to be falling also, not that he could turn to look.
As he fell it felt as if his robes were getting larger, they billowed around him even farther than they had during the tornado. Harry stuck his arms and legs out, trying to use the billowing robes as a parachute – anything to slow his descent.
Harry looked over at his wand hand as he fell and a frown crossed his face – something didn't look right.
Before he could dwell on that thought he felt himself hit something. The air escaped his body in a rush as his eyes jerked shut. The world became very dark and quiet. No longer did he hear wind rushing around him. No longer could he hear his heart beating. An instant after that he could no longer even hear his own thoughts.
And so, slowly, the Chosen One passed out.
Both Harry's and the Death Eater's wands flew out of their hands and soared back towards the entrance to the Hall of Prophecy; both scrambled to their feet and charged after them, the Death Eater in front, Harry hot on his heels, and Neville bringing up the rear, plainly horrorstruck by what he had done.
"Get out of the way, Harry!" yelled Neville, clearly determined to repair the damage.
Harry flung himself sideways as Neville took aim again and shouted:
"STUPEFY!"
The jet of red light had flown right over the Death Eater's shoulder and hit a glass-fronted cabinet on the wall full of variously shaped hour-glasses; the cabinet fell to the floor and burst apart, glass flying everywhere, a bit of glass pierced Harry's hand. He just had time to wince before the cabinet began putting itself back together.
Bits of wood and glass from around the room began flying back towards the cabinet. Harry watched in horror as his body was jerked towards the rebuilding cabinet. The bit of glass in his hand was pulling him towards it.
"HARRY!"
Harry's head whipped towards the source of Hermione's voice as he scrambled to find something, anything, to hold on to.
Harry grabbed onto a table as he watched the Death Eater – dead, with a piece of glass through his chest – hurtle past him and into the cabinet.
She was coming from the doorway to the room and she was also being pulled toward the cabinet; blood was trickling down her face from numerous cuts that seemed to glitter in the light. Harry let go of the table he was holding on to and tried to get across the room to Hermione, but he couldn't manage it, the cabinet's pull was too strong.
As he was forced to jerk and stumble across the floor towards the cabinet he heard Neville cry out, "Harry! Hermione! What's happening?"
Neville was holding on to a table with one arm, cradling the other arm against his body as the table slowly edged closer to the cabinet. Harry could see a wicked looking piece of wood sticking out of Neville's arm.
"I don't know!" Harry screamed back as the force pulling him grew a hundred times stronger.
Hermione grabbed onto a desk with one hand, "Accio wand!" she cried. Harry's wand flew from a dark corner into her hand.
Harry watched in horror as Neville lost his grip on the table and was pulled head first into the space the cabinet occupied while he cradled his injured arm. An instant later Hermione followed behind him as she lost her grip on the desk. A mere second later Harry was following them, no longer able to stay standing through mere force of will.
As the swirling mass of wood and glass around the cabinet came at Harry's face he threw his hands up over his face and closed his eyes.
Harry took a deep breath and braced himself for the impact, but, instead of hitting the swirling mass of glass and wood he felt himself be sucked into a small whirlwind. It felt as if he was laying against a moving fan.
Cautiously, Harry opened his eyes and then immediately shut them again.
He was in a tornado, with sand swirling around him. He could feel it hitting his face, scratching his glasses, and getting inside of his robes. He was tossed around, upwards and downwards. Eventually he had no idea of what was up and what was down.
Harry wanted to open his mouth and call out to Neville and Hermione; but didn't dare, the sand was already trying to take over his nose, and he didn't want it doing that to his mouth.
After what seemed like eternity the wind around him began to die down. When the wind was nothing but a gentle breeze Harry nervously opened his eyes again. Through his scratched glasses he could make out the distant figures of Hermione, Neville, and the dead Death Eater floating on the breeze with him. They were the only thing visible. Everything else was an almost blinding shade of white.
"Hermione! Neville!" Harry called out as he waved and tried to get their attention. As his mouth was open he felt some left over sand land in it. It tasted disgusting – like burnt bacon.
The two of them turned in midair to face him.
"Harry! Catch!" Hermione yelled out as the wind died down a little more.
Harry reached his hand out and caught the wand she tossed at him. Its weight settled into his hand comfortably. It felt good to be armed again. Before Harry could do more than tighten his grip on his wand he felt the wind come to a sudden halt. His stomach gave a lurch, not unlike the feeling he got from a portkey, and he was suddenly no longer floating on the breeze – he was falling.
A scream escaped his throat as he fell towards the invisible ground. As if from a great distance he heard two more screams join his – Neville and Hermione had to be falling also, not that he could turn to look.
As he fell it felt as if his robes were getting larger, they billowed around him even farther than they had during the tornado. Harry stuck his arms and legs out, trying to use the billowing robes as a parachute – anything to slow his descent.
Harry looked over at his wand hand as he fell and a frown crossed his face – something didn't look right.
Before he could dwell on that thought he felt himself hit something. The air escaped his body in a rush as his eyes jerked shut. The world became very dark and quiet. No longer did he hear wind rushing around him. No longer could he hear his heart beating. An instant after that he could no longer even hear his own thoughts.
And so, slowly, the Chosen One passed out.