The Graveyard - 9

Harry slumped to the ground upon impact, and both girls rushed toward him. He groaned as his eyes fluttered open, struggling to fight off the confusion and disorientation. His head throbbed painfully, and he raised his aching arm to shield his eyes from the sun.

"What happened?" he slurred.

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione cried, sounding panicked. "Was it Voldemort? That hasn't happened in a really long time. This isn't good."

Ginny placed her hand on his head and gently smoothed back his hair. "Can you stand?" she asked gently.

Grunting, Harry lifted himself onto his elbows. "I'm fine — just a headache. We should get inside the gates."

Ron reached down to help him stand, but before Harry managed to steady himself on his feet, several more popping sounds rent the air. A handful of Death Eaters, fully robed and masked, stood between the four teens and the gates of Hogwarts.

"There," one of the men cried, pointing.

All four teens dove for the cover of the trees that aligned the road. Harry's head throbbed painfully, but he ignored it as he drew his wand. He counted five of them before a series of Blasting Curses began hitting the trees where he crouched, splintering the wood. Staying tucked down, he quickly moved back to where Hermione was hidden.

"Are you all right?" he whispered.

She nodded. "Ron and Ginny are on the other side of the road, but I can see two Death Eaters checking over there, as well."

Harry cursed when the tree where he was hidden was struck with a red beam of light, missing his head by inches. He aimed his wand and successfully struck the first Death Eater with a powerful Stunning Spell. The man fell to the ground in a heap. The second one managed to raise a shield before also taking cover behind the trees.

A volley of sparks ignited on the other side of the road as either Ron or Ginny traded Spellfire with one of the masked Death Eaters. Harry saw another robed figure entering the woods in search of them.

"There's still one guarding the gate," Hermione whispered.

"We'll Apparate into Hogsmeade and take the tunnel beneath Honeydukes to get back," Harry said. "We've just got to let Ron and Ginny know where we're going."

"Didn't they block the tunnels last year?" Hermione asked, keeping her wand pointed at the trees behind Harry's back.

"We'll worry about that when we get there. We'll still be safer away from those Death Eaters," Harry said.

Sparks ignited in the trees across the road once again, and he heard Ginny shout, "Stupefy."

Uncertain where the other three Death Eaters were hidden, Harry didn't want to risk sprinting across the road. He'd either have to leave Hermione behind, or drag her into the open to become a moving target. He couldn't risk either option. An idea suddenly occurred to him.

He waved his wand in the air in the same pattern he'd seen Tonks use once before, concentrating intently on the message he wanted to send. Prongs leaped from his wand and sauntered across the road, disappearing into the trees.

Harry's head throbbed, and he had to grab the tree to stay steady The Death Eater chose that moment to swing out from behind a tree.

"Diffindo," he snarled.

Harry ducked, but he heard Hermione gasp in pain.

"Stupefy. Reducto. Tarentallegra," Harry cried in short order.

The Death Eater managed to block the first two, but had to roll away from the third. While he was dodging, Harry turned and grasped Hermione's bleeding arm. He Apparated them both into Hogsmeade, directly outside Honeydukes. Ron and Ginny were already waiting there.