6 August 1997

[augury_harry]

12 am
A brown owl swoops down on the Burrow and scratches at one of the windows. It does not leave until someone takes the message.

Owl to the Weasleys

I've taken Hermione to St. Mungo's.
There's been a Something has happened.
Come right away.

-Harry

Comments

[augury_ron]

Ron had been sitting in the kitchen, offhandedly eating a sandwich while staring out the window and thinking about the events of the past few days, when the owl had arrived. Not only had it arrived very late, it seemed more insistent than the usual owls, so he'd let it in and taken the scroll from it before considering what sort of letter might arrive at that time of night.

And when he unrolled the parchment and read the hastily written words, he felt that horrible cold feeling clutch at his guts again, felt an icy fist squeeze his heart mercilessly.

Oh Merlin no. Not Hermione. Please no...

Looking around wildly and seeing no one, he found his voice at last and called out, his voice high with tension and fear.

"Mum! Ginny!"

He could feel himself shaking. If something had happened to her...

His eyes skated over the final line on the parchment as he heard thundering footsteps announcing the arrival of Ginny, or his mum, or both, he couldn't tell right now.

Come right away.

How much time did they have before... what?