Sinne Fianna Fáil
TItle: Sinne Fianna Fáil
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His name is Harry ...
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The first signs of trouble were slow in reaching the party we were part of amongst the Irish fans. Screams were difficult to hear over the laughter and music and shouting. When we finally did realise what was happening our coach had us split up and run. Staying to help would only get us killed or injured and with such high profiles it may just make things worse.
So we ran.
Somehow I ended up in the forest. How I got there is still a blur. Most people had already pushed further into the forest by the time I made it. I lost Troy on the way. I can only hope Mullet and Connolly still had Lynch.
Turning another corner in the dense forest I saw him again. I knew it was him immediately. I’ve never seen eyes like his anywhere else. He was standing alone by the edge of the path. His arm was bleeding and he held his glasses in his hands. He was calling for someone but I couldn’t hear who.
I approached him as quickly as possible without actually running. Running would only serve to possibly injure me or frighten him.
“You shouldn’t be here. You need to move further in.”
Not exactly the first thing I ever wanted to say to the green eyed boy but it was, at that moment, the most pressing thing.
He looked at me and seemed puzzled by my presence. As if he couldn’t quite understand why I was there.
“Please! You need to move further in.”
I grabbed his hand and started tugging. Presumptuous it may seem but I didn’t want to risk it... risk him. Not when I had just found him. Not when I had yet to even learn his name.
He started following me of his own free will as we went further into the forest. My wand was lit and carried in front of us. Screams from the camp and the forest were still audible. It was terrifying. I felt so inadequate. I should have been out there helping people. Protecting people.
“Thank you,” his voice was soft and startled me out of my thoughts.
“What were you doing alone?” Though most likely not the most important question it was still the one that bothered me the most. What irresponsible person left him to fend for himself amongst this chaos?
“I was separated from my friends. Their father went to help the Muggles. My glasses broke and my wand is missing. I was waiting to see if they would return.”
I hummed as I thought over his answer. It was then that I noticed that he was squinting still.
“Pass your glasses and I’ll fix them.”
He silently passes them. His sense of direction is slightly off as he holds them a little to the side of where I stood.
Reparo
“You should probably buy the potion to fix your eyes. If these events are a sign of what’s coming then you wouldn’t want to risk being caught blind.”
“I suppose not.”
We fell into silence again. It was strangely peaceful despite the fact we had stopped moving and were sitting in the middle of a dark forest, with Death Eaters in the camp and no way to know if we were safe or not. There was rustling in the trees and I tensed as I waited to see what would happen, my grip on my wand tightening as I inched my way across to where he sat so I could protect him should something happen.
“Morsmordre!”
“Shit! Run!”
I didn’t give him a chance to respond before I grabbed his hand and took off further into the forest. I may have been young during the first war but even I knew what that curse was. There was no way I would let us be caught around here. I could hear him stumbling slightly behind me, his breaths coming in pants as he tried to keep up with me, I reached around grabbing him by the waist before pulling him into my arms and carrying him. It may slow me down but we wouldn’t be separated.
I kept running until I felt we were far enough away, finally slowing down and eventually stopping. Despite this I kept an arm wrapped around his waist, both to assure me that he was there and okay and to be able to make a quick getaway should this place prove to be unsafe.
“I don’t understand. What was that?”
“The Dark Mark! Lord Voldemort’s symbol. It was cast by his followers whenever they attacked. When a person saw the mark over their home they knew everybody inside would be dead or worse. That’s the first time it’s been seen in thirteen years. The Ministry wizards would shoot first and ask questions later if we were found anywhere near that.”
He seems to understand. He stays quiet whilst I keep up a surveillance of our area. It’s a tense quietness, we’re both waiting for something to go horribly wrong. After a while however, with no sound of movement anywhere near us I start to relax, loosening the grip on my wand. I can feel him relax slightly in my hold, deflating as if all the energy has been drained out of him. Without adrenalin pumping through my veins I can feel the effort the run through the forest has taken on my body. It must be so much worse for him though. With that thought in mind I drag us over to a tree before sinking to the ground pulling him with me.
“I’m Harry.”
Harry. He doesn’t look like a Harry but then again I’m no expert on English names.
“Names Dubhlainn. Everyone just calls me Dove.”
“Strange name.”
“There’s a lot of meaning and history behind it though. Translation is Black Sword. He was a very interesting figure in Irish history.”
“You’re Irish?”
“Born and bred.”
With that we fell silent. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind. How did he feel sitting in the middle of nowhere with a man he didn’t know and couldn’t even pronounce the name of? Did he think of his friends? Was he simply waiting for me to relax so he could run? What did he think of me? So many questions it would be a miracle if I ever manage to concentrate on our surroundings.
His voice broke through my thoughts. Small questions of little relevance. Where I went to school. What my family was like. I began telling him stories of the ancestors. Myths and legends of both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds. Our voices floated around the clearing, soft yet clear. He fell asleep against my side as I was telling him another tale. It was surprising how long he managed to last. Settling into a more comfortable position I prepared to wait out the rest of the night. We could head back to the camp grounds in the morning.
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The trek back through the forest is tiring. There’s no adrenalin to make us faster. I’m surprised by how far we managed to make it in the dark. Sunlight filters through the trees lighting a path back to the campsite, it highlights the trees, shrubs and roots we crashed through and fell over last night.
The camp was in chaos still. People waited along the tree lines searching for family members. They pushed others out of their way, grabbed people who looked similar. There was no organisation. I tightened my hold on Harry’s hand, dragging his smaller body closer to me as we searched for the people he came with. My need to protect him was nearly overwhelming but I would do everything I could to see him out of this mess safely.
Once we cleared the first ring of searchers I allowed him to direct me towards where his tent had been. The family he had come with were still there, children sitting quietly as the father and older brothers debated how they would search for their missing members. I felt Harry’s hand tighten around mine as if afraid I would abandon him now he was back where he belonged.
He’ll have to beat me off with a stick.
“Harry!”
The name was gasped but it caught everybody’s attention. A young girl stood as if to run towards him but was prevented by one of the twins sitting with her. The father came to us, pulling Harry into a hug before releasing him and checking for injuries.
“Are Ron and Hermione with you?”
Hmm so those must be the friends that were separated from him. I feel Harry fidget against me. Clearly he doesn’t want to talk about it.
“I haven’t seen them since we entered the forest,” Harry shrugs, “Dove found me and kept me safe.”
The statement draws attention to me. Harry certainly knows how to deflect unwanted questions. Pity they’re deflected at me. Just as the father is about to speak to me Ludo Bagman comes running in our direction, two children trailing behind him.
“Arthur my dear man I found two of yours!”
I must assume these are the friends. Bagman’s eyes widen as he sees me, and even more so when he sees the boy with his hand in mine.
“Quigley! The Irish camp is moving out. They’re just waiting on you and Moran to show up.” I nod quickly hopefully he’ll leave now. I know the red haired family didn’t hear my name but Harry certainly did, I could feel him freeze in my arms. But no he stays. This can only get worse.
“And Harry my boy so good to see you safe and sound. Imagine Harry Potter lost in the forest with Death Eaters around. The search would have been a logistical nightmare.”
Oh shit! I think my heart just stopped beating. Harry ... is ... is Harry Potter!
I’m so dead.
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... Harry Potter
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