Chapter 2: This wall that stands between us
“We can’t get past it!” Ginny shouted, looking up at the thrashing arms of the Whomping Willow.
Ron dashed forward and slid under the branches, touching the knot in the enormous tree’s bark. One branch inches away from Ron’s head stopped in midair. The tree was frozen and the others followed him down between the roots and into the underground tunnel that led to the Shrieking Shack. The pure blackness that greeted the group caught them off guard, no dusky moonlight shone down here. They groped around in the darkness, eventually found the tunnel wall and Harry set off in the lead, attempting to feel his way along the passage.
“This is just stupid. I know…” said Ron raising his wand. “Lumos!” The light cast four giant shadows on the dark stone and mud walls.
“No!” Hermione shouted anxiously pulling Ron’s wand down. “They’ll see the light,” she explained, pointing in the direction of the lake, Voldemort and the Dementors. “It could lead them right to us.”
“But we can’t see, Hermione!” Ron hissed exasperatedly.
“That’s too bright. We need to use something else.” Hermione said searching around.
“Candles?” came Ginny’s voice from somewhere behind them.
“Yeah candles, great idea.” Ron said sarcastically. “Look around Ginny, see any candles?”
“This’ll do.” Hermione bent down and picked up a small, smooth rock from the stony floor.
“Hermione, what are you gonna do? Rub two stones together and try and light yourself a little fire? Just use a wand, you’re not a Muggle!”
“Oh, shut up Ron.” Hermione sighed rolling her eyes at him. Carefully she took out her wand and they all stared in awe as she transfigured the rock into a burning candle. The tunnel lit up suddenly, far more gently than before.
“Wow. Where'd you learn that?” Ron gaped.
“A book,” Hermione answered irritably. “Maybe you should crack one open once in a while. Now, get a rock each and I’ll transfigure some more.” She turned to Harry, holding out the lit candle to him. She soon noticed how white his face was. “Don’t worry, it’s only like a blackout. The electrics at home are rubbish, we used to have them all the time,” she said trying to smile, but her worry of their situation wouldn’t let the smile last long.
Harry tried to return the attempt to comfort, but was getting annoyed, really. He wasn’t afraid of the dark, he was itching to carry on and get to safety in the Shrieking Shack. This was just wasting time.
“Aha! I’ve found a massive one.” Ron said yanking at a protruding rock high up in the tunnel wall.
Hermione ran over to warn him that if he pulled out that rock the whole tunnel could collapse but before she could say anything, there was a low rumbling and rubble began to fall. She grabbed Ron’s hand and they started to run, Harry and Ginny- a bit further along the tunnel- were running in the opposite direction. Hermione felt her wand slip and fall out of her hand. Then she heard a tiny crack as Ron stepped on it. She held up the candle to see Ron picking up the two jagged pieces of her wand.
"Ron!" Hermione stomped angrily. "Why are you so clumsy? You and your big feet! Look at my wand, it's-"
“Oh no!” Ron interrupted, grabbing the candle and showing her the wall of rubble that had appeared blocking the tunnel. “Look how much has fallen! How are we gonna get through all this?”
"Harry, Ginny!" Hermione screamed from one side of the wall. She held her breath, terrified, waiting for a response. What if one or both of them had been hurt -or even killed- by the falling rocks? Just as this crossed her mind, Ginny’s soft voice rang from the other side.
"Hermione?" she called lifting up her own candle to see how much rubble was separating them. "Hermione, me and Harry are here! We are fine! We got away from the rocks. Is Ron ok?"
Hermione breathed, relieved, and replied, "Yes! Unfortunately your brother is just fine!!"
"Hey!" Ron glared at her but Hermione ignored him and carried on.
"Ok, what are we going to do?" she asked over Ron’s grumbling complaints.
“We’ve gotta try and move it,” Harry replied. “You and Ron won’t be safe over there, Voldemort could find the way into the tunnel. I think we need to get to the Shrieking Shack!” He took out his wand and said clearly, “Reducto!”
There was a sudden blast and more rocks began to fall and Hermione yelled, “No, it’s too dangerous, we’ll have to do it by hand!”
The others agreed and from both sides they began scrabbling away at the rubble, clearing a space. A few minutes passed in silence before Harry heard a sharp intake of breath from Ginny on his right and looked up to see she’d cut her hand on a sharp rock.
“Are you Ok?” he asked coming over, consciously taking her hand by the very ends of her fingers and studying the cut. Ginny nodded. He looked up into her face, their eyes met for a second and she smiled at him.
“Aaah! Ron, are you trying to crush me to death?” came Hermione’s muffled, angry voice from the other side of the wall.
Harry dropped Ginny’s hand and called, “What’s happened?” glancing around uncomfortably.
“Stop getting in my way then!” he heard Ron say.
“This tunnel collapsing is all your fault and you’re just making it worse!” Hermione shouted back.
Bickering again, Harry thought irritably and continued moving the rubble. He heard another little scream and Ron’s voice yelling, “See? It’s not me! It’s them two pushing the rocks on us!”
“You’ll have to stop!” Hermione called to Harry and Ginny. “I’m afraid we’re just making more rubble fall.”
“Can’t you try blocking up your end of the tunnel?” Ginny asked.
“I guess,” came the reply.
Harry stood back waiting and heard more scrabbling of rocks on the other side of the wall separating them. He turned around, gazing further down the dark tunnel at the secret entrance to the Shrieking Shack, and felt his heart plummet southwards as his mind turned to Sirius.
“Not that a couple of rocks is going to keep Lord Voldemort and a dozen Dementors away.” Hermione said after a while; she flopped down on the floor and pulled her robes around her. “It’s pretty hopeless.”
“That’s right, look on the bright side Hermione. Maybe if you actually helped-“ but Ron was interrupted and the argument began again.
Harry was getting very annoyed. All his two best friends ever seemed to do was row over homework, lessons, their feelings, Harry’s feelings, anything! He looked around at Ginny who was obviously agitated too. She had her arms crossed leaning against the wall.
“If you two don’t stop arguing, we’ll leave you to do all the work!” Harry shouted but they didn’t stop.
“Will you please shut up and help us?” Ginny yelled from beside him.
There was silence for a moment and Harry thought it had worked, but no, the battle flared up again. “Right I’m going up to the Shrieking Shack!” he shouted and stomped off up the tunnel taking the candle with him. He could hear Ginny’s gentle breathing quicken and become sharper as he moved away from her. Knowing that she was too proud to admit she was frightened, he turned back to face her.
"Coming?" he asked trying to calm his voice. She stepped forward, nodding, and they slowly walked up towards the Shrieking Shack.
When they arrived in the black hallway, Harry paused and squinted through the darkness toward the open door, remembering how he and Hermione had come here in their third year to save Ron. Even then, he knew how much Hermione fancied Ron. It had been so obvious, he thought, even if she hadn’t realized it herself. However, Harry’s mind swiftly changed to Sirius.
Ginny saw the grief-stricken expression on his face. She gently squeezed his hand for support and took a step toward the first creaking wooden stair.
It broke Harry’s heart to know he was traveling up the stairs he had walked up a few years previously, when he had first met his godfather. He took a deep breath and slowly opened the door at the top of the staircase. As they entered the chamber, Ginny muttered an incantation, pointing her wand at each candle along the walls in turn. The soft glow, the musty smell and the memories were all that remained in the room. Harry remembered how he had been so filled with hatred for Sirius that he had actually come here planning to kill him, though he knew in his heart that he could never have done it.
"Sickle for your thoughts?" said a small voice beside him. Harry looked up from a crack in the dusty floorboards where he had been staring, lost in thought.
Ginny was stood very close to him, looking intently into his eyes as he glanced up. She felt as though she could almost lose herself in their mysterious, jade depths. He hides so much pain and misery behind those beautiful, green eyes, she thought while surveying the room, the image of Harry’s miserable face clear in her mind’s eye. He has such horror in his past. All I want to do is help him and stop him from hurting any more, but I can't. She bit her lip nervously.
"I was just thinking about when I first met Sirius here," said Harry his voice a little croaky. "I just miss him sometimes … he's the only family I had left,” he admitted.
Ginny nodded. Harry had confided in her a few weeks ago about missing Sirius and she knew how hard it had been for him. She stepped forward gingerly and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close.
Usually an awkward barrier stood between them, but now it seemed to have gone, Harry thought, and he didn't try to hide his emotions. Still, he hoped Ginny didn't notice the single tear fall from his eye and run down his cheek.
As he buried his face in her long auburn hair she comforted him in his time of need; when he felt the only people he could have turned to were either dead or would never understand. He was sure Ginny could never know how it felt to be him, but when he was with her, he had never felt more understood.
Feeling her pull away slightly, he smiled down at her, his eyes never leaving hers, then before either of them realized what was happening, Ginny leaned in and kissed Harry, and he kissed her back.
“I hope they're ok.” Ron said, sliding down on to the dry earth floor surveying the tunnel. It seemed they’d have to stay here now until Dumbledore came to find them, which could be ages yet.
“It’ll be safer for Harry in the Shrieking Shack and he’ll look after Ginny.” Hermione replied plainly.
“Hmmm” muttered Ron distractedly sneaking a glimpse at Hermione. “Hey, it’s Christmas Eve! Oh Merlin, we are gonna be stuck here on Christmas day!” He shoved his hands in his pockets grumpily but then slowly withdrew his right hand clutching a silver chain. Seeing Hermione’s curious expression he hid the chain back in his robe pocket, it was too late though, she’d spotted it and was asking inquisitively about it.
“It’s erm…” Ron racked his brain for an answer but nothing sprang to mind. “Well, it’s…”
After another few moments, frantically searching for a believable lie, he gave in. Almost inaudibly he said, “It’s your Christmas present. I, er…haven’t had a chance to wrap it yet.”
“For me?” Hermione asked. Ron nodded but continued staring intently at the ground.
“Can I see it?” she smiled and saw Ron’s ears turning red with embarrassment as he nodded again.
She crept over and sat down beside him, took the little silver necklace from his hand and studied it, beaming. It had Hermione spelt out in tiny, dazzling turquoise letters and there was a tiny, silver clasp. She had to admit she was surprised, last Christmas Ron had obviously thought very hard and bought her perfume but it had, well, a slightly unusual smell. She looked back down at the necklace it was so pretty and perfect - she loved it.
“It’s beautiful,” Hermione breathed. “Would you, er … put it on for me?”
“Ok.” Ron replied, turning redder by the second. He took the necklace from Hermione and moved behind her. He put it carefully around her neck and fastened it at the back. It took a while because the clasp was fiddly and his hands seemed unusually sweaty and slippery. He could hear his breathing quicken and tried to slow it down but now it was uncontrollably loud!
Hermione turned to face him with a small smile on her face, as she looked him in the eye.
“I really love it Ron, thank you.” she said interrupting his trail of thought and she hugged him tightly.
For a few moments Ron’s arms hung limply at his sides but slowly he moved closer and hugged her back. A real hug, Hermione thought, they’d never really hugged before. How odd, they’d been friends for so long. She leant her head on his shoulder and smiled.