Who: Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom (and various other Aurors) What: Responding to the attack at Flourish & Blotts Where: The Ministry, Flourish & Blotts When: Late Thursday Morning Rating: Um. Depressing?
Ron was sitting at his desk, tackling the paperwork he'd let build up. Report after report made for a dull morning. It was almost time for lunch, and he could hear his stomach growling when suddenly the shout came, amplified so that anyone within the department would hear it.
"ATTACK AT FLOURISH & BLOTTS! ALL AURORS REPORT THERE IMMEDIATELY!"
Ron jumped out of his chair, running to grab one of the preset Portkeys that would take him straight to Diagon Alley. It activated on his touch, disposing him in running distance of the shop, where a group of people was crowded outside.
Hermione. Ginny. The only coherent thought going through his mind was that they both were planning on going there today. He could only hope that they hadn't been yet, or had gone earlier in the day.
"AUROR!" he shouted, pushing through the crowd. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
He vaguely heard someone saying to another Auror that the darkness had just lifted. The scene was now a complete mess. Shelves tipped over, books, pages, bodies. Everywhere. He could barely make sense of anything.
"This one's dead!" someone shouted. Ron's heart was racing, his nerves on end, a growing dread building in him, relentless, vicious, attacking his will. No, he thought. He had to find out if they were there.
"ALIVE!" came another voice, and Ron picked an aisle that hadn't yet been searched. "Looking for Hermione Granger or Ginny Weasley!" he shouted out, and out of the corner of his eye he saw another Auror turn to look at him. He didn't bother guessing what the other man was thinking. He just carefully climbed through the mess, levitating books with his wand until he was certain there was no one underneath.
He found someone he didn't recognise, checked on her. Alive. He was about to call it out when a Healer approached him. "Living," he choked out, and kept going.
Ron saw the wand first, recognising it instantly. Hard not to, when it had been pointed at him during arguments, generally an empty threat. He took it, and then began searching. She was here.
And then he spotted her. Nearly completely obscured by an avalanche of books and shelves. There's no way... Forcing the thought out of his head, he called for help, tears in his eyes. Fucking keep it together. She's alive. She's gotta be alive.
"And find Ginny!" he shouted, knowing that both Harry and Neville would have arrived around the same time he did, but he didn't care who found his sister. He knew she was here.
Two people, no one he recognised, came to his aid, removing books until they could raise the shelves off of her. Ron dropped down beside Hermione, his breath stopped.
But she was breathing, and he exhaled. He went to call out but no sound came, and only when one of the people beside him, the woman shouted, was a Healer summoned. Ron tried to ignore the look on his face when he showed up, but there was no denying that Hermione was in bad shape.
"We need to get her stable enough to get to Mungo's" the man said, and then barked out directions that Ron followed, forcing himself to focus, to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. Another Healer approached just as someone shouted out, "Dead!"
The room started spinning, and Ron was glad he was already kneeling, fearing the absolute worst. He was useless now, watching the two Healers lift Hermione to a stretcher. "Will she...?"
The first Healer turned to him, saying, "Don't know. Taking her in." Ron could only nod weakly, and then they were gone, and he forced himself to stand. He needed to go with them. He needed to be with her. The thought entered his mind, What if she dies and I'm not there?
"No!" he shouted out loud, attracting brief glances before the various people there returned to work. And then he heard it. Maybe Harry's voice. Maybe Neville's. He didn't know. "GINNY'S ALIVE!"
He exhaled, and then used that thought to conjure the Patronus, sending a message off to George. And then he had to work. It was his job. He had to focus.
But there were more Aurors, more Healers arriving by the minute, and he soon felt a hand on his shoulder. "Go to Mungo's," his boss told him. Ron nodded, unable to express his gratitude, apparating to the Hospital without a second thought.