Chapter 27: Falling Leaves and Lost Things
"So, what exactly is our plan here?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms as Harry looked at a map, and Ron sat driving the car.
"Trust me, sis. I got a plan." Ron replied with a big smile.
"That's what's worrying us. We've been driving for half an hour, and you haven't said anything about the plan." Harry answered, looking up from the map.
"You'll know it when we get to it." Ron said, before tapping on the steering wheel.
Hedwig chirped from the back in his cage, and Harry looked back at the faithful owl. "I know, buddy. That's not encouraging." He said.
"What? You don't trust me?" Ron asked annoyedly.
"WE know you, Ron." Ginny replied.
Ron huffed and snorted in indignance. He looked down at the ground below, keeping the rail line below them in sight. However, Harry pressed the button on the dash in front of him, and a sputtering sound came from it.
"What was that?" Ginny asked curiously.
Ron noticed and looked worriedly at the dash, before slamming his fist into the wheel in frustration. "The Invisibility Booster is faulty. Right. Time for plan C." He said as he began to fly lower.
"We don't even know what Plan A or B was, Ron!" Harry snapped.
"All right since you muppets want to know so much. Plan C is we are going to land on top of the train and pretend nothing happened." Ron explained.
"... Okay. Fly lower and we will find the train. We can't be too far behind it." Harry said as Ron dove the car down, before landing on the tracks.
"I have a bad feeling about this…" Ginny grumbled.
Soon Ron drove the car along the tracks as the trio soon quieted down. Only the sound of Hedwig cooing and the sound of the rubber tires on the steel tracks. Yet as they drove along, confusion set in.
"Where's the train?" Ron asked, looking around.
"It can't be too far along." Harry replied.
"Did we pass it?" Ginny asked.
"That's ridiculous! With how fast that train can go?" Ron snidely answered before rolling his eyes.
"Well, excuse me, Ronald! I was assuming a flying car could go faster than a grounded train!" Ginny snapped back.
Harry was about to respond until he thought he had heard something. "Did you guys hear something?" He asked.
"Hear what? The sound of air deflating out of Ron's fat-" Ginny began to say only to cut off when she heard it too.
Ron immediately paled as he then heard it. "Is that…?" He asked in fear.
Ron, Ginny, and Harry slowly turned to look behind them as what they saw turned their blood ice cold. "THE TRAIN!!!!" They screamed in horror.
The Hogwarts Express thundered down the line, seemingly oblivious to the car in front of them. Ron slammed his foot onto the accelerator, and the Ford Anglia's muggle engine roared as best as it could to respond. Rubber slipped and whirred as they tried to get a good grip on the rails as the front buffers of the train were within spitting distance of the bumper. Finally, Ron lurched the controls, and they began to climb out of the way, the car finally delivering enough power to get them out of the way. Yet as the car began to climb, the engine overtaxed itself, and they began to dive. Right towards the water.
"Pull up!" Harry screamed.
"I'm trying!" Ron replied, fighting the controls.
"Ron! Do something!" Ginny screamed in terror.
"Working on it!!" Ron yelled, as he just barely got the car level, water splashing off both sides of the car as they drove across the top of the water.
"Ron…!" Harry and Ginny called out in fear.
"How does dad put up with this…?" Ron muttered, before finally pulling the car out of the water, and into the air. "If you two don't clam up, I'm turning this car around and going back!"
"At this point, we'd like that better!!!" Ginny snapped in response.
"Yes! Please turn back and get us back on the ground!!" Harry added in terror.
Ron sighed and pulled the car up and into a wide right turn to try and get level with the train. As he did however, he flew right by the full set of coaches…
Meanwhile: Inside the Train
Hermione sighed as she sipped a cup of tea and relaxed back into her seat next to the window. The train was running on time; the seats were comfortable and sat next to her was a delightful boy named Alejandro. In the seats in front of her were Ron's twin older brothers, and a strange boy named Damien, and behind her was a single boy, a half-goblin no less. On the other side of the train car, she even got to have a lovely chat with a boy named Garrett. The only thing missing was Ron and Harry. She could not understand where they were or why they were running late.
"Of course, those two have to be irregular…" Hermione muttered into her tea.
"Who's irregular?" Alejandro asked curiously.
"Oh. My idiot friends." Hermione said with a small huff.
As soon as she uttered those words, Hermione heard something. It sounded like… an engine. Soon a blue car rocketed alongside the train, passing them just fast enough for them to see inside. She saw the ever-distinctive faces of Harry and Ron, with Ginny in the back seat.
"So, what's it like at Hog... um, is it normal for a kid to drive a car in the wizarding world?" Damien asked.
"What the hell are those two buffoons doing!?" Hermione yelled in shock.
"Huh?" Alejandro asked, looking up from his tea.
"Over there!" Hermoine yelled, pointing.
Alejandro took one second to look and saw the flying car flying alongside one of the passenger cars ahead of them. He then accidentally spat the full mouth load of tea he had in the face of the person in front of him. Into Fred Weasley…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Fred cried out in pain as he frantically tried to wipe the hot tea off himself.
Soon one of the students marched back to see what the matter was. That student being Percy Weasley, who surveyed the scene in disgust.
"What is going on here!?" Percy asked forcefully.
"My cousin is awesome, Mr. Grumpy Guy." Damien said proudly pointing out the window. Getting a laugh from George and a pained snicker from Fred.
"Your cousin?" Percy asked sternly.
Everyone, except Fred, pointed out the window. Turning to look, he saw a flying blue Ford Anglia flying alongside the train, trying to get in front of it. His eyes squinted with familiarity at the flying metal box.
"Harry Potter…!" He growled venomously.
Back in the Car
Harry violently sneezed as Ron floored the car to race the train. However, he then attempted to get on top of the train. Yet as he tried, they were soon hit by the trail of smoke and steam coming from the train. Coughing and wheezing, Ron lurched the car out of the way, only barely able to avoid causing a collision with a nearby hill.
"So, I take it that nearly dying multiple times was part of the plan?" Harry asked Ron, which only got a huff out of him.
"Okay. So, Plan C was a tiny bit flawed. However, I have Plan D already on lock." Ron replied defiantly.
"No. No. No! No more plans from you!" Ginny snapped.
"And I have a plan for that. Ignoring you." Ron replied.
"Ronald Weasley! You turn this stupid bucket of bolts around now, or I will tell mum how stupid you were and how many times you almost got us killed!!" Ginny yelled.
"You don't think she's already figured it out? Dad's probably already called the authorities and Mum's throwing a fit. I'm getting an earful regardless." Ron explained.
Harry let out a sigh and put his hands on his face before turning to look at his friend. "Okay. What's Plan D?" He asked in dismay.
"We are beating that train to Hogwarts!" Ron yelled defiantly before slamming the pedal down hard, and the car lurched forward ever faster.
Later That Night: Just Outside Hogwarts
In the distance, the lights coming from Hogwarts windows shone like a beacon in the endless darkness. It was a comforting sight after the long and stressful day they had. Yet, as they neared, something began to happen. The car began to judder about and sway side to side. Ron tried to work the controls, but nothing was working. Any response the flying car gave to Ron's actions was slow and sluggish.
"Ron? What's happening?" Ginny asked.
"Nothing's working!" Ron replied frantically.
"Where did your dad even get this bloody hunk of junk?!" Harry asked in fear.
"I don't know! But I've got to stop this thing!" Ron yelled as he yanked on the shifting lever and snapped it in half. "Uh oh…"
The car lurched violently and made a sudden plunge. Fighting with every last bit of strength and control he had, Ron narrowly avoided hitting the side of Hogwarts. And just as he straightened the car out, he saw where they were going. Right into a tall, gnarled tree.
"AAAAHHHHH!!!" Everyone yelled in terror.
"HAAAWWWWW!!!!" Wailed Hedwig as she frantically flapped about her cage.
"SQUEEEEEEE!!!!" Squealed Scabbers from the back.
The car slammed through the tall, spindly branches of the tree before crashing into one of its thick, stout limbs. Then, crashing through more branches, the car fell down into the nook of the twisted tree's limbs. Once they finally stopped, they could finally catch their breath. Every one of their hearts threatening to pound out of their chests.
"Is everyone alright?" Harry asked.
"Yah…" Ron panted out.
"Yes." Ginny replied.
"Hoot." Hedwig chipped, turning her head and burying it under one of her wings.
"Squeak…" Scabbers squeaked weakly, shaking himself off.
"Okay, good. Now let's get out of the car and… I don't know at this point." Harry replied with a sigh.
"Alright, let me…" Ron said as he lifted his wand, only to see it had broken. "Oh bollocks, my wand!"
Yet, as they started to take off their seat belts, they all heard a loud creak. Not one of metal, but like wood being forced to move.
"That doesn't sound good…" Ginny said, her face as pale as a sheet.
"... Ron? Exactly what tree did we land in…?" Harry asked, just as pale as Ginny.
"I… think it's the…" Ron began to say only for a branch to rear up and smash into the hood of the car. "WHOMPING WILLOW!!!!"
Said tree then began lifting its massive limbs and slamming them repeatedly into the car. The sides, the hood, the trunk, the back. Every part of the car got pummeled repeatedly by the massive limbs of the tree. The car slammed back and forth with each impact denting the metal with the force of a thunderclap.
"RON! DO SOMETHING!!!" Harry and Ginny called out as Hedwig and Scabbers cried out in terror from the impacts of the branches.
"I CAN'T!! MY WAND IS BROKEN!!" Ron screamed in fear over the thunderous impacts of the branches.
"WELL, THINK OF SOMETHING!!! THIS TREE IS GOING TO KILL US!!" Ginny screamed in fear, holding on for dear life as one of the doors got torn off and some of their bags went flying out of the car. "IT JUST GOT THE DOOR!!!"
"I'M THINKING, I'M THINKING!!" Ron yelled in a panic as he clung to the steering wheel like a lifeline.
"Oh, for the love of! I'll do something!!" Harry called out, pulling out his wand and firing spells at the tree's limbs to try to hold them off.
"Drive now, Ron!! Drive, drive, drive!!" Ginny called out in fear.
"Okay, okay!!" Ron called back, trying to back the car out of the tree.
As the car's wheels screeched against the wood of the Whomping Willow, the tree's limbs tried to slam into them as Harry's spells barely held them off. Soon, the car slammed down onto the branches as it fell to the ground before reversing out of the tree's reach. Finally, when the car was safely away, it screeched to a halt as everyone panted in terror.
"Well… at least we're safe now…" Ron panted, gripping the steering wheel with a thousand-yard stare.
"Why the bloody hell didn't the airbags deploy…?" Harry panted out, trying to catch his breath.
"What the bloody hell are airbags?!" Ron asked in a panic.
It was at that moment that the airbags finally burst out, slamming into all of them. "Those…" Harry grumbled into the airbag in his face as they both slowly deflated.
As soon as they opened the remaining doors to get out, they all heard the air begin to leak out of the tires. The wheels soon sank into the soft ground and the engine finally died. Ron attempted to turn the key, but nothing happened. With a heavy sigh, the three of them took stock of themselves.
"Well… it could be worse. At least we're all alive. And the car's still intact." Ron smiled, patting the wheel gently.
Suddenly the three and all their luggage flew out of the car and onto the ground. The trio sat there in shock for a moment, before with a heavy sigh they began to collect their things. As they looked over everything, Harry noticed that aside from Hedwig and a few select items, most of his luggage was gone.
"Where is my luggage?" Harry asked.
"Um… Harry…" Ginny told him, pointing towards the Whomping Willow.
Harry turned to look at where Ginny was pointing, and he saw the great branches of the tree crushing and thrashing Harry's luggage. This caused Harry to let out a dejected sigh before he saw Ginny with an armful of stuff before him.
"Ginny? What are you doing?" Harry asked.
"Returning the favor for Diagon Alley." Ginny told him with a smile, offering him some of her school supplies.
"Well, at least it can't get any worse, mate…" Ron told his best friend.
Then, despite the deflated wheels, the car lurched to life and drove off. Within mere moments, it roared off into the vastness of the Forbidden Forest.
"... You were saying, Ron…?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"Well, at least…" Ron began to say only for Ginny to cut him off.
"Ron… Just shut up…" Ginny sighed in exasperation.
Later: Gryffindor Tower
Harry sighed as he sat at one of the side tables as Ron was off in the loo. He sat his chin in one of his hands, propped against the table. His eyes were barely able to be kept open after such a long and stressful day. However, something soon caught his eye. Turning to look, he saw Ginny before him with an armful of school supplies, with the most prominent being a full set of books.
"Ginny. I'm not taking your school supplies." Harry sternly said.
"Well… at least take this." Ginny told him, holding out an odd-looking notebook.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"I already have one. Mum and dad must have bought me an extra one just in case I needed it." Ginny told him not taking no for an answer.
Harry looked at the notebook. It was a small one compared to the normal notebooks used, with a solid black cover and a silver snake insignia on it. As he stared at it, something about it… felt odd.
"Isn't it a bit small for a notebook?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Is it a book?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah." Harry replied.
"Can you write notes in it?" Ginny asked again.
"Yeah." Harry replied.
"Then it is a notebook, and you will accept it." Ginny told him, eyes crinkling in a way that offered no argument.
Harry slowly wrapped his fingers around it. Something about it… just seemed off. He could not dwell on it too much, as they heard the loud boom of a door being violently opened.
"Mr. Potter! Ms. Weasley! In my office! Now!" came the thunderous, stern voice of Professor McGonagall.
"Good thing she didn't notice me." Ron muttered to himself as he walked back, carefully walking behind McGonagall, trying to stay as quiet as possible.
"You too, Mr. Weasley!" Professor McGonagall called out.
"Uh oh…" Ron muttered.
Soon the three were forced to file into her office. As they did, for the briefest moment, the notebook pulsed with a brief bit of energy. Only the dread of an angry McGonagall prevented Harry from noticing the odd occurrence.