Finding A Way Home

In Which Complicated Times Call For Complicated Measures

Hot blood gushed down the back of Harry's throat and trickled into his mouth as he lay frozen on the floor.

He couldn't move.

He couldn't speak.

He couldn't even blink.

Any hope of being found slipped away as he remembered Malfoy had draped his invisibility cloak over him before trodding on his fingers on his way out. Harry spiraled into hopelessness. If anyone had even noticed his absence surely they would have come to look for him by now? He thought he could hear the rustling of the trees and the far-off hoot of an owl, but no hint of a search being made. Harry despised himself for even hoping that his newfound status as "the Chosen One" would have caused enough of a fuss for them to send out a search party. He internally cursed Draco Malfoy for putting him in this position, then started cursing the rest of the sixth year Slytherins as well for good measure. Just as he reached the end of the list of Slytherins he knew by name his invisibility cloak was ripped off of him.

Standing above him was a familiar pink haired witch and Harry exhaled his relief as she cast the counter jinx and he could finally move again.

"Wortcher, Harry." She flashed him a sad smile as she helped him up, handing him the cloak. "We better get out of here quickly or we will be well on our way back to London."

"Right, thanks." Harry tried to nod and instantly regretted it. His stiff muscles protested his sudden movement.

Steam was billowing past the compartment windows, obscuring the view of Hogsmeade by moonlight. The rumble beneath his feet confirmed what the smoke had only hinted at. They were gathering speed.

"We will have to make a jump for it." Tonks called over the roar of the wind as she opened the train door and leapt smoothly onto the platform.

Harry's nose and cheekbones were throbbing, and his body felt as if it were made of lead. The fall from the luggage rack to the floor probably left a couple of good bruises. He winced at the pain but was still able to be amused that Tonks had just accomplished jumping out of a moving train gracefully.

The platform seemed to be sliding underneath him as the train gathered momentum. Harry swore and followed after Tonks, staggering a little on the landing. He managed to look back just in time to see the gleaming scarlet steam engine pick up speed, round the corner, and disappear. The cold night air felt like a soothing balm to his injured nose and he closed his eyes at the slight sense of relief. When he opened them again Tonks was looking at him in a calculating manner, tilting her head ever so slightly as she finally took in his macabre appearance.

"Who was it?" She frowned, pulling out her wand. She waved it quickly and a massive silvery four-legged creature erupted from the tip before cantering off towards Hogwarts.

"Draco Malfoy. He caught me by surprise." Harry said evasively. "Thanks for coming to look for me."

"No problem." Tonks nodded curtly at him. Even in the dark of night, she looked miserable and Harry didn't know how to help.

"How did you find me?" He asked instead.

"I'm stationed in Hogsmeade to keep an eye on things. I didn't see you get off the train with your friends so I started to worry." She kept her gaze straight ahead as they started down the carriage-carved path. "When the last carriage left for Hogwarts and I still hadn't seen you I hopped on board and started combing each compartment. I figured you must be hiding under your cloak or something so I tried summoning it."

"Brilliant." Harry started to smile and immediately stopped. Apparently certain lip movements tweaked his nose just enough to make it shoot pulsating pain through his cheeks bones.