Harry, Ginny and Luna were crowded around Ron as he spoke quickly about what had just happened. He stood pointing at the door, gleaming as if it was his own creation.
"But Ron," Harry said. "We don't have a postcard of wherever Hermione is."
Ron smiled still, "No, but we do have…"
Ginny had caught on, "…Hermione's letter! She described a bit of where she was!"
Everyone was very excited and they couldn't wait around for the order to arrive. Then Ginny inquired, "Wait, hold on a moment. How do we get back here?"
Everyone thought for a minute. "Well," Ron said, "we're not sure if the door stays put if we do close it. So we may not be able to come back. But that's not the point! We have to help Hermione!"
Harry agreed, "Yes, but we should have a way just in case."
Ron looked at Ginny, "I don't even know this address yet. Do you?"
She nodded, "We have to have it written somewhere."
Luna had knocked on the red door and everyone looked at her. "Well," she said, looking almost taken aback by all the sudden attention, "What about the envelope?" It hit everyone at once. Their address was written on the envelope holding Hermione's letter.
Ron pulled the envelope he had snatched when he left the house from out of his pocket, "Yes! Count on Hermione to remember my address before I do!" He kissed the envelope and everyone pulled out their wands; it was pretty much decided that they were leaving at once.
Ron took out the letter and put the envelope back into his pocket. Harry opened the mail slot and dropped the letter into it. There was no sound. Harry turned the knob and when the door opened everyone gasped. There were mountains covered in snow and the sky was indeed a purplish grey.
Everyone stepped through the door and turned towards the door frame. The storage room was warm and inviting on the other side and Harry said, "Maybe we should leave it open."
Ron stepped up and grabbed the door handle, "No, there are death eaters here, and if the door is open, anyone could just walk through to the other side." And so they closed the door.
No sooner had it closed; the door seemed to have evaporated into thin air. "No..." Ron whispered.
"Shush!" Ginny said, "Look…" Everyone looked in front of them and saw a small castle: snow white and barely visible. They might have walked right past it had Ginny not pointed out its existence.
The small crew started quickly towards the castle with their wands out and a spell in mind to cast if a death eater popped up. They came to a wall of the castle, but had to throw themselves on the ground when two death eaters were walking by. They went unnoticed and when out of danger, wondered how to get inside. Harry looked at the two death eaters as they turned the corner and he mumbled, "Hmm..."
Harry's plan had succeeded. The two death eaters were thrown to the ground by stunning spells and Ron and Harry snatched their cloaks. After putting them on, they were unrecognizable.
"Ok," Ron said towards Ginny and Luna, "You two stay here while Harry and I go inside." Ginny and Luna argued so much that Ron realized that leaving them out was impossible.
Harry gathered them around and said, "Ok here's the plan: Ron, you and Luna go and Find Hermione. Ginny and I will try and stop Voldemort." After that everyone gave a last look of luck and went towards either end of the castle wall.
Harry and Ginny were under the cloak and Harry said, "How will we get inside?"
Ginny looked around and said, "Well we could blast through the wall."
Harry smiled at her, "Well that could work."
On the other side Ron was boosting Luna up to a window and she jumped through. She then pulled Ron inside and they saw that they were in a dungeon looking hallway.
Ron looked Luna in the eye so that she would completely understand what he was going to say, "Okay, We have to be completely quiet. If anyone-!"
There was an explosion on the other side of the castle. Ron turned to Luna, "Ok forget that last part! We've got to find Hermione!"
Harry and Ginny ran through the cloud of smoke and immediately a few death eaters had run up and were ready to use spells. Ginny and Harry were much too quick and all the death eaters that had gotten there first were on the ground.
Harry and Ginny kept their wands out, for more death eaters were sure to approach and Harry said, "We have to get to Voldemort before he gets away!"
In the dungeons, Ron and Luna opened a big wooden door. "Yes!" Ron yelled as he looked at the row of dungeons ahead of him. There was a death eater at the end of the hall and he lifted his wand in surprise.
Ron flustered with his wand and Luna lifted hers quickly shouting, "Expelliarmus!"
The death eater's wand flew out of his hands and Ron shouted, "Accio Wand!"
With the guards wand in their hands, he surrendered and lay on the ground. Ron ran up to him and shouted, "Where is she? Where's Hermione? Where?"
The guard looked up and smiled, "You're too late!" His voice was scratchy and void of any sorrow. "Voldemort has already placed his curse upon her. She will sleep forever, that one!" He nodded in the direction of the cell at the end of the hall.
Ron felt a rage of anger in him and he yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!"
Harry and Ginny had to dart behind doors every time death eaters showed up. There seemed to be no limit to them. Stunning spells and curses of every type were flying down the corridors. Harry and Ginny were cornered into a doorway. There was no way out. Unless…
Ginny ugently explained, "Harry distract them with your patronus!"
Harry had no time to decide if this request was silly or not and he quickly thought about how he had recently been reunited with his friends. He shouted, "Expecto Patronum!" A silvery stag leapt from his wand and ran untouched through the hall so that the death eaters were looking at it with fear.
Ginny pointed her wand at the floor of the hall and she shouted, "Aquas endium!" The floor beneath the Death Eaters turned into a deep pool of water and they all fell into it, loosing their wands and struggling to try and swim. Ginny pulled an astounded Harry into the room and closed the door. She smiled at him, "George taught me how."
They chuckled lightly but stopped quickly as a voice in the room said, "Harry Potter. How nice to see you…"