Putting on my shoes, I briskly went out of the dorm and then exited the common room, running all the way towards Dumbledore's office.
I was sweating like I had never before and my heart was throbbing against my chest.
I knew Dumbledore had asked me to not talk about the things I knew, but I couldn't bear the thought of Mr. Weasley getting hurt.
I knew Harry was going to have his vision tonight and see the snake attack him. I knew that on this same night, Dumbledore would be sending the Weasley children and Harry to Grimmauld Place with Sirius.
I knew they were going to find Mr. Weasley on time and get him to St. Mungo's hospital. I knew he was going to be alright.
But I didn't care. All I knew was that I wanted him saved. I couldn't lay back in my bed, knowing that he was going to be brutally hurt, knowing what the Weasleys were going to go through.
I had to stop it, and I was just hoping that I wasn't too late as I reached the Gargoyle statue.
But I came to a halt before it, realizing that I didn't remember the password.
"Lemendrop!? Sharbot Lemon!" I kept shouting at the statue, but it didn't even stir. "OPEN UP, DAMN IT!" I screamed, feeling the tears fill up my eyes.
"Oh, God..." I muttered shakily to myself, at the verge of crying as the stress was bending me down.
I hid my face in my hands as I paced around, thinking and thinking to remember the pasword, and finally, after what felt like ab eternity, my head shot up.
"That's it! Fizzing Whizbee!" I let out and with that, the Gargoyle came to life and opened up a stairway in front of.
I ran up so fast that I nearly tripped twice trying to get at the top of it until I finally reached Dumbledore's office and without even bothering to knock, I banged it open.
"Professor!" I panted, getting inside.
There I saw Dumbledore, sitting behind his desk and his face illuminated under the candlelight.
"Ah, Miss Hooper," he beamed at me. "To what do I owe thi—"
"It's Mr. Weasley, Professor!" I cried out. "He — he's in danger! Arthur Weasley's in danger! You need to save him!"
Dumbledore suddenly looked alarm by those words, yet when he spoke again, his voice was still calm. "What is it that's going to happen, Miss Hooper?"
"He's at the Ministry," I said. "He's going to be attacked my Voldemort's snake. Harry's going to have his vision, and he's going to come in here with Professor McGonagall and Ron in a bit, I think."
"And would he be dead, if you weren't here to warn me?" he asked, looking at me warily.
"What does it matter!?" I shouted, glaring at him in horror. But when he didn't responds, I said, "No, he won't die. But you have to save him, Professor. Please."
"But to meddle with time —"
"THE HELL WITH THE DAMN TIME!"
Dumbledore sighed, but nodded either way. "I hope you'll accept the consequences on your own account."
And with that, he got to his feet and walked towards the portraits of the old Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts and sent one of them to the Ministry and one to St. Mungo's, and sent his phoenix to look out for Umbridge.
I sat down on a chair nearby, rocking back and forth as I waited for Harry's arrival.
I didn't know how early or late I had been, but my question was answered when not fifteen minutes later, the door to the office opened and Harry walked in, supported by Ron and Professor McGonagall just as I had said.
They all glanced at me curiously, but before any of them could say anything, the wizard returned to his portrait, panting. "Dumbledore!"
"What news?" said Dumbledore at once.
"I yelled until someone came running," said the wizard, "said I'd heard something moving downstairs — they weren't sure whether to believe me but went down to check — Anyway, they carried him up a few minutes later. But he didn't look too bad, but he was losing a bit of blood."
"Good," said Dumbledore, "I take it Dilys will have seen him arrive, then —"
And moments later, the witch had reappeared in her picture too and said, "Yes, they've taken him to St. Mungo's, Dumbledore. . . . They carried him past under my portrait."
"Thank you," said Dumbledore. He looked around at Professor McGonagall.
"Minerva, I need you to go and wake the other Weasley children."
"Of course. . . ." Professor McGonagall got up and moved swiftly to the door.
Dumbledore then marched over to another portrait of a wizard who was sleeping, and called it out, "Phineas. Phineas!"
The wizard gave a theatrical jerk and opened his eyes wide. "Did someone call?"
"I need you to visit your other portrait again, Phineas," said Dumbledore. "I've got another message."
"Oh, very well," said the wizard called Phineas lazily, "though he may well have destroyed my picture by now, he's done most of the family—"
"Sirius knows not to destroy your portrait," said Dumbledore. "You are to give him the message that Arthur Weasley has been gravely injured and that his wife, children, Harry Potter, and Lexi Hooper will be arriving at his house shortly. Do you understand?"
"Arthur Weasley injured, wife, children, Harry Potter, and Lexi Hooper coming to stay," Phineas repeated in a bored voice. "Yes, yes . . . very well. . . ." And with that, he was gone.
Dumbledore then finally turned to Harry. "What did you see exactly, Harry?"
Harry, who looked both horrified and shocked, said, "I . . . well, I was asleep. . . . then it changed, but it wasn't an ordinary dream . . . it was real. . . . I saw it happen. . . ." He took a deep breath, "Ron's dad — Mr. Weasley — has been attacked by a giant snake. The snake didn't get much chance on him, because someone bursted in before it could cause too much damage and the snake quickly disappeared and I woke up."
Just then, there was a quick knock on the door and Fred, George, and Ginny came inside with Professor McGonagall, all three of them looking disheveled and shocked.
"What's going on?" asked Ginny, who looked frightened. "Professor McGonagall says you saw Dad hurt —"
"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix," said Dumbledore before Harry could speak. "He has been taken to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am sending you back to Sirius's house. You will meet your mother there."
"How're we going?" asked Fred, looking shaken. "Floo powder?"
"No," said Dumbledore, "Floo powder is not safe at the moment, the Network is being watched. You will be taking a Portkey."
There was a flash of flame in the very middle of the office, leaving behind a single golden feather that floated gently to the floor.
"It is Fawkes's warning," said Dumbledore, catching the feather as it fell. "She must know you're out of your beds. . . . Minerva, go and head her off — tell her any story —"
Professor McGonagall was gone in a swish of tartan.
"He says he'll be delighted," said a bored voice behind Dumbledore; the wizard called Phineas had reappeared. "My great-great-grandson has always had odd taste in houseguests. . . ."
"Come here, then," Dumbledore said to Harry and the Weasleys. "And quickly, before anyone else joins us . . ."
We all gathered around Dumbledore's desk as he set down a kettle on it, turning it into a Portkey with his wand.
"You know how a Portkey works, I gather?" Dumbledore asked me and I nodded, and so each of us reached out to touch some part of the kettle. "Good. On the count of three then . . . one . . . two . . . three."