Co-Written by Liza (NeonDomino) and Sophie (Screaming Faeries)

Chapter Two: Static

"We need to leave soon."

Regulus sat facing Minerva at the dining table, waiting for her to reply to his statement. He had been saying the same thing for weeks now, yet she had insisted that they were safest in the castle. There was food and the castle was secure against attacks.

But the food supply was slowly dwindling. It hadn't meant to last past July when students had left to go home, and there was no way of getting more food whilst being stuck in the castle. A few crops were growing out in the garden, but Regulus wanted to get out of there. He wanted to look for his brother and the rest of his family. He wanted to know how many more survivors there were. He was sick of spending his time in the castle.

Beneath the table, Barty took hold of Regulus's hand, and nodded at his old professor. "Regulus is right. We understand if you don't want to make the journey with us, but we have to leave. We can't sit here like ducks any longer."

Minerva ground the palm of her hand into her eyes. "You're not old enough to leave by yourselves."

"I think we're past worrying about age restrictions," Regulus snapped. "The whole country has dissolved into madness. I need to find my brother, and I'm not going to do that sitting up here in Scotland." He looked around the table at the others who sat there; Kingsley and Caradoc, the local policemen, Madam Rosmerta from the pub down in the village, and the remaining school staff, Madam Pomfrey, Professor Trelawney and Hagrid. "Don't the rest of you have family members to get to?"

Kingsley slowly nodded his head. "There isn't much food left in the castle. We would need to leave sooner or later. Isn't it better to do it now—we can bring what we have with us to tide us over until we find another safe location and a new supply of food."

"We have crops here," Minerva began.

"Those crops won't last forever. Winter is just around the corner," Madam Pomfrey insisted.

Minerva considered herself guardian to the two remaining students. They hadn't returned home from Hogwarts so they were still under her care and she had vowed to do whatever she could to keep them safe. She couldn't stop the other adults from leaving however and she knew the two Slytherins would insist on following.

"Not today," she finally said. She watched the hopeful expressions on their faces shift into disappointment and anger. "We're not leaving here without some sort of plan. We need to work out where we want to go, I'm not having us wandering around Scotland without a plan, and we need some way of keeping safe." She paused, and looked down at her hands. "Also, we need to decide what to do about...about the headmaster."

Hagrid placed a large hand on Minerva's arm, fresh tears springing into his eyes. "It's sad, Professor, but I don' think there's anything we can do for him now. Perhaps we should jus'...let him go."

Minerva shrugged the hand away and pursed her lips firmly. "I refuse to believe that there isn't some way we could cure him," she insisted weakly. She knew she would follow if Regulus and Barty left, but was reluctant to leave the headmaster.

"That's always a possibility, Minnie," Madam Pomfrey said. "But we couldn't take him with us. It'd be too dangerous. What if he got loose during our travels and attacked someone? What if he attacked one of us? We can't put the boys at risk like that."

Once again, Minerva rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I can't see him left here alone."

"You won't have to, dear," Professor Trelawney interjected suddenly. "I have nowhere else to go, no family to find out there. Hogwarts is my home, and I'd rather remain here. I'll stay and ensure that Professor Dumbledore remains safely locked up in his office, until you return with a cure."

"She's optimistic," Barty muttered, more to Regulus than to the rest of the table. Trelawney overheard him and shot him a glare, but said nothing else.

"Sybil…" Minerva replied, but she didn't know how to respond to that. If Professor Trelawney wanted to remain, it wasn't her place to argue. It was safer than leaving Dumbledore alone in the castle and for strangers to happen upon him and kill him.

Finding a cure was a new goal and it gave Minerva a reason to finally nod her head in agreement. "We need to leave enough for Sybil," she said. "I think it'll require a trip into town. There have been less of those creatures trying to get in the gates, which I hope means they've left the town. We'll make a plan to head there today and then do an inventory. Once we've done that, we'll make plans to leave."

Carodoc glanced towards the window. "We can't all go. Me, Kingsley and Hagrid perhaps?"

"What about us?" Regulus demanded. "The more that go, the more supplies we can collect!" His lips twisted into a smile. "Plus, if you don't let us go, we won't tell you about the tunnel that leads straight to town. The one my brother told me about."

"But there could be some of the infected—they could follow you back," Poppy insisted.

"Then we collapse the tunnel," Barty replied, shrugging his shoulders. "It'd have served its purpose."

"One of us should remain here to stay guard to the castle," said Kingsley. "The tunnel would be the best way to travel there, as the dead would see us coming down the hill towards Hogsmeade. As Regulus and Barty know how to navigate the tunnels, one of them should come with us." He looked at Minerva pointedly. "I can assure you that whoever travels with us will be kept safe from harm."

"I'm not leaving you," Barty said to Regulus suddenly.

Regulus nodded stoically, looking back to Kingsley. "Barty and I stay together."

Kingsley didn't argue. "Then Barty, Regulus, you come with me, Hagrid and…"

Minerva stepped forward. "I won't allow the students to leave, at least now without me travelling with them."

Kingsley nodded. "Then it's settled."

"As your senior partner, Kingsley," Caradoc started in a patronising voice, "I think you should remain here and guard the tunnel. I will travel into Hogsmeade with the group."

Kingsley nodded, frowning slightly but choosing not to argue. Over the few weeks in the castle, Caradoc had made sure to remind everyone of him being the senior of the two police-officers. He had tried to be in charge of the castle itself, but Minerva had quickly nipped that in the bud.

"Perhaps I should guard the other end of the tunnel," he suggested instead, looking to Caradoc for support. "I'll know quickly if there's danger."

Caradoc considered it for a moment before nodding. "You can wait just inside of the tunnel. We'll work out a way to signal you," he replied. "We should go now before it starts to get dark."

"Wouldn't darkness help though?" Trelawney asked. "They won't see you that way."

"We won' see them either," Hagrid replied. "I've got some bits we can use fer weapons."

"Maybe we can cause a commotion on the hill down beforehand," Poppy suggested. "It'll draw the attention of anything lurking in town. They'll be coming up the hill and gathering by the gates. It'll mean less… things to deal with down there."

"Hagrid, you see what we have in the way of weapons. Also, if there's something that can cause a distraction—perhaps a flare of some sort? Fireworks too…"

"Sybil and I can set off fireworks when you're in the tunnel," Poppy decided.

Kingsley looked between the group. "We have a plan then. We'll set off a distraction before leaving, halfway up the hill. When we get back in, we'll lock and secure the gates before heading to the tunnel. Our group will go through, whilst Sybil and Poppy get the fireworks ready, letting them off every couple of minutes until our return, trying to draw as many of the zombies up the hill. Everyone happy with it?"

Caradoc insisted on leading the way and exiting the tunnel first, with Kingsley bringing up the rear. Minerva stuck close to Barty and Regulus, refusing to let the only remaining students out of her sight. Hagrid followed Minerva, trying his best to keep his large, lumbering frame quiet and undetectable.

It was easier said than done.

The flares had been set off before they had departed from the castle, allowing time for the creatures to get up the hill. As they had set off through the dark space, they had all carefully listened, hoping no creature had managed to find its way into the tunnel. They all wanted to avoid them as much as possible.

They emerged one by one. Caradoc leading the way still, looking around for any sign of movement as he slipped out of the basement door and up into Honeydukes.

The others waited for the all clear as Caradoc glanced out of a dirty window, his gaze on the slope that led up to Hogwarts.

They could hear various groans and snarls as the creatures staggered towards the hill. Distant bangs filled the air.

"Stick together as a group," Caradoc murmured, gesturing for the others to follow. Kingsley paused by the door to the basement, clutching his weapon. "Follow me," Caradoc added.

They moved towards the door, each treading lightly in case any creatures were about.

Kingsley waited in the entrance of the tunnel, fiddling with his radio. It had only played out static for weeks, but he was still hopeful that it might pick something up—plus he needed something to distract him from worrying about what could be going on out there.

He cursed Caradoc inwardly for making him stay behind and guard the tunnel. Although Caradoc was his superior, the older police officer was flighty and loud, and would probably slow the group down. But of course, he couldn't say anything to him. Even though their positions didn't really count for much anymore, Kingsley still respected Caradoc.

The static crackled, and Kingsley held it higher to his ear. "Come in, Kingsley. Come in."

It was Caradoc. Kingsley pressed the button that allowed him to speak. "Caradoc, you got your radio to work. Where are you all?" He checked his watch absently, nervous about how long the group had been away from the safety of the castle.

"We got separated," Caradoc replied, his voice low. "I...I don't know what happened. A group of the dead came at us from inside one of shops. I ran one way; I thought the rest of them were following me, but when I turned around they were gone. I've managed to lead the zombies away from them, but they're still on me."

"Just tell me where abouts you are," Kingsley said. "What can you see? Anything familiar? I'll try and help you navigate your way back to Honeydukes without arousing suspicion."

The wind blew noisily threw the radio as Caradoc spun around. "I don't know," he replied. Panic was evident in his tone. "I just need to calm down. One minute." He took a few breaths. "Oh, God. Kingsley...I can see them. They're coming at me!"

"Caradoc!" Kingsley yelled into the radio. "I'm coming. Just run back towards the village. I'm coming!"

"Don't leave your position!" Caradoc shouted back. There was a series of thudding as he ran heavily. "As your senior partner, I order you to stay where you are and wait for our comrades to retur—"

"Caradoc?!" Kingsley held the radio closer to his ear, straining to listen. Caradoc's voice had broken off suddenly, the radio strangely silent.

Suddenly, a devastating scream ripped through the crackling radio, but Kingsley heard it all around him too—above Honeydukes, somewhere out in Hogsmeade.

Caradoc was gone.

The radio crackled to life once more, and Kingsley turned the volume up, waiting to hear something—was Caradoc still alive? He stared at it desperately, waiting for something, anything.

A voice started to speak, but it wasn't Caradoc.