𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝟕.𝟐 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞

7.2 a place to hide

Everything seemed fuzzy, slow.

Harry and Hermione jumped to their feet and drew their wands.

Many people were only just realizing that something strange had happened; heads were still turning toward the silver cat as it vanished.

Silence spread outward in cold ripples from the place where the Patronus had landed.

Then somebody screamed.

Harry and Hermione threw themselves into the panicking crowd. Guests were sprinting in all directions; many were Disapparating; the protective enchantments around the Burrow had broken.

"Ron!" Hermione cried. "Ron, where are you?"

"Y/n" yelled Harry searching the crowd for the h/c haired girl. The one time he needed to find her. . .

As they pushed their way across the dance floor, Harry saw cloaked and masked figures appearing in the crowd; then he saw Lupin and Tonks, their wands raised, and heard both of them shout, "Protego!", a cry that was echoed on all sides —

"Ron! Y/n!" Hermione called, half sobbing as she and Harry were buffeted by terrified guests.

Harry with a stroke of relief found Y/n and seized her hand to make sure they weren't separated. Y/n's clasped Hermione's free hand and the three of them searched for Ron as spelled whizzed over their heads.

And then Ron was there.

He caught hold of Hermione's shoulder, and Harry felt Y/n turn on the spot; sight and sound were extinguished as darkness pressed in upon him; all he could feel was Y/n's hand as he was squeezed through space and time, away from the Burrow, away from the descending Death Eaters, away, perhaps, from Voldemort himself. . . .

"Where are we?" said Ron's voice.

Harry opened his eyes. For a moment he thought they had not left the wedding after all: They still seemed to be surrounded by people.

"Tottenham Court Road," panted Hermione. "Walk, just walk, we need to find somewhere for us to change."

Harry did as she asked.

They half walked, half ran up the wide dark street thronged with late-night revelers and lined with closed shops, stars twinkling above them. A double-decker bus rumbled by and a group of merry pub-goers ogled them as they passed; Harry and Ron were still wearing dress robes.

"Hermione, we haven't got anything to change into," Ron told her, as a young woman burst into raucous giggles at the sight of him.

"Why didn't I make sure I had the Invisibility Cloak with me?" said Harry, inwardly cursing his own stupidity. "All last year I kept it on me and —"

"It's okay, we've got the Cloak, we've got clothes for both of you," said Y/n glancing at Hermione. "Just try and act naturally until — this will do."

Y/n led them down a side street, then into the shelter of a shadowy alleyway.

' "When you say you two have got the Cloak, and clothes . . ." said Harry, frowning at Hermione and Y/n. Y/n had nothing on herself except for a handbag and Hermione was carrying a small beaded purse. The two of them were rummaging their back. Harry wondered what was taking them so incredibly long.

"Yes, they're here," said Hermione. "You have the clothes?" she asked Y/n.

To Harry and Ron's utter astonishment, Y/n pulled out a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, some maroon socks. Meanwhile Hermione brought out the silvery Invisibility Cloak.