Daisy Potter and the Fallen Angel (Book 7, Harry Potter ff)

Chapter 4 - Wanted

Everything seemed fuzzy, slow. Fred and I sprang apart and drew our wands. Many people were only just realising 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.

Fred and I threw ourselves into the panicking crowd. Guests were sprinting in all directions; many were Disapparating; the protective enchantments around the Burrow had broken.

"Harry!" I cried. "Harry, where are you?"

As we pushed our way across the dance floor, I saw cloaked and masked figures appearing in the crowd; then I saw Sirius and Lupin, their wands raised, and heard both of them shout, "Protego!", a cry that was echoed on all sides - But where was Harry, where was my twin, my brother -

"Harry! Harry!" I called, half sobbing as Fred and I were buffered by terrified guests: Fred seized my hand as a streak of light whizzed over our heads, whether a protective charm or something more sinister I didn't know -

And then Terry and George were there. Terry caught hold of my free arm, George taking Fred's, and I felt Fred turn on the spot; sight and sound were extinguished as darkness pressed in upon me; all I could feel was Fred and Terry's hands as I was squeezed through space and time, away from the Burrow, away from the descending Death Eaters, away, perhaps, from Riddle himself...

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

I opened my eyes. For a moment I thought we had not left the wedding after all; we still seemed to be surrounded by people. We were on a busy street, with people moving in all directions around us. Terry had a rucksack slung over one shoulder - "I Apparated into the Burrow to get it literally ten seconds ago." He explained - and the twins were craning their necks over the crowd.

"I dunno, some random street in London near the Leaky Cauldron, I think." Fred said. "Don't ask me, I seriously don't know why I thought of here."

"The others - everybody at the wedding - Harry -" I croaked out, my bottom lip wobbling.

"We can't worry about all them now." Terry whispered. "It's you they're after, Softpaw, and we'd just put everyone in even more danger by going back."

"He's right." Fred said, seeming to know that I was about to argue. "Most of the Order was there, they'll look after everyone. Harry'll be fine, they'd never kill him while Riddle's still after you; he'd want him as leverage over you."

"Yeah." I said. But I thought of Harry being held as Riddle's hostage, and fear bubbled like acid in my stomach.

"C'mon, I think we ought to keep moving." George said.

We moved up a side street and onto another main road, where a group of men on the opposite side was singing and weaving across the pavement.

"Where can we go?" Terry asked.

I cringed as the men on the other side of the road started wolf-whistling at me. I was having to hold my very short dress down otherwise the breeze would lift it up. Fred slid an arm around me, scowling.

"We can hardly book rooms at the Leaky Cauldron, can we? Maybe we can - oh, I wish those assholes would shut up!" George shot a glare at the men.

"Alright, darling?" The drunkest of the men on the other pavement was yelling. "Fancy a drink? Ditch Ginger and come and have a pint!"

"Let's sit down somewhere." I said hastily as Fred opened his mouth to shout back across the road. "Look, maybe we SHOULD go get a pint or some shit, c'mon, in here."

I nudged Terry and the twins into a pub next to us. The bouncer just let us through without any complaint, and I led the way to the bar, sliding onto a stool at the far end. The three boys sat down around me, their wands drawn underneath their blazers, glancing shiftily around. A loud crowd of people were dancing in the middle of the room, and another sizeable crowd was vying for attention at the bar, attempting to order drinks.