━ 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐥;
Anastasia Lupin-Black was never aware of her ulterior self. You see, she's adopted just like her other two siblings. Anastasia Lupin-Black was just a cover-up for who she truly was. For who was hidden beneath all the lies and enchant...
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"That was brilliant!" Ron cried as they soared through the sky. "Absolutely brilliant!"
Anastasia peered over its wing as the city below them drifted away in a flurry of buildings blending until it flattened to pure land. On and on they flew, over countryside parceled out in patches of green and brown, over roads and rivers winding through the landscape like strips of matte and glossy ribbon.
The sun slipped lower in the sky, which was turning indigo; and still, the dragon flew, cities and towns gliding out of sight beneath them, its enormous shadow sliding over the earth like a giant dark cloud.
"Is it my imagination," shouted Ron after a considerable stretch of silence, "or are we losing height?"
Harry looked down and saw deep green mountains and lakes, coppery in the sunset. the landscape seemed to grow larger and more detailed as he squinted over the side of the dragon, and he wondered whether it had divined the presence of fresh water by the flashes of reflected sunlight.
"I say we jump when it gets low enough!" Harry called back to the others. "Straight into the water before it realizes we're here!"
Hermione whipped her head to look at Harry. "When?" She asked a little frightened.
"Now!" Harry ordered.
The four of them slipped off of the dragon and plunged beneath the icy cool water below them. Anastasia kicked her feet and used her arms in a parting motion to pop her head above the surface of the water.
Harry, Ron, Anastasia, and Hermione struck out for the opposite shore. The lake did not seem to be deep. Soon it was more a question of fighting their way through reeds and mud than swimming, and at last, they climbed up to a rocky surface.
Anastasia felt her clothes cling uncomfortably to her body, Hermione's dress had been sopping wet and so were Ron's dress robes.
Harry walked a few steps ahead of them, panting as he ran a hand over his face. "He knows -- You-Know-Who. He knows we broke into Gringotts. He knows what we took, and he knows we're hunting Horcruxes."
"How is it you know?" Hermione demanded as she walked swiftly trying to catch up to Harry.
"I saw him," Harry replied immediately after her question.
Hermione looked furious. "You let him in? Harry, you can't do that!"
"Hermione, I can't always help it! Well, maybe I can -- I don't know." Harry rambled nervously.
Anastasia climbed up the steep hill alongside Ron who looked at the two impatiently. "Never mind. What happened?" Ron questioned.
"Well, he's angry. And scared, too. He knows if we find and destroy all of the Horcruxes we'll be able to kill him." Harry breathed out as they all stopped and Hermione began digging things out of her bag. "I reckon he'll stop at nothing to make sure we don't find the rest."
