Dawn Rivera

The Deathly Hallows

I fall, panting, on to grass and scramble up at once. We seem to have landed in the corner of a field at dusk; Hermione and I are already running around them, waving wand and hands.

Protego totalum...I think. Salvio hexia...

"That treacherous old bleeder!" Ron pants, emerging from beneath the Invisibility Cloak and throwing it to Harry. "Hermione, Dawn, you're geniuses, total geniuses, I can't believe we got out of that!"

"Cave inimicum...didn't we say it was an Erumpent horn?" Hermione says. "Didn't we tell him? And now his house has been blown apart!"

"Serves him right," says Ron, examining his torn jeans and the cuts to his legs. "What d'you reckon they'll do to him?"

"Oh, I hope they don't kill him!" I groan. "That's why we wanted the Death Eaters to get a glimpse of Harry before we left, so they knew Xenophilius hadn't been lying!"

"Why hide me, though?" asks Ron.

"You're supposed to be in bed with spattergroit, Ron!" Hermione says. "They've kidnapped Luna because her father supported Harry! What would happen to your family if they knew you're with him?"

"But what about your mum and dad?"

"They're in Australia," I say. "They should be all right. They don't know anything."

"You're geniuses," Ron repeats, looking awed. I blush under his gaze, old feelings starting to creep back through me. Perhaps they're not so long-forgotten after all. If Harry notices, he doesn't show it.

"Yeah, you are, Hermione and Dawn," agrees Harry fervently. "I don't know what we'd do without you."

Hermione and I beam, but become solemn at once.

"What about Luna?" Hermione says.

"Well, if they're telling the truth and she's still alive - " begins Ron.

"Don't say that, don't say it!" I squeal. "She must be alive, she must!"

"Then she'll be in Azkaban, I expect," says Ron. "Whether she survives the place, though...loads don't..."

"She will," says Danny. I can not bare to contemplate the alternative. "She's tough, Luna, much tougher than you'd think. She's probably teaching all the inmates about Wrackspurts and Nargles."

"I hope you're right," says Hermione. She passes a hand over her eyes. "I'd feel sorry for Xenophilius if - "

" - if he hasn't just tried to sell us to the Death Eaters, yeah," says Ron.

We put up the tent and retreat inside it, where Ron makes us tea. After our narrow escape, the chilly, musty old place feels like home, safe, familiar and friendly.

"Oh, why did we go there?" I groan after a few minutes silence. "Harry, Danny, you were right, it was Godric's Hollow all over again, a complete waste of time! The Deathly Hallows...such rubbish...although actually," a sudden thought has struck me, "he made of made it all up, mightn't he? He probably does believe in the Deathly Hallows at all, but he just wanted to keep us talking until the Death Eaters arrived!"

"I don't think so," says Ron. "It's a damn' sight harder making stuff up when you're under stress than you'd think. I found that out when the Snatchers caught me. It was much easier pretending to be Stan, because I knew a bit about him, than inventing a whole new person. Old Lovegood was under loads of pressure, trying to make sure we stayed put. I reckon he told us the truth, or what he thinks is the truth, just to keep us talking."

"Well, I don't suppose it matters," sighs Hermione. "Even if he was being honest, I never heard such a lot of nonsense in all my life."

"Hang on," says Ron. "The Chamber of Secrets was supposed to be a myth, wasn't it?"