Beauty and the Beast [Draco Malfoy]

Chapter Thirty-Three

Lizzie's POV:

The five of us sprinted through Hogwarts to the front entrance hall, skidding around corners and leaping down steps. We all seemed to be following Ron, who was several paces in front of us.

"Where do you think they took her?" Ginny panted beside me.

"I have an idea," Ron huffed, throwing the creaky door open. He only paused a moment before he took off towards the Forbidden Forest.

"The Forbidden Forest?" I asked in confusion, running a few metres behind Ron. That's where Dumbledore hid his weapon?

"That's where Hagrid hid Grawp," Ron replied.

"What the hell is Grawp?" I questioned. "And what has Hagrid got to do with any of this?" Today was just getting more and more confusing as the day went on.

As we neared the edge of the forest. Ron slowed to a brisk walk. I was about to ask him how we were going to find Harry, Hermione, and Umbridge inside the vast area when a familiar voice rang out from just beyond the line of trees.

"Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?" Hermione asked. I saw Ron's freckled face break out into a wide grin.

"Yeah, we were just wondering that," he said, walking into the forest to where Hermione's voice had originated. Harry and Hermione were standing there looking worse for wear. Several scratches covered their faces and leaves and twigs were sticking from their hair.

"How did you get away?" Harry asked in amazement. His jaw was practically on the ground.

"Couple of Stunners," Ron said, glancing at me a bit nervously. "What've you done with Umbridge?" He asked the question all of us were wondering, seeing as the horrid woman was nowhere to be found.

"She got carried away," Harry replied. "By a herd of centaurs." He looked mighty pleased with himself.

"And they left you behind?" Ginny asked.

"No, they got chased off by Grawp," he explained vaguely.

"Who the hell is Grawp?" I questioned, wanting at least a little bit of explanation.

"Hagrid's little brother," Ron brushed me off. "Anyway, how are we getting to London?" We all fell silent, pretending to be thinking of a way to get to London where I assumed Voldemort was keeping Harry's godfather.

"Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" Luna said, speaking for the first time.

---

Within a matter of thirty minutes, we were streaking over the land below us, flying on Thestrals. Since I had never seen anyone die (thank Merlin), the group of us were flying without any visible means of support, and it was utterly bizarre.

We flew for what seemed to be ages, while my hands and face quickly became numb from the cool spring air. Had I felt any urge to, I would have been unable to study the forests and villages and lakes that zoomed past us on our journey, but I was too terrified of the near future to do anything but go over a list of spells in my head. And before I was ready, we were all suddenly lurching towards the ground. Bright city lights became visible and were growing larger and larger. We were in London.

When my Thestral touched down, I quite ungracefully slid off it's invisible back to the pavement below, thankful to be back on the ground. Don't get me wrong, flying was breathtaking and all, but it had been a bit unnerving being unable to see what was holding me up.

"Where do we go then?" Luna asked Harry in an airy voice. Her blonde hair was blown back from the wind, as I imagine all of ours was.

"Over here," Harry said, making his way to a battered telephone box and opened the door. The seven of us piled into the very, very small booth, with elbows and shoulders sticking into each others stomachs. I suddenly became aware of how bad we all smelled. "Whoever's nearest to the receiver, dial six two four four two!" Harry said. Ron twisted around beside me, bending his arm oddly to reach the dial.