The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|131| Screaming Contest

It was snowing by the time Harry took over the watch at midnight. We had nothing as we passed each other. In the morning, Hermione shook me awake and beckoned me to go outside with Harry. Blindly, I followed her to meet Harry who was drawing figures in the snow with a discarded branch.

"Come inside, we're up," said Hermione softly. Harry followed us back inside and I rolled my eyes, I didn't need to be woken up to just have Harry come inside.

"We'll go somewhere more sheltered," Harry said, shivering as he shook the small snowflakes off his shoulders. "I kept thinking I could hear people moving outside. I even thought I saw somebody once or twice."

"Hm, I thought so too," I said softly.

Hermione paused in the act of pulling on a jumper and glanced at the silent, motionless Sneakoscope on the table.

"I'm sure I imagined it," I said, looking nervous. "The snow in the dark, it plays tricks on your eyes."

"But perhaps," Hermione spoke up, "we ought to Disapparate under the Invisibility Cloak, just in case?"

Half an hour later, with the tent packed, Harry wearing the Horcrux, Hermione clutching the small bag, and me holding the Invisibility Cloak, we Disapparated. The usual tightness engulfed us; my feet parted company with the snowy ground, then slammed hard onto what felt like frozen earth covered with leaves.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, peering around at a fresh mass of trees as Hermione opened the silver bag and began tugging out tent poles.

"The Forest of Dean," she said. "I came camping here once with my mum and dad."

Here, too, snow lay on the trees all around and it was bitterly cold, but we were at least protected from the wind. We spent most of the day inside the tent, huddled for warmth around the useful bright blue flames that I was so adept at producing, and which could be scooped up and carried around in a jar. That afternoon fresh flakes drifted down upon us, so that even our sheltered clearing had a fresh dusting of powdery snow.

After two nights of little sleep, Harry seemed more alert than usual and it was unnerving. Our escape from Godric's Hollow had been so narrow that Voldemort seemed somehow closer than before, more threatening. As darkness drew in again Harry refused my and Hermione's offer to keep watch and told us to go to bed.

Harry left the tent and Hermione and I were left alone.

"Are you still mad with Harry?" Hermione asked me softly.

"I just wish he'd understand. I guess after being alone for so many years, the both of us had grown to be alone. I've always been used to doing things alone, until I met you, Harry and... Ron," I sighed.

"Why do you think Harry got so angry with Dumbledore over reading the book? It was obviously something he was trying to fix what he'd done," said Hermione, sitting on her top bunk.

"I reckon it's because he felt as if Dumbledore had wronged him," I said. "We put our trust into him, blindly that is. Then we find out he possibly killed his sister and agreed with Grindelwald's theory?"

"Why aren't you upset like Harry?" Hermione said after a moment of silence.

"There's no point in ruining my view of Dumbledore when the Dumbledore I knew always cared for us and tried to help us survive," I shrugged.

Hermione nodded, but said nothing else.

"Let's go to sleep," I said. "I'll take next shift, yeah?"

Morning came sooner than I expected.

"Maisey! Hermione!"

Quickly, I sat up from my bed and pushed my hair out of my face.