The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|134| Descendents

Scrambling up off the grass, I was panting as I had fallen face first. We needed to have landed in the corner of a field at dusk; Hermione was already running in a circle around us, waving her wand.

"Protego Totalum... Salvio Hexia... Maisey, help me cast protective charms," Hermione shouted over her shoulder. I quickly shot up and started to chant.

"That treacherous old bleeder!" Ron panted. "Hermione, you're a genius, a total genius, I can't believe we got out of that!"

"Cave Inimicum... Didn't I say it was an Erumpent horn, didn't I tell him?" Hermione huffed. "And now his house has been blown apart!"

"Serves him right," said 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!" Hermione groaned. "That's why I wanted the Death Eaters to get a glimpse of Harry and Maisey before we left, so they knew Xenophilius hadn't been lying!"

"Why hide me, though?" asked Ron.

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

"But what about your mum and dad?" I said as we finished the charms.

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

"You're a genius," Ron repeated, looking awed.

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

She beamed, but became solemn at once.

"What about Luna?"

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

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

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

"She will," said Harry. He could not bear 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," said Hermione. She passed a hand over her eyes. "I'd feel so sorry for Xenophilius if —"

"— if he hadn't just tried to sell us to the Death Eaters, yeah," said Ron.

We put up the tent and retreated inside it, where Ron made us tea. After our narrow escape, the chilly, musty old place felt like home: Safe, familiar, and friendly.

"Oh, why did we go there?" groaned Hermione after a few minutes' silence. "Harry, 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 seemed to have struck her, "he might have made it all up, mightn't he? He probably doesn't believe in the Deathly Hallows at all, he just wanted to keep us talking until the Death Eaters arrived!"

"I don't think so," said 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."

"But the Deathly Hallows can't exist, Ron!"

"You keep saying that, but one of them can," said Ron. "Harry's Invisibility Cloak —"