Come Back: Part Two
Chapter Seven
Finding Her
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"Harry, watch where you're sticking that thing." Ginny said.
"Oh, sorry Gin but it you hadn't insisted on coming in the first place…" Harry started.
"Harry shhh!" Ginny said loudly as she put a finger to her lips."
It was early morning and pitch black out, a cool breeze swept over them in the night air adding to the feeling of unease. Harry and Ginny were currently pressed up against a cold, wet brick wall down a narrow alleyway in Grimmauld Place, London. Harry had made a violent slash with his wand when Ginny stepped on an old newspaper causing a funny sound. Harry was on edge and was liable to stun the next thing that moved.
"What are we doing here anyways?" Ginny asked quietly.
"I think she is hiding here somewhere, she doesn't know that the Order stopped using number twelve after we caught Snape." Harry replied as he slowly creped down the small alleyway. "I bet she is staying here in the hopes of catching some of the order members."
Harry and Ginny found their way to the back of number twelve, walking slowly and peering through windows looking for movement within the house. The windows were so dark and gritty that it was hard to see anything at all. As the night got colder they both started to shiver they were just on the verge of giving up until a flash of light caught Harry's eye in one small window on the second floor.
"Great, how are we supposed to get up there to see if it's her?" Harry asked as she saw a figure pass by the window.
Ginny smiled and said, "I'll do it."
Attached to the wall was a drainage pipe that was bolted to the brick. The pipe reached the top of the house and snaked right pass the window in question. Ginny reached out and wrapped her hands around the pipe and pushed herself up by stepping on a nearby trash-bin. She climbed her way up and stood on a window sill and was just tall enough to see into the second floor window. Harry watched Ginny as she peered into the window, eagerly waiting for her to climb back down. After what seemed like hours, Ginny finally came back down, hitting the ground with a hard thump.
"So, what did you see?" Harry asked nervously.
"It's her and it looked like she was talking to herself or something. She kept stopping to look at her reflection and then would talk to it like it was another person. Do you think she has lost her mind?" Ginny asked.
Harry thought for a moment as to what she could possibly be doing but a more pressing matter was at hand. "That doesn't matter now; we have to do what we came here for."
"Right." Ginny replied. "Give me the letter."
Harry handed Ginny a sealed envelope then reached into his pocket and pulled out a silky sheet of fabric. He draped the invisibility cloak over Ginny and himself. Once covered they both pulled out their wands, Ginny silently caused the envelope to float in mid air outside of the cloak, while Harry pointed his wand up to the second floor window. With a swish of his wand the window very slowly opened and to Harry's delight, didn't make a sound. He only opened it just enough so Ginny could float the letter up and through the window.
Once the deed was done they tightened the cloak around them, covering their feet, then pressed themselves against the cold brick wall waiting and listening. A few minutes passed before any sound could be heard from the opened window. Harry looked up to see Bellatrix looking down into the alleyway, looking for the intruders. Harry and Ginny held their breath until she disappeared from the window and slammed it shut.
"That was too easy." Ginny whispered nervously. "Harry what if she comes down here and starts blasting through the alleyway?"
"Let's move then." Harry said as he grabbed Ginny's hand and slowly started to creep towards the back of the house and out of the alley. "Once we get away from the house we can apparate."
They had almost reached the road that sat behind number twelve when Ginny's foot went into a hole in the ground and she tripped, causing the invisibility cloak to slide off both of them. Harry looked panicked as he turned around, sure that Bellatrix was standing behind them, but to their luck she wasn't in site. Harry quickly help Ginny stand then whipped the cloak back over them. Both of them were breathing deeply as they reached the road and vanished with a loud crack that echoed through the neighborhood.
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Ron was sitting on a couch and gazing into a slowly dieing fire, in the fire place. Hermione was lying down next to him with her head in his lap. Both were nervous, Harry and Ginny had been gone far to long, what if they had been caught?
"Ron, shouldn't we go look for them?" Hermione asked after looking at the time on Ron's watch.
Ron shook his head, "No, there fine Hermione, just wait a little bit longer."
Hermione sighed and nodded her head in agreement. "Ok but if they don't come back soon I'm…."
Hermione was cut off by two loud cracks that resonated around the flat. Her and Ron instantly jumped up and drew their wands, looking for the source of the sounds. Hermione walked around the other side of the couch and said, "Who's there?"
A small laugh came from somewhere in the room and then in a clear familiar voice came, "Wow, we are jumpy tonight."
Suddenly Ginny's head was floating in the room, and then was quickly followed by the rest of her as well as Harry. They pulled of the invisibility cloak and stood, out of breath but completely content with themselves.
Harry smiled and said, "Lower your wands, we didn't mean to startle you."
Hermione looked relived but walked forward and punched Harry in the arm, "Don't do that, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Don't get your knickers in a pinch Hermione; we had to stay covered to avoid Bellatrix." Ginny replied with a smile.
Ron smiled as he lowered his wand, "So, did you do it then?"
Harry beamed, "Thanks to Ginny we did."
"If I wasn't such a clumsy fool we could have pulled it off a lot better, I'm not real sure if she didn't see us." Ginny said sadly.
"What happened?" Hermione asked as she put a consoling hand on Ginny's shoulder. The four of them walked over to the couch and Harry and Ginny told them of the night's events. As they sat warming by the fire Ron and Hermione listened intently.
"And then just as we were about to leave I tripped and pulled the cloak off of us, I just hope she didn't see us." Ginny finished.
"I don't think she did Gin, and even if she did I doesn't make must difference because we won't even be there." Harry said.
"Ok, so Harry, tell me what the plan is again." Ron asked.
Harry took a deep sigh, "Well if she buys it, the letter she got tonight looks like it's from her husband, Rodolphus. The letter states that he broke out of Azkaban and will be waiting for her tomorrow night just outside of Hogsmead to have tea and lunch with him. If she goes, aurors will be swarming around in disguises, ready to take her in. But if she doesn't show, there will be aurors placed at number twelve as well."
"That's a pretty weak plan Harry, what if she did see you and she's half way to America by now?" Ron asked.
"Well, Moody said that all the wizarding communities around the world have been informed and to be on the watch." Harry said shrugging.
"Won't she know that Rodolphus didn't really escape Azkaban? I mean it would be in the paper if he did right?" Hermione asked.
"It will be in the paper tomorrow morning that he did, Tonks took care of that." Ginny replied.
Hermione looked nervous when she asked, "But what are we going to do, just sit around and wait for news?"
"No, that's what they want us to do but they forget we don't work for them, I'm planning on going into London tomorrow to follow her." Harry said with determination. "I'm sick of this, I want her gone. She's the last of the death eaters and she deserves to rot in prison with her friends. I just want be left alone so I can live my life!"
Ginny, Hermione and Ron all exchanged sad looks as they watch Harry on the verge of tears.
Ron stood up and put a hand on Harry's arm, "Well, then I'm coming with you mate, I want her gone just as much as you."
Harry smiled as he took Ron's gesture as a sign of pure loyalty.
