"Did you see his shoes?" Harry asked Hermione as they kicked off from the ground. Hermione ignored him, attempting to stay on her very old broom. It looked like a Pegasus-Twenty, an ancient model that was surpassed even by the school brooms at Hogwarts.

"For the last time, Harry, yes!" she answered nervously, her handle giving an odd jolt.

"Quiet, you two," Sirius said from in front of them. "Wait until we're away from muggles."

The three of them drifted higher above moonlit London, each of them with a trunk or bag of some sort tied to their brooms. Hermione's temperamental broomstick refused to fly higher than sixty feet above the ground, which meant they had a hard time hiding from well-lit areas. The waning moon didn't help their progress, either. Its not-quite-full brightness illuminated them against the dark sky, making them take cover in the dark shadows of tall buildings.

Once they were out of the downtown area, they slowed down a bit and began to talk, still watching for the muggles who stayed up past the late hour television shows.

"You don't think he was lying about why he bought the shoes?" Harry asked. "I can't tell with him anymore."

"I couldn't tell either," Hermione shrugged. "I mean, it makes sense that he would want to encourage the volunteers, but I don't think that's why he bought them." She stared down at a house with its lights on, but must not have seen anybody awake, Harry thought, because her starry eyes looked out to the horizon. She pulled a strand of hair out of her face and let it blow behind her in the wind. Hermione looked over at Harry, and he dropped his gaze to his hands, which had started to sweat while grasping the handle of the Firebolt.

"How much farther, Sirius?" she called to him, glancing down and back. "I don't think my bag is tied on tightly enough"

"Only about ten minutes more," Sirius answered back. "It should hold for that long, you think?"

Harry looked over to see if he could retie the straps for her, but he couldn't see that they were loose or anything. He glanced at Hermione's face; she was looking at him. He became very interested in his broom handle again.

"What?" Hermione asked with a smile.

"Nothing," Harry said.

"Harry, you - Oh no!" Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Hermione's Centaur-Twenty wobble and something fall. It was her bag, which was heading straight towards the backyard pool of a muggle house. Harry plunged his hand in his pocket for his wand, but Hermione had hers out already.

"Wingardium Levi-ohhh!" Hermione tried to flick her wand, but apparently couldn't control her broomstick with just one hand. The bag continued its descent. Harry tensed his arms and went into a dive after the bag.

'I'll never make it,' he told himself. 'It's only a matter of seconds until it.'

Harry's jaw dropped and he slowed to a halt seven feet above the pool. The bag was floating just above the water's glass-still surface.

"Did you do that?" he called up to Sirius.

"No." His godfather shook his head, helping Hermione steady her broom.

Then Harry heard something behind him. Out of one of the open windows on the second floor poked the head of a boy. He was staring open mouthed at the wizards and witch on their broomsticks. Harry saw him look down towards the pool.

"Your bag fell," he said in a small voice. "I. . . I think I stopped it, though. . . "

Harry steered his broom to the window. The boy seemed scared, and looked like he was going to run away, but he courageously stayed put as Harry approached, and even summoned enough nerve to ask Harry a question..

"How are you doing that?" he asked, looking at the broom. "It's like. . . like magic."

Harry just smiled as Hermione got her bag and Sirius strapped it to her broom again.

"What's your name?" Harry asked the blonde haired boy.

"Kay," he answered slowly.

"How old are you, Kay?"

"I'll be ten this Tuesday." Kay smiled as Harry reached into his pocket.

"Hold out your hand. . . consider this an early birthday present." Harry had been reading about a spell and hoped he knew it well enough for it to work. He waved his wand.

"Accitium!" It was a more complex summoning spell than the one he learned for the Triwizard Tournament; the trinket that Harry knew to be in his trunk materialized in Kay's fingers.

Kay's eyes lit up as he examined the small, golden lion. "Thank you!"

"Hope to see you in Gryffindor next year," Harry said slyly.

"What's that?"

"Never mind." Harry pointed his Firebolt towards the sky. "Good-bye, Kay."

Harry joined Sirius and Hermione and they continued on their way.

"Where did you get that lion?" Hermione asked him, fascinated. "And when did you learn that spell?"

Harry shrugged. "You've got a lot of spare time when you live with the Dursleys, especially when-" Harry cut himself off abruptly.

"When what?" Sirius asked, suddenly concerned. Hermione glanced at him uncomfortably.

". . . When they have guests," Harry said hesitantly. Hermione shot him a skeptical look, but Sirius just nodded.

"Who was it. . . that Marge woman you blew up years ago?"

"Yeah," he answered quickly. "That's why I had so much time. They made me stay in my room for two weeks straight to make her think I wasn't there."

Harry gritted his teeth as Hermione stared at him. "How much longer did you say it was, Sirius?" he said, attempting to change the subject. She stopped looking at Harry and smiled at the small house in front of them.

"Actually, we're here." Sirius said, lowering himself to the ground. A swarm of trees surrounded the house, bathing it in comfortable darkness. Harry noticed a name plaque next to the door, but it was too far away to read. He began to doubt how safe it could be, since it was located only a few miles from a large suburb. Sirius, Harry and Hermione each untied their trunks or bags and walked towards the house.

A broad grin appeared on Harry's face as he read the name next to the door, and he knew instantly that he would be safe

REMUS LUPIN.