CHAPTER16

Hermione spend the whole day with Melody in the joke shop. She even helped her out with some customers. Also they talked about girl stuff, laughed and generally had fun. It seemed like they knew each other for ages and there was no age difference between them.

After six, Melody remembered that she needed to close the joke shop. And Hermione had to leave already because it was getting late and people were clearing of the streets little by little. But as the two girls started to bid farewell to each other, Fred and George came through the shop door. They were undoubtedly surprised to fine Hermione in their shop.

"Hermione, don't mean to be rude of something, but what are you doing here. I mean, it is not the place you would like to be in…" said George with a funny puzzlement on his face.

Hermione giggled at his expression and said, "Actually, I spend the whole day with Melody… and its not that I came to be madly in love with the shop or anything". She rolled her eyes at the words so that everybody laughed.

They chatted for about half an hour about everything in the world (typical young people talk). But Hermione remembered that she had to go because the Leakey Cauldron was at the beginning of the Diagon Alley and she was almost at the end, besides it was getting dark already.

"Ok, guys, I really need to go now, it's getting late", she said, looking out of the window.

"Will you come by tomorrow? I really enjoyed spending time with you", said Melody with a trace of hope in her voice.

"I enjoyed my time too so you can wait for me tomorrow", replied Hermione.

"Gee, Hermione, you are taking over ma girlfriend", said Fred jokingly, scratching the back of his head. Every body laughed.

"Ok, guys, I really need to go, it's getting dark", said Hermione, sounding like she didn't really want to leave.

"It was nice seeing you, Herm", said Fred.

"See you sometime later", George added.

"See you tomorrow", said Melody.

Hermione said goodbye to all of them and went out in to the street, in which only a couple of people were seen now. It was dark already and Hermione felt a bit scared passing by shadowy spaces between some houses that mostly led to the eerie Knockturn Alley.

"I am not scared, there's nothing to be afraid of and I am not gonna freak out", she convinced herself as she looked sideways on the creepy shadows that moved in the black gaps, "Oh, God, I am freaking out".

"It's getting dark way too fast", Hermione whispered to herself and eyed her surroundings, "And where is everybody?"

The streets were silent and empty just like the approaching night, which was greeted by the sound of owls, hooting mysteriously and soaring into the dense darkness for night hunts.

Hermione, to her great rising terror, heard a faint sound of footsteps, which clearly drew close with every second. The frightened girl didn't dare to turn around; she just walked faster and faster, until she broke into a run. She detected a rapid shifting in the shadowy alley at her side. It seemed that the steps were closing on her. Hermione was blinded by fear and didn't know where she was going; she just wanted to get away from the spine-chilling steps.

Suddenly she ran into somebody. She screamed. The person was dressed in a black cloak. He took hold of her hands so she won't get away and said in a cracked voice, "You won't get away now, no…"

Hermione was being swallowed by the darkness and before fainting she heard a familiar voice say, "Let her go…"

The darkness she was falling through formulated into a clear vision…

…the man that was holding her was walking in what seemed like one of the dark alleys, he was obviously displeased. Suddenly before his eyes a shadow appeared, slowly formulating into a long hooded figure.

The hooded man (or creature, Hermione wasn't certain) raised his hand with a wand in it and said in hissing voice, "You shouldn't have run from me, you knew that I would track you…"

The other man was on his knees now, begging, "No, Master, please, anything…" he sobbed dryly.

"It is too late", hissed the voice and a flash of bright green light irrupted from his wand, warping the man on the ground in a poisonous green mist.

The lifeless body felt on the ground with a light thud. And the hooded figure began to laugh. It was the most horrid and icy laugh Hermione ever heard and she screamed…

Hermione flicked her eyes open and saw somebody kneeling over her…