Harry Potter and the City of Masks
by Josephine Taylor
Chapter Nine
In a modern flat just off Soho Square in the City of Westminster, London, two young people were spending a pleasant morning in companionable silence. A young woman, her dark hair stripped red and short about her face, stood calmly washing some dishes in the small but serviceable kitchen. At the table, a young man with a mop of dark curls sat sorting papers, working quietly, a small frown upon his angelic features.
Suddenly the woman gasped and clutched her chest. A sudden pain had passed through her chest and jolt in her stomach. Turning, she looked at the young man.
'Nick, did you feel that?'
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Harry sat in a small, cramped kitchen, his elbows resting on a well scrubbed table and his head in his hands, breathing in the steam from a mug of tea set in front of him. His eyes closed slowly and his head spun. Holding onto his memories of what happened in the last few hours were like holding onto a tide, always slipping from his grasp and then tickling back.
He had awoken in his bed to two masked people standing over him. Reaching for his wand and with reflexes born of years of Quidditch practice threw up the shielding spell just as one of the masked men had sent the crutiatous spell at him. Harry hadn't been prepared for what happened next. Knowing that the men were wizards, Harry hadn't been prepared for them to use, or in fact know, muggle fighting tactics.
The two men had lunged at Harry, knocking his wand out of his hand and pinning him to the bed. One placed his hands around Harry's throat and began squeezing whilst the other held him down. Harry had struggled, but was no match for the superior strength of the two men.
His vision dimmed, but the strength around his throat didn't. Then all of a sudden flashes of light and shouts filled the room and in the confused din Harry passed out.
Harry was jogged out of his hazy recollections by the sound of thundering feet above him, reminding him that he wasn't alone. Rubbing a hand over his tired eyes, he saw that it was barely 10 o'clock in the morning. Lifting the cup of nearly cold tea he took an experimental sip, his throat slightly scratching and still sore. Being strangled wasn't exactly the best wake up call.
The door to the kitchen opened and a man entered the room, scars visible on his face and a slightly limp in his step. He settled opposite Harry. For a moment neither of them spoke and Harry stared down at his cup, determined not to be the one to brake the silence.
'How are you feeling Harry?'
Harry shrugged and stood up from the table. 'How am I supposed to feel Professor Lupin?' Harry hadn't get forgiven Lupin for something that had happened between them the night before the final battle with Voldemort and so Harry called Remus, Professor. Pacing the small kitchen Harry put his hands in his pockets. Suddenly he stopped pacing. Something was wrong. The only thing in his pocket was his wand.
'Where is it?' He muttered, searching frantically. Ever since going to Bellezza for that fist time Harry always kept the amulet on him. He began to panic that maybe his attackers had stolen it. 'I have to go back!'
Harry turned to search for some floo powder. Lupin stood quickly and called out to him.
'I'm afraid you can't go back just yet Harry. Your flat is under quarantine. The order and ministry are trying to find out how the Death Eaters got through all yours and our defences.'
Harry slumped down on a kitchen chair. For a second he felt like arguing with Lupin. It was, after all, his flat. But the fact was that he was just too tired to argue, he would have to wonder what was happening in Bellezza without him.
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'Your Grace?'
Arianna stood up from her chair slowly. Her light lilac dress rustling with the movement and her purple eyes hard as she stared at the man stood before her.
The man gave a barely perceivable nod to the men beside him, guards in the uniform of the Talian army, who stepped forwards to flag the Duchessa.
'You'll never get away with this Abrizo.'
The man's dark eyes glittered dangerously as he stared in contempt at the woman stood before him. 'We already have.'
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'What do you mean that I can't get home for a week!'
Harry was stood in the Weasley's living room, fists balled. He'd been at the burrow for a couple of days and even though he enjoyed being back at the house, he was anxious to get back to his flat and more specifically, his amulet. The first night he had enjoyed a good nights sleep but since then he'd been beginning to get anxious about what was happening in Bellezza. He had a feeling that something terrible was going down there.
'Harry, its not safe for you to return just yet.'
'Safe!' Harry's eyes turned to Lupin, who was sat on the couch next to Mad-Eye Moody. 'I've been safe there for the past year!'
All Harry got were sympathetic looks. 'Argh!' Throwing up his hands he fell into one cushioned armchairs throwing daggers at his so-called 'friends' Hermione and Ron. Harry thought that one of them might have spoken up for him, but they seemed to agree with Lupin and moody.
'Grimwauld place is always free for you to -' Hermione trailed off at the look of Harry's face at the mention of the house that the Order still used as Headquarters whenever they needed it.
'You can stay with us Harry dear. For as long as you want and need to.' Harry grunted in reply to Mrs Weasley offer.
Slumping further in his chair, Harry realised to argue would be fruit-less. He had no-where else to go. He hadn't set foot in Grimwald place ever since Sirius death even though he still owned the place and despite his reluctance to stay, being in the Burrow gave him a sense of peace.
Looking up, Harry was surprised to find that the room was empty. Whilst Harry had been brooding Lupin and Moody had taken their leave and Ron and Hermione had disappeared somewhere. Hearing pots and pans clanging in the next room, Harry rose and made his way into the kitchen where Mrs Weasley was busy getting dinner ready.
'Can I help?'
A/N - sorry for the shortness of this chapter, this was just a filler chapter for chapter 10 which i've nearly finished and should be up tonight or tomorrow.