Amari was repeatedly changing seats to see all the surrounding at different angles. She would push Ron's leg aside each time until he lost his nerve.
"Would you sit down?" he yelled.
She scowled at him. "After pushing your legs ten times, you'd think you'd get the message!"
"She's right you know," Hermione said.
"You're siding with her? Oh, yea, great discipline!" Ron said sarcastically.
"You didn't ask her politely to stop, you just went and yelled at her. Oh, yea, great example!" Hermione mocked him.
"Yea, you didn't say 'please'!" Amari said, sticking her tongue out at him again.
Ron grimaced back and simply moved his leg to give her enough room.
"Did we pass anything?" Amari asked, pressing her face to the back window.
"We're here anyway," Hermione said as the carriage slowed to a stop. Amari smiled and tried to open the door.
"Let me out!" she ordered. The carriage was childproofed.
"Patience, Amari," Hermione said, opening the door and stepping out into the cold with the little girl. Amari stroked a Thestral while the others came out of the carriage. Hermione stared at her, thinking of the sad circumstance of being able to see one of those winged horses.
After treading through the snow that was now falling very heavily, they ended up at a robe shop. In October, they had plenty of different materials for sale, from silk to dragon hide. They even had a little stall of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products.
Amari went straight to that display. She put on a hat. "Look! My head's gone!"
"I think we should go as bears with heads, don't you?" Hermione said, looking at the price tag indicating '6 galleons each'.
"We should just get Polyjuice Potion with bear hairs in it, it would save money…We know how it works with cat hair," Ron sniggered. Hermione made sure to stomp on his foot before joining Amari where there were dresses. Ron's face was contorted in pain as he followed. Harry and Lavender went with Caleb to another section to find black and yellow material.
"What color?" Amari asked Hermione, looking through the little dresses.
"How about a shade of brown, after all, you are a bear," Hermione suggested.
"Can I help you with anything?" an employee popped out from behind a clothes rack and asked politely. Hermione jumped at the sudden appearance.
"Please do, before they start asking my opinion," Ron said, sitting on a bench.
"We're going to be bears with different accessories…" Hermione started. After an hour of shopping, Amari and Hermione got one-piece light brown outfits with magical bear ears they could move and use, and faux fur light brown gloves and boots. Instead of a dress, Amari got a faux fur vest and a glowing necklace. Hermione got a little apron to complete her costume.
"Your turn, Ron!" Amari said after changing back into her clothes. She held up another one-piece suit for him to put on.
"I'm not wearing that!" he objected.
"We are," Hermione said, coming out of her own changing room. "Unless you want to be Goldilocks."
"As a guy, I think I should have a slightly different costume… Maybe a little less tight and darker even!"
"No. Put it on, Ron!" Hermione said, pushing the costume into his arms.
"I won't. That just screams humiliation! You can't make me put that on!"
"Can't I?" Hermione pulled out her wand.
In another fifteen minutes, Lavender and Harry got themselves costumes with black skin-tight sleeves and pant legs, black and yellow bee bodies including protruding round behinds, flappable wings and antennae, Caleb got a pouffy bee costume with rounded antennae that he can play with and fully functional wings that can support him in the air for a couple minutes and Ron had his tight one-piece including bear ears, tie, top hat and faux fur boots and gloves.
Let's just say the boys were less happy than the girls were…
"Oh my god! We're going to be adorable! We're going to win if there's a contest!" Lavender cooed. Caleb clapped his approval.
"I'm hungry… Is it lunchtime yet?" Ron asked.
"Like always," Hermione said, looking at her watch, "It's already noon! Come on, let's go!"
They all ran past many shops and into a restaurant. It was rather quiet; Parvati, Neville, Dean, Seamus and their baby were the only ones there. Amari held onto Hermione's hand tighter and looked around the room, fiddling frighteningly with her locket. She felt uneasy.
"What's wrong, Amari?" Hermione asked, noticing the firm grip of the little hand in hers.
"I'm scared…"
"It's alright! It's just a slow day. Now, come on, let's go eat." They all went and sat at the big table with their neighbors.
"Finally! What took you guys?" Parvati asked when the others sat down.
"Ron didn't want to try on his costume," Hermione sniggered. Ron rolled his eyes.
"When has there ever been a restaurant in Hogsmeade? I don't remember it at all." Harry asked suspiciously.
"They just opened… You have to make reservations in advance to come here. It doesn't make sense, though. They're not getting many customers." Hermione answered.
"Do you wish to order yet?" a waiter came and asked. They all ordered their meal and the man left.
"Where's the bathroom?" Amari asked. Ron looked at her in disbelief.
"You always have to go to the bathroom!" he complained. "You went before we left!"
"Well she has to go again. And so did Jamie, didn't you?" Parvati said to the baby girl giving off a putrid smell. "Come on, I'll bring you."
Amari got up and stayed close to Parvati. She didn't like the emptiness of the restaurant at all. Or the silence. She would never think back and consider it as paranoia, even if others did.
"Why's Amari so tense?" Seamus whispered to the others. "Did something happen?"
"Not that we know of… Did you know that she could see Thestrals? I really hope she's had an ok life. She's only five! That's not right." Hermione answered.
Seamus nodded and sat, relaxed, in his chair. But he was snapped out of his relaxation by a scream coming from the bathroom.
"Amari! Parvati!" Ron yelled, getting up and running toward the bathroom. The other boys joined him, all coming to a stop before the now open girls' bathroom door. A hooded figure came out, holding Amari by her waist in the air with its left arm, pointing a wand at the little girl. Another figure came out, ushering Parvati forward with its wand.
"Let me GO!!" Amari screamed repeatedly, kicking.
"What do you want?" Harry asked coldly.
"Put your wands down." The man ordered. "Do it!" he raised his voice, bringing his wand-tip closer to Amari's face. She stopped screaming and stared at the wand fearfully. They all lowered their wands. "Good. Now, I'm willing to make an exchange."
"Harry! It's Draco's daddy! Now I know why he's mean!" Amari cast her captor an evil look. And it was Lucius Malfoy indeed; he'd just taken his hood off.
Neville gasped. "You're supposed to be in Azkaban! You were arrested last year in the Ministry!"
"Enough!" Malfoy snarled. "The Dark Lord has his ways. I came here for one reason and one reason only. To bring the Dark Lord a certain someone for a little meeting, by any means necessary." All in a split-second, many Death Eaters came and encircled the teen boys and prodded Hermione and Lavender into the circle, blasting away tables.
"You're pretty low, holding a little girl hostage!" Parvati yelled, trying to buy some time. She spat on the floor to emphasize.
"Considering who is in your company, I wouldn't speak or others being low. Mudbloods and Blood traitors. Despicable. And you aren't in any position to talk like that, girl." Malfoy said, pointing his wand at Parvati instead. Amari took that chance and bit his arm, getting free and running out of the circle. "NO!"
She went straight out of the door into the blinding snowstorm, luckily not being hit by the many spells and curses sent her way. She could see the castle's silhouette, just barely, and headed towards it for help.
In a flash of red light, many Death Eaters were stunned and on the ground. The students took the chance to run in all different directions, trying to go out the door. Unfortunately, The Death Eaters left standing were all near the door from chasing Amari unsuccessfully and started to reawaken their allies.
"In here!" Dean yelled, going into the boys' bathroom. The others ran in after dealing with a couple obstructions. Breathing heavily, Hermione sealed the door as much as she could.
"Is one little window too much to ask?" Ron said angrily at the absence of windows in the little bathroom.
"Everything's in Amari's hands now…" Lavender sighed, sitting against the door. "I just hope the door stays closed…"
"It'll be fine, we can renew the spell. But we can't get out unless the Death Eaters leave and I don't think they will very soon. Let's hope Amari can find this place again." Hermione said.
"Hermione, how did you find out about this restaurant?" Harry asked suddenly.
"Parvati told me about it."
"I'd gotten a letter," Parvati said, "and it had a coupon for a free reservation. So, I used it."
"Who was the letter from?" Harry asked her.
"It wasn't signed, I thought it was a promotional thing to advertise…"
"That's why they won't accept someone without reservations – they can control the amount of customers! It was a trap from the beginning!" Hermione realized.
Everyone felt the same thing in their hearts – hope that Amari can get help.