Author's Note: Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who's reading and keeping tabs on this story. It's been a real treat to write.
There was determination in his stride as the Doctor thundered room to room in Number Twelve. He stuck his head inside, ignoring whatever strange sights he might perceive; they weren't the ones he was looking for. Harry, Ginny and Ron trailed him and he droned on in tones barely audible to them.
"This happened before…been stuck like this before…but that was different," the Doctor burst into another room to find a small gnome-like thing with bat ears cowering on the rug at the sound of his appearance. It seemed to have been eating dinner.
"Kreacher was eating! Why does this Doctor come in like this," the small being yelled.
Ignoring it, the Doctor slammed the door and stormed off for the next one. "Wasn't like this…last time," he said stopping midway between doors. "This house—has it got any rooms that seem too big to fit inside?"
"Harry…what's this git going on about?" Ron asked plainly now, Hermione didn't even bother to reprimand him.
"There's nothing like that here," Harry said calmly.
Hermione sighed. "What is this all about, the watch and the room that's bigger than it should be?" she asked glancing to the others. "We have seen magic that can produce that effect," she added.
The Doctor turned to face her. "Last time there was another TARDIS nearby something similar to this happened…but that'd be too simple…"
"What's simple?" Ginny screamed but the Doctor was already on his way to the next door.
When the room opened he was already heading toward the stairs again. "No! No, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor hit the stairs running and between the sound of his footfalls something else could be heard, the tone of something distant and resonating—like a church bell. The trio followed him down flights of stairs to find the sound grew louder.
"Hope it's not too late…hope it's still inside there," the Doctor muttered.
It seemed to be emanating from the box itself. The sound reverberated off down the street. The police box itself seemed to be unchanged from the first time they had seen it. But as the Doctor reached it he threw open the door and shut himself inside. Ron was the first to reach the locked TARDIS.
"Aye, let us in!" Ron yelled beating on the door. A sharp wind blew and the mist from Ron's breath was visible.
Hermione shivered to the point her necklace jingled. "What do you think he means, he hopes it's inside?" she asked.
Ginny drew a shuddering breath and clambered up against Harry for warmth. "I don't know but the sooner he's gone the—guys," she pointed toward the moon as clouds swooped in over it blotting it from the sky.
"That doesn't look natural," Ron said.
Street lamps flickered weakly and icy air combed through the street, whipping at the trees. A sense of palpable dread washed over them like a tidal wave. With wands at the ready, they backed into a circle to defend and await the oncoming assault.
"Lumos!" Ginny said and her wand's tip burst into brilliant light that illuminated the immediate area surrounding them.
"You thinking it's too early for a cold front? This is Dementors?" asked Hermione with a shiver.
"It's got to be," Harry nodded. "And a lot of them."
The street was filled with the dry rattle of breath and the swishing of dark cloaks as oily masses of creatures with wretched hands filtered out through the city. The faceless figures wafted their way toward the trio around the police box and the mounting trepidation was almost too much.
"Expecto Patronum!" with the incantation Harry called forth a great stag from the tip of his wand in a burst of cerulean light. The glowing guardian animal charged the oncoming wave of Dementors and parted them.
Their ranks were so thick and Ron, Hermione and Ginny all cast their charms. A spectral dog, otter and horse raced through the streets splitting the Dementors ranks but not driving them back. They pushed onward and the spell was cast again and again, the incantation echoing off down the street.
The sheer number of the creatures and the TARDIS bell caused such a tremendous sound that Hermione was forced to yell to speak. "Why aren't they attacking?" she said as they rushed past, their cloaks whipping at her body.
Ginny's horse kicked one of the creatures into the side of the police box and it continued on out of the way. "They're just passing us by?" Ginny yelled.
"I don't get it," said Ron.
"They're running," Harry said. "They're running from something."
Behind them there was a creak of an old door opening and the Doctor shouted over the row. "Get inside! Quickly!" he snatched Hermione, the nearest of the group, right through the doors.
Following his request and not taking another moment to think it over they all piled in and the Doctor slammed the door.