-1Chapter Four: Belle Manor

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Thank you to my two reviewers who both put this story on their favorite story list. Sorry about the first two chapters being messed up but I was having computer problems. They've been fixed now. And so, enjoy!

Laila and Bobby landed with a thump before the gates of Belle Manor. They had just enough time to sit up when Harry and Hermione landed beside them. Harry seemed to be unconscious and in terrible pain.

"Bobby send a message to my father, tell him we have an injured person and to lock down manor with every protective spell he knows as soon as we get into the house." Laila practically screamed. Bobby raised his wand and a silvery tiger burst from the tip of his wand. " Mathius Merabelle I need you1" She screamed into the night. At once there were two loud cracks and two very well dressed house elves appeared. " Mathius take Bobby and this injured boy to the house, Merabelle, I need you to take me and Hermione up to the house." The taller of the two elves grabbed Bobby and Harry's hands and disappeared. Merabelle latched herself on to Laila and Hermione. They appeared in the front hall of Laila's house. Hermione stood shaking and looking around the room, as if in wonder. A tall man was kneeling next to Harry and seemed to be checking him over.

"Mathius I need you to get my murlap essence and my essence of dittany. I also need the potion in the brown bottle on my work shop bench." The elf nodded and went to fetch the potions. He returned a few moments later and handed them to the tall gentleman. He dabbed the murlap and dittany on Harry's wounds. They healed almost instantly. He opened Harry's mouth and poured some of the potion from the brown bottle into his mouth. Harry immediately began to calm. "Mathius take him to the guest bedroom next to Laila's." He turned to Laila. " I think you have some explaining to do. Who is this boy, how did he get injured, and why did you bring him here."

"He's my brother, he got injured escaping the dark lord, and I brought him here because they're trying to kill him." Laila said, all in one breath.

"Well… to be honest with you honey, I had already guessed he was a close relative. He looks just like your father did, that night. As for running from the dark lord… well I knew it was getting bad over there, but why are they hunting down teenagers?"

"Excuse me sir." Hermione spoke up. Mr. Lockwood turned to face her, as if he hadn't known she was there. "Harry is being hunted by he-who-must-not-be-named because Harry is the reason he disappeared all those years ago. The night you found Laila, you-know-who had attacked the Potters. He went there to kill Harry, obviously he didn't succeed. Since then Harry has been a wanted man by the Death Eaters, and now that you-know-who has taken over the ministry, there's a ten thousand galleon price on his head. The dark lord wants him dead." Mr. Lockwood looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well… damn. This is a little overwhelming. We had no idea when we took Laila that her parents had anything to do with that whole mess. I guess that's not important now, what's important is keeping him hidden and safe."

"Begging your pardon sir, but we can't hide here. We have to go back. We've got a job to do, we have to… to… " Hermione couldn't seem to get the words out. " We have to go back and finished what we started. If we don't, Harry will never be safe, and neither will Laila, I think he saw her, and if he did he'll hunt her down and kill her just because she's Harry's sister."

"Fine, but you'll stay here until he's fully healed and we can outfit you for your journey. I may not have any blood relation to that boy, but I've raised Laila as my own since she was newborn, to me that makes him as good as my son."

"I'm glad you feel that way daddy, I'll start preparing to leave in the morning."

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL YOUNG LADY. YOU ARE ONLY 16 YEARS OLD, AND THERE'S NO WAY I'M LETTING YOU GO BACK TO ENGLAND UNTIL THAT MANIAC IS FINISHED." Mr. Lockwood roared.

"Daddy, quite frankly you can't stop me. Harry is my brother, I'm not losing him again." Bill Lockwood saw the look of determined stubbornness on his daughter's face and knew the battle was lost.

"Fine… but you're still staying until we can outfit you properly." Laila gave her father a funny look then grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her up a flight of stairs. They turned into a bedroom on the left side of the hallway.

Laila had lived in this room for her entire life, minus the time she spent with the Potters. It was large and airy. An extremely large four post bed sat in the middle of the room, the walls painted a soft lavender.

"I hope it's okay if we share the bed, I don't feel like sleeping alone tonight." Laila said. Hermione looked at the bed.

"It looks like there's room for 10 in that bed."

"It used to be my grandparent's… well my adopted mother's parents."

"They're still your grandparents. They loved you, took care of you, accepted you into their hearts as their grandchild… I have no problem sharing the bed with you, quite honestly I don't think we'll even notice each other in there. I bet sleepovers were a blast."

"Actually… I never had many close friends, and not really the kind of people I'd bring home. It was kind of hard for me growing up, my parents couldn't have kids, so I had no brothers or sisters, and when you can produce a patronus at the age of 11, people tend to think you're either evil or you're a teacher's pet. I don't know if you know what that feels like."

"I was always top of my classes at school. Before Harry and Ron… before I became friends with Harry I was teased for it." Hermione looked kind of sad.

"He'll come back Hermione, when you have good through as much as the three of you have, you're bonded for life. We should probably go to bed now, I mean early tomorrow my parents are going to make us go shopping to get supplies."

"What did your dad mean about outfitting us properly?"

"He probably means a better tent, non perishable food, potions, stuff like that."

"Well… then we should probably go to bed."

The next morning Laila and Hermione rose early. Hermione took her shower first, and when she emerged from Laila's private bathroom she looked like she was in heaven.

"Hot water, showers… someone else cooking for me, that is luxury." She said, before heading off to see Harry. Laila showered as well, then began to pack for their journey.

"Merabelle!" She called out, when the elf appeared she turned to face her. "Can you please ask my mom to come here for me?" The elf nodded then hurried off to inform her mother of her wish to see her. A few minutes later there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in." Belle Lockwood hadn't aged much since that night some 16 years previous, in fact having Laila around seemed to have made her more beautiful.

"You wished to see me sweetheart?"

"Daddy told you that we'd be leaving again?"

"Your father informed me this morning that you were going to help your brother in his quest, so to speak."

"I need some help with my packing, because as you know I'm not allowed to do magic on my own yet."

"That worries me Laila, how safe could you be if you can't defend yourself."

"Hermione says that in England, underage witches and wizards can do magic to save themselves if they get attacked."

"I'm still worried."

"Bobby is coming with us."

"Ah yes, the young Robert, who hasn't been far from your side since you met."

" He's really wonderful."

"I know that dear, I'm teasing. I'm actually quite pleased with that match. Anyways, get dressed we're going shopping." Belle gave her daughter a hug then walked out of the room.