The good news: they were pretty keen on catching me. The bad news: if I didn't get there soon, they would.

Run. Breath. Jinx. Run.

I'd seen that road when I ran from the cornucopia the first time, but right now it seemed to be gone. Could the rearrange the streets? No, we'd have noticed that, they'd need to do it with technology which, I'd noticed, made much more noise than magic. Breath. Run. Steps behind me. I turned around a corner and …

Dead end.

Finally.

I ran to the end of it, pretending to try to climb the wall, then turned to greet my followers.

"Not so fearsome now, are you?" said the girl, a brick in her hand clearly aimed at me.

"Well." I turned on the spot and Apparated to a spot some yards behind them. "I'm good. CONFRINGO MAXIMA!" I yelled, and the whole street in front of me exploded in flames, creating a steaming hot wall. I heard all four them swear repeatedly behind it, no kills I concluded with a grin, and turned around to rejoin Escal in the city square, confident that they'd be stuck in there for a little while.

"LET GO!" someone shrieked ahead, followed by a cry of pain I immediately identified as Escal's. I ran faster and soon emerged from the streets to the sight of Escal on the ground and a girl about to stab him with a dagger. I couldn't get myself to do anything that would kill her, so instead I acted instinctively and yelled "Imperio", my wand pointed at her.

Her eyes went blank before she laid down the knife, took the rucksacks and started filling them with food. I hurried to Escal's side. Blood was quickly spreading on his shirt and the ground beneath him.

"Where?" My voice trembled.

"I don't think you can do anything," he whispered.

"You don't know that, do you? Now, where?!"

"My left side." I tried to rip of his shirt, but it refused. Diffindo, I thought, and it slid off easily. The girl had cut deep, and the wound almost made me vomit, but I pulled myself together.

"Vulnera Sanentur," I chanted quietly. "Vulnera Sanentur." The wound closed itself completely, and Escal touched himself, surprised.

"Ouch," he whispered.

"Well, the spell isn't that good. Now, c'mon." I helped him get up. He staggered a bit, but besides being pale from the blood-loss, he seemed okay.

"I couldn't fit more food in them, miss," the girl said, giving us the rucksacks.

"Thanks. Er. Just, sit down." She obeyed so fast, that she almost fell to the ground and winced in pain. "Now, look me in the eyes. Obliviate." Her eyes went foggy, then she just sat staring into nothing.

"We should get back. Do you think you can Apparate?"

"Say what?"

"You know, the transport-thing we did earlier."

"Oh, yeah, I guess." He took my arm, and soon we were back in the tent.

My entire body shook so I had to sit down. I'd used an unforgivable curse. If anyone ever found out … And after that, I'd modified someone's memory. No, not just modified, I'd deliberately erased everything. She wouldn't even be able to talk, now. And what did that make me? Was it really better than if I'd just killed her?

I ran outside to throw up.