I do not own anything. I'm just translating. The characters belong to the great J.K. Rowling. The story belongs to the amazing Brigi. Her e-mail: tbwtpbe [et]

Please review! Thanks.

Beta-read by Seerstella.

THE BOY WITH THE PIERCING BLUE EYES

Chapter 31 – Running away (part 3)

Tension could literally be seen in the air that Friday and Harry looked like crazy. He could barely pay attention on lessons. He either drew on his parchment, or drummed with his fingers on the table, waiting for the day to be over.

The food didn't sit well with him either: the butterflies in his stomach didn't leave any space for anything else. However, next day, on Saturday, he seemed to be in a good mood. They met up in the boys' room before breakfast. Harry was rearranging Ron's shirt.

"This'll do. Oh, Hermione?"

"How do I look?" Ron turned around.

"You look great," she greeted the boy with a kiss.

"Hermione, do you have everything we need?"

"Yes, but I don't think I have enough money on my card to make a call to France. Maybe it'll last for a few minutes, I don't know…"

"It's okay. We'll just have to buy one," Harry said looking at his Muggle wallet. He had quite a bit of money changed. He put it into the inner pocket of his bag, next to the other wallet which was filled with some Galleons. He checked his card.

"Do you have your papers?" he asked the girl.

"It's all in here," Hermione touched her butter-colored handbag.

Harry looked at her. She was wearing a pretty and comfortable-looking costume with stripes and a red shirt. Thick stockings kept her legs warm.

"Won't you be cold?" Ron asked worriedly.

"Hope not," the girl shrugged.

"You're pretty," Harry added, and sighed. "Are you ready?"

His friends nodded.

"Don't forget. Do not look into Professor Snape's or Dumbledore's eyes. Look elsewhere, or blink a lot, so they won't be able to look into your minds!"

He took his Muggle bag and they went to have breakfast.

They weren't the only ones wearing muggle clothes to visit Hogsmeade. Harry sneaked a few sandwiches into his bag while Ron and Hermione decided to secretly take some pumpkin juice with them.

They were on the first row when Mr. Filch opened the door for them, and they started maneuvering between the walking students.

"Hey, Ron!" Anthony shouted after them. "What's the rush?"

"A few things are on sale! We want to get there before the good stuff is gone!"

However, they didn't have more time to waste. They ran past the Honeydukes, and after passing Zonko's they turned into an empty street.

"This way!" Harry said, barely catching his breath. "Here's good!"

Hiding behind two huge barrels, they leaned against the wall. Hermione stepped forward and pulled three vials out of her bag. There was a purplish liquid in all of them.

"I made a lot. There's still enough to take to Snape's lesson for the both of us."

"How much do we need to drink?"

"One sip is a year," Ron said suddenly. The other two looked at him surprised. "We had to brew this too."

"Great! Then… Cheers!"

The vials clank together and each of them drank three sips.

"It'll make you burp," Hermione said, but she was the first one to do so. "Oh, God, sorry!" she hid her face, embarrassed.

However, the two boys didn't seem to mind, as they too began to burp like pigs.

"Okay, okay, that's enough!" Hermione reprehended.

"Are we changing now?"

"I feel tingling…" Harry nodded.

"Me too, when I think about Hermione…"

The girl looked at him blushing, but then her eyes lit up.

"Harry, look! Ron's back is getting broader!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! Even your face looks more adult-like," Harry winked.

"Hermione's legs are longer!"

"I hope the skirt's getting longer too… I don't want my butt to show…"

Harry felt his body getting stronger while his fingers became thicker but slender at the same time. He looked at Ron excitedly, but his friend couldn't take his eyes off Hermione's round breasts.

"Okay, I think it's done. Pull out your wands! How are you going to look like?"

"I think I want brown hair," Ron grinned. "And I'll make it short. That's the only spell I remember."

"Ok, then I'll become blond," Hermione nodded.

She touched her wand to her head.

After applying the spell, she also straightened her hair.

"Should my eyes be blue?"

"Whatever you want. Though, that might look a bit fake and less believable."

"I think you're right. What about you?"

"Redhair! I think this is the best for me. But I'll do something with it, because everyone knows how messy my hair is…"

After a few more small changes, they looked at each other.

"Ready?"

"I think so…"

"Then… let's go."

They stepped forward and Harry was about to raise his wand when a voice made them freeze.

"May I ask what you're up to?"

With sour faces, they turned around and found Lamerin standing there.

"Oh, it's just you," Harry sighed.

"What are you doing?" the boy asked suspiciously.

"Please don't tell your father!" Hermione pleaded.

"Yeah, or else…" Ron raised his fist, enjoying the fact that he was taller and stronger that the others.

"I have to call Marie! But I can't do it from here; we have to go to London. Something must have happened, because Hedwig got hurt, and she had no letter with her. If you want to tell on us then go, but you can't stop us." Harry said seriously.

"Why do you think I want you to get into trouble?" Lamerin asked, shaking his head. "I'm not going to tell on you. But I won't let you go alone. You need an adult…"

"Adult? You're only a few years older than us." Ron grinned.

"That doesn't matter," Lamerin winked. "I'd better go with you."

He took his wand and turned his hair to the same color as Harry's.

"Okay, we can go now."

Harry nodded and raised his wand.

They waited impatiently, but soon noises could be heard. They looked around, trying to find the source, but soon Ron had to jump out of the way.

The big bluish-purplish bus stopped in front of them.

"Welcome to the Knights Bus! The…"

"Get on!" Harry urged his companions. "To London!" he said to Stan.

"Such a rush…" he grimaced and climbed up behind the four of them. "Names?"

"John Smith," Harry said while trying to find his money.

Stan looked at him.

"And the others?"

"John Smith," Harry gave him the fare and two extra galleons.

Hermione looked out of the window.

"Well, Smith family, where in 'London'?"

"Near downtown, where there are a lot of people, but you can stop without causing a commotion."

"Heard that, Ernie?" Stan hit the door of the driver cabin. "Let's go to London!"

"You'd better sit down," Harry told to Lamerin, who was looking around in the bus.

"I've never used this before…"

"Not even with your father?"

The boy shook his head. His red hair flew around.

"We always Apparate if we're going somewhere."

"Good for you that you can Apparate…" Ron sighed. "That's a much easier way of travelling."

"And funnier too. The last time, when we want to Diagon Alley with Dad, we almost got lost. We both miscalculated a bit."

"Wait, wait!" Hermione slid closer. "You're saying that your father's not really good at Apparating?"

"I think he's really good at it. But sometimes we play around. We laughed so hard…"

"I'd like to see your father in one of these funnier moments," the girl admitted.

"I hope you'll only see him like that from now on. I think he's finally happy again. Change is coming. I'm sure."

Lamerin stopped for a moment then continued.

"He thinks highly of you. He always says that you're an exceptional student."

Hermione blushed.

"He says things. Things you probably only understand as a teacher." Suddenly, the bus stopped without any announcement, and they were all lucky since each of them had something to grab on.

Outside, a cat whined in pain.

"He thinks a lot about what will happen to you when you finish school. He said that it's really strange to teach someone then meet them years later, when that person's already grown up. That's why they're at each other's throat with Tonks. He says it's a strange feeling…"

"Hm…"

"We're here!" Stan yelled. "I hope you had a pleasant journey, Mr. John Smith," he said looking at Hermione.

After the bus disappeared, they looked around. Both Harry and the girl didn't know the neighborhood.

"Too few people… I don't like this…" Ron said and pulled his jacket closer.

"You're right… Let's go to a more crowded place…"

Looking back a lot, they started walking. Shops with no people and parked cars were the only things they saw. They all felt the tension. Harry was worried not only for his girlfriend, but for his friends' lives too. The members of the Order weren't there to protect them. They were all alone.

They could soon hear noises, which calmed them a little. Finally, they saw crowded streets with cars, people, shops and banks…

Between all the noises they didn't hear the siren first. It sounded like the one in school signaling the beginning and the end of the lessons. But when the three people with masks ran past them and knocked Harry down as money flew around them, they understood what was happening. The police cars stopped in front of the robbed bank.

The four of them almost couldn't be seen in the rain of money.

"Oh, Merlin!" Ron took the girl's hand. "Let's get out of here!"

Lamerin helped Harry up, and they ran away. However, the security guard and the police became suspicious seeing the running people and began chasing them.

"Shit!" Ron ran past a kissing couple.

Two bangs could be heard.

"Oh, God! They're shooting at us!" Hermione screamed.

"Lamerin!" Harry shouted. "Apparate!"

"What?"

"Apparate!"

"Are you crazy?"

"Maybe you could get us some help!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Go!"

However, even if he wanted to, he didn't have the opportunity to Apparate, because they were surrounded.

"Put your hands in the air!"

"What do you have to do in this situation?" Ron whispered.

"Put your hands up and don't move!" Hermione said visibly shaking. "I told you something's going to happen! Now we'll get expelled! I knew it!"

"Hermione, I'll to shoot you if you don't shut up!" Harry murmured.

The small police station's only cell was the resting place of the four students, while the policemen looked at each other with satisfaction.

"Look, sir, this is a misunderstanding," Hermione tried. "We didn't rob the bank."

"We were at the wrong place at the wrong time," Ron added.

"The security guard said that the robbers wore ski masks. You can see that we don't have any kind of masks." Harry said angrily. "Let us go, we have something urgent to do."

"We have to record your data because of your suspicious behavior." The policeman who was in charge of them said. "Frank, their IDs!"

"Only two of them had."

"Potter" he tried to read the small letters. "…and Granger. Both underage. Enough," he threw the IDs on the table. "Tell me about yourselves. You start!" he pointed at the boy.

"But…!"

"Name." While typing, the man was eating a chocolate doughnut.

"Potter, Harry James"

"Date and place of birth?"

"31 July, 1980. London."

"Mother's name?"

"Potter, Lily. Maiden name: Evans."

"Father's name?"

"Potter, James."

"Address?"

Ron's heart clenched.

"I'm an orphan."

"Then where do you live?"

Harry sighed, hoping that his anger will leave with the air.

"With my foster parents. Their names…"

"Wait, wait. Papers on being an orphan?"

"In there," Harry looked at his wallet on the table.

"Foster parents' names?"

"Dursley, Vern…"

"Spell it," the man said slowly, like he was enjoying it.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"For God's sake! Can't we hurry up a little? We're in a hurry!"

"Don't you dare speaking up, miss! We'll get to you too. Then, spe…"

"D-U-R-S-L-E-Y, Vernon. His wife is Dursley, Petunia. Maiden name: Evans. She's my aunt."

"Address?"

"Privet Drive 4, Little Whinging, Surry."

"You're far from home, young man. Why aren't you in school now?"

The four of them looked at him and answered almost in union.

"It's Saturday."

"Indeed." He wrote something on the paper. "So? Where do you go to school?"

"Saint Brutus' Secure Center."

His friends looked at him miserably, knowing that this only made things worse for them.

"Reeeeeally?" the policeman's eyes lit up. "Tell me something. How did you get to London, when you're supposed to be in a secure center?"

They didn't know how to answer that.

"Did you run away?"

"I can leave sometimes…" Harry muttered.

However, the policeman, using the newfound information, handled them with indifference.

"Did you have trouble with the police before?"

"No," Harry lied, knowing that the wizard's justice system is unknown to this stupid muggle.

"And why," the man took his ID, "do you have red hair, when in this picture it's black?"

"I-I dyed it…"

"Dyed it," the man grimaced. "Well, Emma," he looked at the woman in mini skirt bringing in coffee. "Call this number."

"My aunt?" Harry became scared. "P-please, do you have to? Can't you just let us go?"

However, the man gave the woman the number of Hermione's parents too.

"We're officially in trouble. Now you can start panicking, Hermione…"

Hours went by with awkward waiting. Harry knew that it would take Aunt Petunia hours to get to London, even more if Uncle Vernon was working in the weekend. He couldn't guess when the girl's parents would arrive not knowing how far Hermione lived. But he felt like he was running out of time. If his girlfriend was in trouble, then he should call her very soon…

"I told you to Apparate," he whispered to Lamerin. "Have you seen the way he's been looking at you since you told him your name?"

"Yeah, it's not a common Muggle name. I couldn't leave you."

"And what now?" Ron stepped to the bars. "Is your aunt coming? Hermione's parents will; that's for sure…"

"Let's hope that my aunt denied knowing me when they called… If Uncle Vernon learns that I had to be taken from the police, I won't be able to stay there anymore…"

Suddenly the door opened and aunt Petunia stepped inside.

"Damn, I don't have any time to pray." Harry looked up with an innocent expression.

He saw the woman looking towards him, then at the policeman, confusion written on her face. Harry waved and pointed at himself to get the woman's attention. When she recognized his green eyes, her face turned even paler. The policeman disappeared for a moment, probably because Hermione's parents also arrived.

"What's… what's with your look, you devil?" she hissed like a snake.

"Aunt Petunia, I'm sorry, it was just an accident that we ended up in front of the bank when it was robbed!"

"What's with this look?"

It looked like the woman was angrier about the way he looked than the fact that he was in a cell.

"I had to change my appearance so the people chasing me won't recognize me."

"And who are these?"

Harry looked at his cellmates.

"My best friends, Aunt Petunia. We go to… school together."

"Hermione, honey, what happened to you?" the girl's mother ran to the cell. "Why are they still locked up?" she yelled at the policeman. "Release them immediately! I'm going to sue you for holding underage children without legal representative and the right to a phone call!"

That made the policemen move and the four of them were released soon. They walked to the nearest park in silence, where the Granger parents finally asked what they were doing in London.

"Mom, it's a long story…"

"I got them into this," Harry answered. With a sigh, he continued. "Something… something happened to my girlfriend, Marie. I have to call her… I need to know what happened. But I couldn't reach her from school… I wanted to run away alone, but they insisted on coming with me. They got into trouble because of me…"

Hermione's mother smiled bitterly and patted Harry's head.

"You'll get into trouble if they learn about this in school…"

"I know…"

Aunt Petunia grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him away. She seemed to hate the idea of being near any more wizards.

"Irresponsible brat! That's how it works?! You running around in London when you're supposed to be in that school, locked up?"

"Locked up?"

"You're a danger to everyone, and now you get these kids into trouble! You can't think of anything else but that stupid girl!"

"I told her what I am."

"Wh-what?" The woman paled. "How dare…?"

"I had to tell her, because she could be in danger! She had to know the truth about me because I love her very much!" Petunia looked at him angrily for a while. Suddenly, Harry took her hands, which surprised her to no end.

However, she continued her scolding. "She's going to die because of you! They all will! So will you! You're an irresponsible foul, just like your mother!"

"I'm not afraid of dying." Harry hugged her suddenly. "I'm not afraid of dying for them. Mom also died for someone she dearly loved. There's nothing more beautiful that this… That's why you're so angry with me? Because I took her away from you?"

The woman didn't know what to say. When Harry released her she turned her head away.

"I'm disguising myself like this to not get into trouble. This way no one will recognize us. We'll change back when we get back to school. They are my best friends. Ron and Hermione. The other redhead is Professor Snape's son."

"What? That teacher has a child?"

Harry nodded with a smile.

"I'm sorry you have to come here because of me… Did you come alone?"

"You should be happy."

The boy tried not imagining Uncle Vernon's angry face. Nodding, he began to search for his money in his bag.

"Wonder where I could buy a phone card."

"Take mine and just go already!" Petunia gave him hers.

"Is it okay? Really? How's Dudley?"

"I said go!"

Harry ran to the nearest phone booth smiling. With a sigh, he took out the paper with the phone number. Please be alright. He prayed for everything to be okay. His friends and the adults gathered around the booth.

With a sigh he took the receiver.

"Let's see. 00… 33… 491…"

She calmed down a bit when it started ringing. A woman answered in French:

"Oui?"

Harry tried remembering what he learnt in French before Hogwarts.

"B-bonjour madame… Je voudrais parler avec Marie Salboux."

"Marie Salboux?"

"Oui, madame."

"Attandez, s'il vous plait."

"What does that mean?" Harry became very impatient. It seemed like an eternity until finally someone answered.

"Oui, je suis Marie Salboux."

"Marie?" Harry shouted happily. "Marie, it's me, Harry! I…"

"Harry! Harry, guess what? I met some wizards!" the girl said without stopping to take a breath.

"W-what?"

"They are all around me! They protect me! Gilles and Jules La Berre! Do you know them?"

"N-no, no I don't… Protect you?"

"Yes! They rescued me from the river! And the doctor is also a witch. Some Squib. What does that mean? Hm? Hm?"

"Squib? That's…" Harry didn't even know where he was for a moment. La Berre what? "That means 'a non-magical person who is born to magical parents'. But what were you doing in the river?"

"I wanted to check if I was a witch or not, and if I stayed on the surface or not!"

"WHAT? Marie! For God's sake, don't ever do that again!"

Even outside, they could hear him shouting. Ron looked at his girlfriend confused.

"You said it's not necessary to yell on the phone…"

Hermione smiled and took his hand.

"I was angry at you. I wanted to prove that I'm not that…" the girl told him a bit sadly. "But everyone knows you here! Who is You-Know-Who? And what happened to your parents? And who's Dumbledore?"

"Didn't you read my letter?"

"Y-yes, I did, but then I tore it, so I only remember a few things…" the girl admitted.

"You tore it? That's great…"

"Yes, and I made Hedwig leave…?

"What happened to her?"

"Well…"

"Marie!"

"She hit the window…"

They were both silent for a moment. Harry's head hit the glass.

"What a dove you are!" the boy chuckled.

"Oh, come on… I didn't want to hurt her."

"Will you come here then?

"What? Say it again, please, I could barely hear anything!"

"Come to my school for Christmas!"

"Are you… serious?"

"Of course! I'll pay for the plan ticket and everything… Please come! I miss you so much…"

"I'll go! But… how do I get there?"

"I'll write everything down in a letter! But please don't throw Hedwig out this time!"

"Okay…"

"I love you so much…"

"Me too… How are we able to talk now? Do wizards use phones too?"

"… No… The thing is… we ran away from school…"

"WHAT? Mon Dieu, Harry! Won't you get expelled?"

"That'd be bad…"

"Go back this instant! Maybe you'll get away with it!"

"Okay, we will. Marie…"

"Oui?"

"I love it when you say that…" Harry grinned. "Take good care of yourself, okay?"

The girl hummed.

"Je t'aime, Marie."

"Je t'aime, Harry."

"Bye…"

"Bye…"

The boy put the receiver back sadly. Ron noticed this first.

"So?" they asked.

"She's coming!" Harry jumped on his friends.

"Now go back to school!" Hermione's mother said.

The children nodded.

"It's too crowded here, Harry," Lamerin commented. "We can't call the bus from here…"

"Yeah, you're right."

They found a less crowded street.

"Do you think my parents will be able to see the bus?" the girl asked from Ron.

"I don't know… But I think if they could go to the Diagon Alley, then they'll be able to see the bus too…"

"What bus are they talking about?" Aunt Petunia asked suspiciously.

"Wizard's bus," Lamerin answered with a smile. However, the woman shivered at the word.

"Aunt Petunia, you see, Hermione's parents can't use magic at all. They are Muggles. I'm curious if you will see the bus or not…"

"Is here good enough?"

"I think so." Ron shrugged.

"Then… I'll do it…" Harry raised his wand, a bit afraid of what his aunt will say. She never saw him use magic. Well… not intentionally.

"I think we should step back," Hermione suggested.

However, as soon as she said that, the Knight Bus stopped in front of them.

The three Muggle adults couldn't utter a word.

Stan came into view.

"Oh, the Smith family!"

The four of them swallowed hard.

While Hermione said goodbye to her parents, Harry looked at Aunt Petunia.

"I want to see you get on this thing, and not leaving that school until June!"

"I won't, Aunt Petunia. And thank you," he waved.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Hogsmeade."

After sitting down and paying, they waved to the adults. The vehicle started its journey, and Harry began to recite what he had heard on the phone…