Swords (Edmund X Reader)

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We flew for hours in the sky, my face going numb from the cold wind. The only sense of warmth was Edmund behind me, wrapping his arms around me.

"We're dropping!" Ron shouted. I noticed as indeed the dragon dipped lower and lower. We were hovering over a lake and I don't think I wanted to land on the ground with a hungry dragon.

"I say we jump!" Newt said what I was thinking. There was universal agreement to the idea. We all prepared ourselves to jump into the lake below.

"NOW!" Harry shouted, plummeting off. I followed behind him and we fell like stones into the water below. We all swam towards the little spit of land in the middle of the lake. The water was freezing cold and my breath hitched. Somehow, I made it to land, heaving myself on it. Edmund helped me stand up as Hermione immediately started rummaging in her bag, pulling out fresh clothes.

Harry was the last one to come out of the water. "You-Know-Who. He knows we broke into Gringotts. He knows what we took. He knows we're hunting Horcruxes." Harry panted. I helped him out of the water. "I saw him."

"What did you see?" I asked, passing him a towel.

"He's angry. But he's scared too. He's going to make sure the other Horcruxes are safe." Harry explained. Edmund offered to hold up a towel around me so I could change without anyone seeing.

"What happens when he finds out four are gone?" Newt asked.

"I reckon he'll do anything to stop us from finding the rest. There's more: one of them's at Hogwarts." Harry said. Several of us said what at the same time.

"I saw the castle. And Rowena Ravenclaw. I think it must have something to do with her. We have o go there, now." Harry continued.

"Tonight? But we have to plan. We have to figure out what-" Hermione started but I interrupted her.

"Honestly, Hermione, when have any of our plans actually worked? We plan, we get there, and all hell breaks loose." I said, finishing wearing my fresh clothes. I held up the towel for Hermione.

"She's right. One problem: Snape's Headmaster now. We can't just walk in the front door." Ron said.

"We'll go to Hogsmeade. To Honeydukes. Take the secret passage in the cellar." Harry planned. We all agreed, and after everyone had changed and warmed up, we linked hands and apparated.

My feet felt the familiar cobblestone path of Hogsmeade, and we dropped our hands, individually making our way to Honeydukes. But just as we did, Death Eaters spilled from the Three Broomsticks.

"There! Right there!" A death eater shouted. We turned on our heels and vanished into the mist. Harry led the way, we were running wicked fast through the twisting streets, glancing down alleyways for signs of pursuers, the mist turned to be both friend and foe. Suddenly, a dark figure appeared on the roof above. He whistled. "I've got them! Down here!!"

We raced down a side street and stumbled into an alcove. My lungs were burning. "They were ready for us." Hermione whispered. Suddenly beams of light fractured the mist.

"We know you're here, Potter. There's no getting away." The death eater taunted. "Perhaps you need some convincing."

"What's he mean by that?" I asked. Hermione gasped, eyes looking upward. Everyone followed her gaze. Just above the rooftops, barely distinguishable from the night, dementors drifted like smoke. As Harry drew his wand, I pushed it back down.

"No, you'll give us away." I whispered. The night grew ever darker, the streetlights dimmed. Our breath drifted visibly in the gathering chill. As the Dementors descended, we all grimaced, beset by bleak thoughts. All hopelessness that was slowly growing furor weeks now unleashed within me. We were just children, forced to fight in this war. Against all odds, we were left crumbs of information and expected to defeat a wizard whose name people didn't dare say.