She Is Alive ~ V | d.m.

27. Unloyal Host

"Mr. Lovegood," Harry had snapped out of it and look up at the man who was returning to us, "Where's Luna?"

"Excuse me?"

"Where's Luna?"

Mr. Lovegood stopped at the top step as I turned to look at Harry.

"I- I've already told you. She is down at the Botions Bridge fishing for Plimpies."

"I thought she was at Hogwarts."

The man tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"I don't think Luna's been here or at school for weeks," Harry continued sparing me a single curious glance, "Where is she? And why do you keep looking out of the window?"

Mr. Lovegood dropped the tray. The bowls bounced and smashed as we all drew our wands. The man froze as his hand was about to find comfort in his pocket.

At that moment the printing press had a numerous amount of Quibblers streaming across the floor from underneath the tablecloth, the press soon finished and fell silent after a minute.

Hermione knelt down and picked up one of the magazines, her wand still held up high, "Harry, look at this," He looked at her and walked over to her as quickly as he could through all the clutter on the floor.

The front of the Quibbler carried his own picture, followed by the words, 'Undesirable Number One' and captioned with reward money.

"The Quibbler's going for a new angle, then?" Harry asked coldly, as he looked up to the man in disgust, "Is that what you were doing when you went into the garden, Mr. Lovegood? Sending an owl to the Ministry?"

The man lowered his head, "They took my Luna," he whispered, "Because of what I've been writing. Voldemort took my Luna and I don't know where she is, what they've done to her. But they might give her back to me if I- if I-"

"Hand over Harry?" Hermione finished for him.

"That's not happening," Ron spat as he grew frustrated, "Get out of the way, we're leaving."

"They will be here any moment. I must save Luna. I cannot lose Luna. You must not leave."

The man spread his arms in front of the staircase and we all held our wands up.

"Don't make us hurt you," Harry growled, "Get out of the way, Mr. Lovegood."

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed as we were beginning to be surrounded.

Figures on broomsticks were flying past the windows. As we all looked away from him. Mr. Lovegood drew his wand. However, Harry and I realized our mistake just in time.

There was an explosion. The sound of it seemed to blow the room apart. Fragments of wood and paper and rubble flew in all directions.

Harry flew through the air, then crashed to the floor, with his arms over his head. I was thrown against a wall when I heard Hermione's scream and Ron's yell before I noticed that Mr. Lovegood was knocked off his feet and had fallen backward down the spiral stairs.

The door downstairs then flew open.

"Didn't I tell you there was no need to hurry, Travers?" there was a deep voice, "Didn't I tell you this nutter was just raving as usual?" There was another loud noise and then a scream of pain from our unloyal host.

"N- no... upstairs- Potter!"

I shook my head not willing to wait so I stood up, coughing from the debris.

"Someone's upstairs!"

Ron was buried under wood pieces and debris as Hermione helped him up. Harry, as quietly as he could, tried to climb over all the wreckage to where I stood. Hermione had finally managed to free Ron and they both made their way to me.

"All right." Hermione was breathing heavily but turned to all of us, "Do you trust me?"

Harry, Ron, and I nodded as she turned to Harry, "Okay then," she whispered, "Give me the Invisibility Cloak. Ron and Scarlett, you're going to put it on."

"Me? But Harry-"

"Please, Ron! Harry, hold on tight to my hand, Ron, grab Scarlett's hand and Scarlett, my shoulder."

I nodded and she gave me a knowing look, to which I understood as I placed my hand on her shoulder.

Harry held out his left hand, as Ron and I vanished beneath the cloak. The boys were confused about why I was waiting as Hermione only stared out at the debris before us.

"Hold tight" she whispered, "Hold tight, any second now..."

Mr. Lovegood's face soon appeared over the top of the sideboard as Hermione lifted her wand.

"Obliviate!" Hermione, pointing her wand at his face then at the floor beneath them, "Deprimo!"

She had blasted a hole in the sitting room floor. We soon fell through as we held onto one another for life or death. There was soon a scream from below, and we caught sight of two men trying to get out of the way as rubble and broken furniture came down all around them from the shattered ceiling.

"Now!"

On her call, I instantly took us elsewhere. Apparating just beyond the borders, I kept us all safe and together as we landed.

Harry fell to the ground, as Ron and I rolled onto the grass before we stood up at once. We seemed to have landed in the corner of a field at dusk. Hermione, however, was already running in a circle around us, waving her wand.

"Protego Totalum, Salvio Hexia..."

"That treacherous old bleeder," Ron growled, as he took the Invisibility Cloak off of us and threw it to Harry, "Hermione you're a genius, a total genius. I can't believe we got out of that."

"Cave Inimicum..."

Ron then sighed, examining his torn jeans and the cuts on his legs, "What'd you reckon they'll do to him?"

"Oh, I hope they don't kill him!" Hermione said, worried, "That's why I wanted the Death Eaters to get a glimpse of Harry before we left, so they knew Mr. Lovegood hadn't been lying!"

"Why'd you hide me and Scarlett though?" Ron raised his eyebrow as he cocked his head.

"You're supposed to be in bed with spattergrolt, Ron! They've kidnapped Luna because her father supported Harry! What would happen to your family if they knew you're with him? As for Scarlett, I had to be safe, rather than sorry."

I nodded understanding as Ron's face fell into confusion once more.

"But what about your mum and dad?"

"They're in Australia, they should be all right. They don't know anything."

"You're a genius," Ron repeated, as he cast her a smile.

"Yeah, you are, Hermione," Harry agreed, giving her a smile. "I don't know what we'd do without you."

She beamed, "Thanks but it was Scarlett's magic that's gotten us this far."

I smiled and shook my head as she smiled before she dropping it and frowning almost at once, "What about Luna?"

"Well, if they're telling the truth and she's still alive," Ron started and gave a knowing look, as if obvious.

"Don't say that, don't say it! She must be alive, she must!"

"Then she'll be in Azkaban, I expect. Whether she survives the place, though. Loads don't..."

I rolled my eyes and sat down on a boulder, keeping to myself. Feeling sick again, I bent over in the grass and threw up. Cleaning up, I spelled away the mess and cleaned my face before standing up.

Feeling tired and still sick, I walked over to them and sat down on a stump, staying quiet, until I heard something I knew about.

"You-Know-Who's after the Elder Wand."

I turned my head and faced them, as I whispered, "He already has it..."

They looked at me and fell silent as all we heard were the sounds of the forest around us.

Harry peered up and met my eyes, confused, "What?"

I stood up and balled my hand into a fist, as I spoke clearly, "Riddle already has it."