Albus Potter and the Prophesied Year

Ch 3 The "Escape"

Harry went into the office at seven in the morning. Cho Chang was sitting at her cubical, and as soon as she saw him she told him, "I am going home."

Harry went into his office, and looked at his copy of the map that showed the Ministry. The witch and wizard that had captured Cleo and Scorpius were not in the holding cells.

Hermione and several other strained looking staff members were just arriving as Harry stepped out of his office.

"I don't like this," Hermione sighed, biting her lip in agitation. "The more time that passes from an initial kidnapping the less of a chance of finding the people kidnapped. A couple of the leads looked promising, but nothing amounted to anything. Those two could be anywhere in the world by now."

"I know," Harry replied, giving her a one armed hug.

*

Albus, Cleo and Scorpius Apparated to the chosen spot on the banks of The River Otter. Albus burned Cleo's arm right at the wrist first. She rushed into the river and put her arm under the water, agony on her face. Albus proceeded to do the same to Scorpius, who almost passed out, before rushing into the river. The two ran into the brambles, their clothes and skin tearing. Cleo kicked her shoes off, and Scorpius did as well, removing one sock in the process.

The two looked a mess, and were obviously in agony.

Albus waved his wand, doing something to make both of them even dirtier and messier.

"Can you still Apparate?" Albus asked, very worried that he had burned them too deeply.

"Yes," Cleo replied, as she grabbed Scorpius and disappeared.

Albus destroyed both pairs of shoes and the one sock, and collected what was left. He put the remains in a plastic pouch, and then walked into the New Burrow.

"You never saw me," he told his grandmother as he took the Floo to thirteen Grimmauld Place. She blinked at the Floo, was that Albus?

*

Ginny walked out of twelve Grimmauld Place at Eight. Sue Shook was there to meet her. Cindy Hudson and her photographer and husband Henry were also there. "I'm trying to document what people are doing to try and find Scorpius and Cleo," Cindy told Sue as several other people peered out of their homes trying to see what the commotion was about.

Henry had not finished setting up his camera when Cleo and Scorpius appeared, collapsing on the ground in pain and exhaustion. As a result, the images he recorded were a little shaky at first, as he tried to focus in on what was happening.

"Mum, Mum Ginny," Cleo yelled. "St. Mungo's. We're burned."

Ginny looked in horror at the shape of the two. "Let's take the Floo right now!" she exclaimed. Ginny and Mitzi levitated the two into the kitchen, Ginny yelled, "St. Mungo's, Emergency," and threw Floo powder into the flames. She pushed Cleo and then Scorpius through the Floo, before she and Mitzi followed.

Henry took his camera and panned around the entire large garden area between Grimmauld Place and NewBright Street, recording as many of the beings looking on as he could. Then he packed up his equipment, and he and his wife rushed into twelve Grimmauld Place to take the Floo to St. Mungo's.

Ginny was standing at the entrance of the Emergency Department of St. Mungo's when Cindy and Henry arrived. Scorpius and Cleo were nowhere to be seen.

Ginny saw Cindy and Henry, and conjured her Patronus. "Harry, they have escaped, but they are seriously hurt," Ginny exclaimed. "We are at St. Mungo's."