Sirius's son

A Place to Hide

SLIGHTLY MATURE CONTENT

Everything seemed fuzzy, slow. Rigel and Eliza drew out their wands. Many people were only just realizing that something strange had happened; heads were still turning toward the silver cat as it vanished. Silence spread outward in cold ripples from the place where the Patronus had landed. Then somebody screamed.

"We're going! Now!" Rigel yelled.

They entered the tent and Eliza looked around desperately for her brother and friends. She found Ron first.

"Where are they? Protego!" He yelled, holding on to Eliza's hand. Rigel saw Hermione first and then Harry, time seemed to have lost all meaning as they fought their way over to them, there was no time to freeze, it was absolute chaos.

They met in the middle of the dance floor and as soon as they had all joined hands Hermione disapparated, pulling the rest of the quintet with him.

They landed and Rigel was immediately thrown into Eliza by a group of people trying to get to the Underground, one of them grunted an apology to him.

"Where are we?" said Ron's voice.

"Tottenham Court Road," panted Hermione. "Walk, just walk, we need to find somewhere for you to change."

Rigel did as she asked. They half walked, half ran up the wide dark street thronged with late-night revelers and lined with closed shops, stars twinkling above them. A double-decker bus rumbled by and a group of merry pub-googled them as they passed; Rigel, Harry, and Ron were still wearing dress robes.

"Hermione, we haven't got anything to change into," Ron told her, as a young woman burst into raucous giggles at the sight of him.

"Why didn't I make sure I had the Invisibility Cloak with me?" said Harry, inwardly cursing his own stupidity. "All last year I kept it on me and –"

It's okay, I've got the Cloak, I've got clothes for both of you," said Hermione, "Just try and act naturally until – this will do."

She led them down a side street, then into the shelter of a shadowy alleyway.

"When you say you've got the Cloak and clothes . . ." said Harry, frowning at Hermione, who was carrying nothing except her small beaded handbag, in which she was now rummaging.

"Yes, they're here," said Hermione, and to Harry and Ron's utter astonishment, she pulled out a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, some maroon socks, and finally the silvery Invisibility Cloak.

"How the ruddy hell – ?"

"Undetectable Extension Charm. Tricky, but I think I've done it OK; anyway I managed to fit everything we need in here." She said.

"Yeah, when did you do all this Hermione?" Rigel asked as he pulled on his shirt, Eliza struggle not to look at his bare chest.

"I told you at the Burrow, I've had the essentials packed for days, you know, in case we needed to make a quick getaway. I packed your rucksack this morning, Harry after you changed and put it in here...I just had a feeling, and then I went to get the blanket and..."

"Hermione, you're amazing." Said Ron beaming at her.

"Thank you, Harry please get that cloak on, Rigel can give her his locket." Harry disappeared under the cloak and Eliza took the locket.

They walked out of the alleyway and into a small all-night café.

"You know, we're not that far from the Leaky Cauldron..." Started Ron as they sat down on the plastic seats.

"Ron no, we can't!" Hermione said in a hurried whisper.

They moved back up the side street and onto the main road again, where a group of men on the opposite side was singing and weaving across the pavement.