𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 [Harry James Potter]

Chapter 23: The Hierophant

The Hierophant

Trigger warnings: Death, torture

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Pure chaos ensued.

Silence spread outward in cold ripples from the place where the Patronus had landed. Then somebody screamed. Harry and Hermione threw themselves into the panicking crowd. Guests were sprinting in all directions; many were Disapparating; the protective enchantments around the Burrow had broken.

"Ron!" Hermione cried. "Ron, where are you?"

And then Ron was there. He caught hold of Hermione's free arm, and Harry felt her turn on the spot; sight and sound were extinguished as darkness pressed in upon him; all he could feel was Hermione's hand as he was squeezed through space and time, away from the Burrow, away from the descending Death Eaters, away, perhaps, from Voldemort himself....

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

Harry opened his eyes. For a moment he thought they had not left the wedding after all: They still seemed to be surrounded by people.

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

Harry 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-goers ogled them as they passed; 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

"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.

"How the ruddy hell-?" Ron watched as Hermione handed them muggle clothes from a small bag.

"Undetectable Extension Charm," said Hermione. "Vera had one just like it... I actually wished we had some of her notebooks that she always wrote in- She understood all types of magic better than I ever could...."

Hermione stopped herself from rambling on, probably in fear she'd start a fight from the uncomfortable topic that was painful enough for all of them.

Harry agreed with her. He had also been wondering about her belongings, mostly because he knew he'd be able to find darker topics such as resurrection.

Both Hermione and Ron took note of Vera's necklace that dangled from Harry's neck as he changed.

Having gone through so much trauma (especially recently.) had caused Harry to take a different approach to the idea of dark magic.