"Don't leave, I told you I wouldn't. So why are you?" Hermione's voice croaked, a mixture of desperation and sorrow in her tone.
"I can't, you know I can't," Y/N murmured, her brows furrowing with a heavy burden of guilt. She felt the weight of her...
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The eight of them stumbled into each other, narrowly avoiding being hit by a double-decker bus that roared past. They pressed their backs against a nearby railing, chests heaving as the wind brushed through their hair. Glances were exchanged among the group, brows furrowing in confusion.
Harry, Ron, Sophie, Seraphina, and Aurora turned to Hermione, who had Apparated them onto a bustling London street. Neon lights and towering billboards surrounded them, a stark contrast to the antique charm of Hogwarts.
Ron's voice trembled as he asked, "Where are we?"
Hermione walked ahead, gesturing for the group to follow. Y/N, however, walked cautiously, recognizing the street where she and Hermione had often gone on dates in London. They walked along the pavement, but the others appeared bewildered.
"Shaftesbury Avenue," Hermione replied, her voice tinged with nostalgia as she moved through the bustling crowd. "I used to come to the theater here with Mom and Dad." Her expression softened for a moment, and she glanced at Y/N, their hands briefly intertwining. But then, Hermione abruptly pulled her hand away and quickened her pace.
"This way," Hermione said, leading them toward a mysterious alleyway. "We need to change."
Hermione led them down the mysterious alleyway, her determined strides setting the pace for the group. She reached into a small pouch and retrieved clothing, leaving Ron perplexed by her seemingly impossible feat.
"How the ruddy...?" Ron muttered in awe.
"Undetectable Extension Charm," Hermione explained as she distributed the clothing to Harry and Y/N. However, she paused when she got to Aurora.
"You're amazing, you are," Y/N remarked.
"Always the tone of surprise," Hermione quipped. But her expression turned serious as she noticed Aurora holding a piece of Y/N's clothing, jealousy slightly simmering in her stomach. "Give that back," she instructed, her eyes fixed on Aurora and the misplaced garment.
"Excuse me?" Aurora murmured, slightly taken aback.
"I said give that back, I handed you the wrong clothes," Hermione hissed, her tone leaving no room for argument. Aurora reluctantly surrendered the clothing.
Hermione then turned to look at Y/N and grabbed the girl's clothes before she handed a new set of clothes to Y/N, who looked confused. "But these are yours—" she started to say, but Hermione shot her a stern glare and gave the three girls random pieces of clothing while she took Y/N's attire.
✴✴✴✴✴
"So you four are escaping Hogwarts..." Aurora's words echoed through the empty café, with only them in it. "To find... Horcruxes?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah," Y/N murmured with a small sigh.
"So, these 'Horcruxes' are bits of his soul," Sophie spoke up, her brow slightly furrowed.
