FLIPPED - harry potter

• 14 - back together again

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| BACK TOGETHER AGAIN |

"You killed her!"

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ALORA STOOD AT THE TOP OF THE HILL, HER HAND STILL HELD TIGHTLY ONTO HARRY'S, in a somewhat state of shock horror — the sun began to die down, and welcome dusk, behind them, a low howl broke the silence,

"Hagrid." Harry muttered without thinking about what he was going, he made to turn back but Alora pulled him back by his wrist.

"Harry. . how much trouble d'you think Hagrid'll be in, if we go down there now." she said to him softly, her eyes were still glossed over — but she refused to let anything fall.

If there was one thing you should know about Alora, it's that she'd never let anyone see her cry — not Harry, not Ron, not Hermione. The only person who had seen her cry before was Aria, but that was when they were nine and seven and Alora trapped her finger in a door — she'd always been more closed away, it made her feel vulnerable when she cried, everytime she'd spent crying, was alone.

Hermione's breathing was very shallow and uneven.

"How — could — they?" she choked, "How could they?"

"Come on," said Ron, whose teeth were shattering.

They all set off back towards the castle, walking slowly to keep themselves hidden beneath the Cloak, light had faded now — by the time they reached the open ground, darkness was settling like a spell around them.

"Scabbers, keep still," Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest, the rat was wriggling madly, Ron had come to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket, "What's the matter with you, you stupid rat? Stay still — OUCH! He bit me!"

"Ron, be quiet!" Hermione whispered urgently, "Fudge'll be out here any minute—"

"He won't — stay — put—"

Scabbers was scared witless, he was writhing with all his strength, trying to free himself desperately from Ron's grip.

"What's the matter with him?"

Harry had just seen — slinking towards them, his body low to the ground, wide yellow eyes glinting eerily in the darkness — Crookshanks. Wether he could see them, or was following the sound of Scabbers's squeaks, Harry couldn't tell.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione moaned, "No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"

The cat was creeping nearer.

"Scabbers — NO!"

Too late — the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground with a forced and scampered away. In one bound, Crookshanks sprung after him, and before, Harry, Alora or Hermione could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness.

"Ron!" Hermione called,

She Alora, and Harry looked at one and other, then followed at a sprint; it was impossible to run full out under the Cloak, they soon pulled it off and streamed it behind them like a banner as they hurdled after Ron, they could hear his feet thundering along ahead, and his shouts at Crookshanks.