Evanora

Chapter 4 ~ 2nd Trip to Hogsmeade

"Bye! See you when you get back!" Harry called out to Ron and Hermoine. "Quickly, we don't have much time." I lured him back inside the castle. Harry hurried up to the third floor, slipping the Marauder's Map out of his pocket as he went. I anxiously watched as he crouched down and opened his map. His eyes shot at me and he whispered: "Neville's coming!" I shrank out of his view to a cat with the looks of Crookshanks just before Neville came around the corner.

"Harry! I forgot you weren't going to Hogsmeade either!"

"Hi, Neville," Said Harry, moving swiftly away from the statue and pushing the map back in his pocket.

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing, shrugged Neville. "Want a game of Exploding Snap?"

"Er -- not now --" They both turned towards me as I came into view. "-- I'm watching Hermoine's cat!"

Knowing that we had to get out of this situation fast, I improvised with a fierce hiss towards Neville as I crept closer, trying to imagine what Crookshanks looked like when he was about to pounce on Scabbers.

Neville backed away. "I- I don't think he likes me..." Its working! I thought. With another hiss I picked up speed and let my claws come out and started into a run.

Neville wasn't moving fast enough. They had to do something, quick. Harry burst: "Neville, run!"

Neville ran with a face of horror as I fake chased him until he was facing the opposite direction.

"Brilliant, Eva!" Harry said in a whisper. "Dissendium," he muttered. The statue opened wide enough for him to squeeze into. He shoved his bag inside and looked down at the map in his hand. I approached the entrance of the tunnel but before I could see what was going on he grabbed me around the middle and lunged into the shoot. In his arms I attempted a "Hey!" But it came out as "Reeaarr!" He replied "Sorry, Snape was coming." Harry unzipped his bag just enough for me to have room to peek my head and arms out the top. The soft cloak at the bottom of his bag made the ride comfortable while I bobbed up and down on the ride. He took off at a run. Harry felt the load get lighter as he was running: Eva figured that it would be easier for him to carry her a mouse. When they arrived she hopped out of the bag and morphed into a human. "We here?" She said.

"Yeah, finally."I slipped the cloak out of his bag and handed it to him, re-zipping it I said: "Hey, I'm going to be myself so I can buy things. Is the cloak going to fit both of us?"

"Let's find out," He replied. They should have felt uncomfortable as they were pressed against each other, trying to take up as little space as possible so that their ankles didn't peek out from the bottom of the cloak. Harry stopped suddenly and Eva stepped on his heel. "Ow!" Harry murmured under his breath. "Sorry," she apologized. "Hand me that map, will you?" She whispered. Harry pulled out the map from his pocket and handed it over his shoulder. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," she heard Harry say this on the way there.

"Ron's outside. Hermoine's in Zonkos..."

"No."

"Fine." She knew that Hermoine must be lonely but Harry didn't like the idea of visiting her while she threatened to tell on him. We emerged into the light outside of Honeydukes and Harry Prodded Ron in the back. "It's me," He muttered. "And me," I chimed. "What kept you?" Ron hissed. "Neville was hanging around..." Harry replied. They set off up the high street. "Where are you?" Ron kept muttering out of the corner of his mouth. "Are you still there? This feels weird...."

They went to the post office and I sat on Harry's shoulder as a pixie so he could have a look around. There were so many people in Zonko's that they had to be careful not to tread on anyone and cause havoc. They found it easy for Evanora to whisper orders in his ear so Harry could pass them on to Ron to buy with her wallet. "Tell Ron to grab that box of Bean-Boozled Jelly Beans," she would say. "No, the big one. That's it." At one point Harry wasn't sure if she was joking when she sniggered and said: "Do you think love potion works with cats? If so I might just slip some in Ron's dinner tonight.."