Lumos

36| Night Shopping

The streets were dark, which was both a pro and con of leaving Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. It was that dark time right before dawn. Exhaustion clouded over me . . . I rubbed my eyes, blinking to keep myself awake.

I walked down the streets, the sidewalks wet from rain. Funny, I hadn't noticed it had rained.

Slipping into a small store, I walked down the aisles, grabbing crisps and chocolate bars, and other stuff to drink.

"Why would any muggle eat this stuff?" I asked to myself, wrinkling my nose in disgust. Grabbing a few armfuls, I loaded up a small shopping cart and made my way to the front.

A man stood there, hair grown past his shoulders and a long beard on his chin. His eyes were dark, wary of their surroundings.

Suddenly, I felt uneasy.

"Will that be all?" he asked gruffly as I set the snacks on the register area. I nodded.

He grabbed a pack of Nice 'n' Spicy Nik Naks, holding it up to scan the barcode. When suddenly, he said, "I know what you did."

"Excuse me?" I stepped back. He set down the bag, and it was then when I noticed the dark skull peeking out from under his sleeve.

"I know what you did to Dolohov. I know you're a traitor." In a flash, he pulled out his wand, shouting. I rolled onto the floor as bright green light whizzed past me, bursting a hole through an aisle.

"I'm not a traitor," I gasped, fumbling for my wand. Finally getting a hold of it, I ran through aisle two, the man close behind. "I had nothing to do with him!"

"I saw you," he said, "but you got away too quickly. I wanted to kill you myself for betraying the Dark Lord."

"But I've done nothing!"

He wasn't having any of it. I cast up a shield as another green ray slammed into it.

"Confringo!" I cast, blasting a shelf beside him. He crashed to the ground covered in debris and shards of shelf, and I made a full circle around the shop to leave. Muggles passed by outside as they had no idea the store was being blasted to bits right in front of their eyes.

So, he'd somehow shielded this place. I reached for the door, giving it a push, only to find out it was locked.

"Alohamora!"

Nothing. It wouldn't budge.

"What did you do to the door?" I gasped as he rounded the corner, standing in front of me.

"Jinxed. It's locked, you can't get out." He raised his wand again, knocking mine out of my hand.

"Look, whatever you saw was wrong," I said, backed up against he door. I raised my hands in surrender, gripping the wand.

"I know what I saw. You were with Harry Potter and his two cronies."

"I'm supposed to be. That what the Dark Lord sent me here for!" Which was pretty much the truth. He raised his wand, pointing it at me.

"You are not to be trusted." He opened his mouth. "Avada Ked-"

"Obliviate." A voice cut him off. The Death Eater jerked forward, a dazed look appearing in his eyes. His eyes wandered the store, and then to the wand in his hand.

"What is this stick? Where am I?" He looked up at me. "Who are you?"

"Stupefy." The Death Eater crashed to the floor, completely knocked out. Behind him stood the tall, lean figure of Malfoy.