Lumos

39| Knockturn Alley

I landed on my shoulder with a crash, feeling pain explode through my arm. 

I'd never be one to master floo powder.

Grumbling, I stood, and winced. I couldn't move my arm. I grabbed my wand, whispering, "Ferula." A makeshift sling appeared and I held my breath as my shoulder popped back into place. I let out a groan.

I'd appeared in a book shop, one that was most probably Flourish & Blotts. I wiped off soot from my clothes, slinking out of the store before I could be noticed. What lay outside had me shocked.

Diagon Alley was barren. The streets were dark and cold, lights flickering. I shivered, rubbing my arm with my good hand as I walked past Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, my childhood. How I longed for some chocolate chilli or sticky toffee pudding ice cream right now. 

Most of the shops were closed. I tried to push open the doors to Eyelops Owl Emporium where I'd bought Hera.

I missed Hera.

But she was safe—safe with my parents . . . who had no idea who I was.

My nose started to burn, and I wiped pressed my eyes to the inside of my elbow, coming to a stop. All of this was my fault. 

All.

My.

Fault.

I twirled the ring on my thumb, starting up my walk again. Suddenly, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.

I dropped to my knees, whipping out my wand. "Petrificus Totalus!"

"Incarcerous!" 

Tight ropes slithered around my body , causing me to drop to the ground. I writhed, but the harder I tried the tighter the ropes became. 

"Show yourself!" I shouted, grunting as I tried to fight the tightening feeling. They were beginning to cut into my skin.

"I'm sure the Dark Lord will enjoy some fresh bait today," a man sneered, teeth bared, coming into view. "Are you a runaway mudblood? A blood traitor? Well, we'll see, shall we?" He reached for me, but with a heave I rolled away from him.

"Wait, wait," I stopped him. "I'm none of those. I'm a pureblood. Slytherin," I added for good measure.

"We'll let the Dark Lord figure that out." He reached for me again.

"Wait! Roll up my sleeve," I said, jutting my chin towards my left arm. The right one was starting to hurt again, hanging in its sling, pressed against my chest.

He looked at me, disconcerted. 

"Well, go ahead. I'm all tied up."

Wand in hand for protection, he reached forward, yanking up my sleeve. I turned my arm outwards, baring my forearm. "See?"

The Dark Mark slithered, moving on my skin as if it were alive. The Death Eater took a step back.

"Finite."

The ropes untied themselves, and I rolled onto my knees, grabbing my wand and getting to my feet. I pointed it at him.

"Expelliarmus!" His wand flew out of his grasp. I accio'd it and it whizzed into my palm, next to my own wand. I pointed them at him. "What's your business here?" I asked him.

He pulled up his own sleeve, an identical ink-black Mark twisting on his arm. "I was posted here. Give me my wand back."

"We're switching posts. Your name?"