Hogwarts School Years: Year 3

Passwords, Meetings and Time Limits

Natalie's POV

I run till I can no longer see the flashes of bright lights and screams behind me.

Joey. I left him. I’m such a horrible cousin. I ran for my life and he’s still fighting. This feels wrong; I really shouldn’t have let him come. I could have sneaked out or just somehow begged him to just let me go alone. Though that would never have happened, it’s like he knows what I’m thinking all the time. He just reads me like a book.

I push the thoughts to the back of mind. There’s nothing I can do now. Joey never exactly told me what I would do if I actually had to run. I’ll have to go on or this whole trip will have been a waste. I spin in a full circle to take in my surroundings. Just lots of tree and snow. Without the footprints I had just made I wouldn’t even know which direction I had come from. Everything looks the same. I knew it was a bad idea to come without a map...A GPS would have come in handy at this moment if it would even work here. I’m still holding Joey’s wand. I look at it carefully. Birch and Phoenix Tail Feather, 12 and a half inches. I still remember when we first got our wands. He practically set the shop on fire before he tried this one.

“Point me.” I cast, holding the wand out flat on my hand. It points north, or at least I hope it’s north. I wish I had my own wand. It would work much better than this one. I’d just finally adjusted to my last wand...Now it’s broken again...My parents are going to think I’m irresponsible. My excuse to get my last one wasn’t very good. I couldn’t exactly say I was caught by a snake and it broke my wand kilometres under the school. It would just worry them. Worry...I really should have called them before I left. Well at least they should know I’m awake; Madam Pomfrey would have owled them. I wonder how Zoey’s doing. She’s probably dealing with Madam Pomfrey at this moment. I wonder what she said to her.

I guess I better get going; I want to make it farther before the sun sets. I take one last look around the area to make sure it is free of Death Eaters and walk in the direction that is supposedly north.

***

"Okay, now that rabbit was mine!" I hear someone yell.

"No it wasn't! It was mine. It's ALL YOUR FAULT that it got away." another person replies.

"MY FAULT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?! You scared it. You were walking way too loud."

"No I wasn't! You were. People could have heard you a mile away! Joey and Natalie probably heard you."

Wait, Joey and Natalie. They're implying that we're far away and not with them....Oh no, what could've happened to him? Don't tell me he...no he didn't, he didn't die. That's impossible. Even with Garfield's wand he'd be able to defend himself, right?

They finally see me.

"Natalie!" yells Lewis. The two of them run up to us. Just two.

"Are you okay?" asks Keith.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?"

"Yeah, where's Joey?" questions Lewis. "We thought he was with you."

"I thought he was with you..." I sigh. Please be okay...

“Then where did he go? We were chased into the thicker part of the forest so we thought that he’d be with you. When did you last see him?” says Keith.

“Before I ran...” I reply looking down. I feel like a coward. I ran away from the fight and left Joey with the Death Eaters...

“You ran?” asked Lewis surprised. “I didn’t expect that...”

“He told me to...He made me promise that I would run in dangerous situations if he told me too...”

Keith notices the wand in my hand. “That isn’t you wand; is it Joey’s?”