Sophia Holmes and the Search for Horcruxes (Harry Potter Fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter Two

We catch a cab to their safe house on Grimmauld Place. It's a part of the city which I haven't been many times but that I am still familiar with, yet I'm surprised when a house in between numbers 11 and 13 appears out of nowhere, expanding into the gap created.

When the house stops growing, Harry steps forward and taps his wand on the door. A series of metallic clicks sound out and the door swings open with a creak, lighting up the gas lamps inside. The lights illuminate a long corridor, dusty and full of cobwebs. The house looks as though it's been untouched for years.

Harry takes a tentative step forwards and a voice echoes out of the empty hallway.

"Severus Snape?" it hisses.

"Mad-Eye...?" Harry asks, uncertain and as he does, a rush of cold air sweeps through the hallway. Something shifts in the shadows at the end of the corridor, rising out of the carpet to form a tall, dusty mass. It suddenly rushes forward, forming the shape of a ghostly, worm-eaten man with empty eye sockets and a sunken face. As it nears us, it raises its wand and points it at us before exploding into a cloud of dust and sinking back to the floor. Well that's ... unusual.

"What was that about?" Ron gasps, recovering from the shock.

"Mad-eye’s doing, I’d guess," Hermione says in response. "In case Snape decided to come snooping."

A floorboard creaks and we stiffen. Hermione draws her wand out and peers into the shadows. "Homenum revelio," she says but nothing happens. She lowers her wand. "It’s a spell to reveal human presence," she explains.

I reach a hand out and watch the dust stream through my fingers. Nobody has been here in a long time else the build up of dust wouldn't be here. "We’re alone," I confirm.

Harry leads us inside and into a large sitting room to the side of the corridor where he stops.

"It's late. I say we get our heads down and start cracking on early tomorrow morning. Sophia and Hermione, you take the sofas and Ron and I will kip on the floor."

"One of you can take the sofa, if you like," I reply. "I don't sleep a lot. If any of you have a couple books I can read to catch up with everything, I'd appreciate it."

"I'm sure Hermione has a few books you can borrow," Harry says, looking around and seeing Hermione digging into her bag. My eyes widen as she fits her entire arm into the small clutch bag and watches as she pulls out half a dozen books. I may be no stranger to things that are bigger on the inside, but it would seem I'm the only one who doesn't have something which is.

"These should be enough to get you started," she says, putting them on the table with a thud. "Most of it's quite advanced, so don't worry if you don't understand some of it. I'll go through it in the morning with you if you want."

"Thank you, I'll see what I can do."

"I'm so glad there is someone else who appreciates books," she says, glaring at Harry and Ron. "These two wouldn't read a book if their lives depended on it."

"Can't go wrong with a bit of research," I grin back. "How else are you going to learn anything?"

"Exactly!" she replies. "Anyway, goodnight Sophia."

"Sophie, please," I return and she smiles, settling herself down on the sofa. As the room grows quiet and the boys lie down, I pick up the first book and begin to read.