Complete and Utter Poppycock

Chapter 24: The Missing Mirror

Chapter 24: The Missing Mirror

My feet touched road. I saw the familiar Hogsmeade High Street: dark shop fronts, and the outline of black mountains beyond the village, and the curve in the road ahead that led off toward Hogwarts, and light spilling from the windows of the Three Broomsticks.

The air was rent by a scream. I knew that our appearance had caused it. Harry looked at us beneath the Cloak, the door of the Three Broomsticks burst open and a dozen cloaked and hooded Death Eaters dashed into the street, wands aloft.

One of the Death Eaters waved his wand and the scream stopped, still echoing around the distant mountains.

"Accio Cloak!" roared one of the Death Eaters. Harry seized its folds, but not like it mattered, the Summoning Charm didn't work.

"Not under your wrapper, then, Potter?" yelled he Death Eater who had tried the charm and then to his fellows, "Spread out. He's here."

Six of the Death Eaters ran toward us. We backed as quickly as possible down the nearest side street, and the Death Eaters missed us by inches. We waited in the darkness, listening to the footsteps running up and down, beams of light flying along the street from the Death Eater's searching wands.

"Let's just leave!" Hermione whispered. "Disapparate now!"

"Great idea," said Ron, but then a Death Eater shouted,

"We know you're here, Potter, and there's no getting away! We'll find you!"

"They were ready for us," whispered Harry. "They set up that spell to tell them we'd come. I reckon they've done something to keep us here, trap us —"

"What about dementors?" called another Death Eater. "Let 'em have free rein, they'd find him quick enough!"

"The Dark Lord wants Potter dead by no hands but his —"

"— an' dementors won't kill him! The Dark Lord wants Potter's life, not his soul. He'll be easier to kill if he's been Kissed first!"

There were noises of agreement. I would have to produce Patronuses, which would give us away immediately.

"We're going to have to try to Disapparate, Harry!" Hermione whispered.

Light was sucked from the environment right up to the stars, which vanished. Hermione took hold of my arms and then Harry's and together, we turned on the spot.

The air though which we needed to move seemed to have become solid: We could not Disapparate; the Death Eaters had cast their charms as well. The cold was biting deeper and deeper into my flesh. We retreated down the side street, groping our way along the wall , trying not to make a sound. Then, around the corner, gliding noiselessly, came dementors, ten or more of them, visible because they were of a fender darkness than their surroundings, with their black cloaks and their scabbed and rotting hands. They seemed to be coming more quickly now, taking those dragging, rattling breaths, tasting despair on the air, closing in.

Harry raised his want. He whispered, "Expecto Patronum!" The silver stag burst from his wand and charged: The dementors scattered and there was a triumphant yell fork somewhere out of sight.

"It's him, down there, I saw his Patronus, it was a stag!"

The dementors has retreated, the stars were popping out again, and the footsteps of the Death Eaters were becoming louder. There was a grinding of bolts nearby, a door opened on the left-hand side of the narrow street, and a rough voice said, Potter, in here, quick!"

We hurtles through the open doorway.

"Upstairs, keep the Cloak in, keep quiet!" muttered a tall figure, passing them on our way into the street and slamming the door behind him.