The Potter Twins and the Deathly Hallows {7}

23. The Deathly Hallows

"Every day you fight like you're running out of time, like you're running out of time, are you running out of time?" - Non-Stop, Hamilton

I fall, panting, onto the grass and scramble up at once. We seem to have landed in the corner of a field at dusk; Hermione is already running in a circle around us, waving her wand. 

"Protego Totalum..Salvio Hexia..."

"That treacherous old bleeder!" Ron pants, emerging from beneath the Invisibility Cloak and throwing it to me. "Hermione, you're a genius, a total genius, I can't believe you got us out of that!"

"Cave Inimicum...Didn't I say it was an Erumpet horn, didn't I tell him? And now his house has been blown apart!"

"Serves him right," says Ron, examining his torn jeans and the cuts to his legs. "What d'you reckon they'll do to him?"

"Oh, I hope they don't kill him!" groans Hermione. "That's why I wanted the Death Eaters to get a glimpse of Harry and Haylee before we left, so they knew Xenophilius wasn't lying!"

"Why hide me, though?" Ron asks. 

"You're supposed to be in bed with spattergroit, Ron! They've kidnapped Luna because her father supported Harry and Haylee! What would happen to your family if they knew you're with them?"

"But what about your mum and dad?"

"They're in Australia," says Hermione. "They should be all right. They don't know anything."

"You're a genius," Ron repeats, looking awed. 

"Yeah, you are, Hermione," Harry agrees fervently. "I don't know what we'd do without you."

"We'd have died six years ago without her," I say a grin. 

She beams, but becomes solemn at once. 

"What about Luna?"

"Well, if they were telling the truth and she's still alive --" begins Ron. 

"Don't say that, don't say it!" Hermione squeals. "She must be alive, she must!"

"Then she'll be in Azkaban, I expect," says Ron. "Whether she survives the place, though...Loads don't..."

"She will," I say firmly. I can't contemplate the alternative. "She's tough, Luna, tougher than you'd think. She's probably teaching all the inmates about Wrackspurts and Nargles."

"I hope you're right," says Hermione. She passes a hand over her eyes. "I'd feel so sorry for Xenophilius if --"

"-- if he hadn't just tried to sell us to the Death Eaters, yeah," says Ron. 

We put up the tent and retreat inside it, where Ron makes us tea. After our narrow escape, the chilly, musty old place feels like home: safe, familiar, and friendly. 

"Oh, why did we go there?" groans Hermione after a few minutes of silence. "Harry, Haylee, you two were right, it was Godric's Hollow all over again, a complete waste of time! The Deathly Hallows...such rubbish...although actually," a sudden thought seems to have struck her, "he might have made it all up, mightn't he? He probably doesn't believe in the Deathly Hallows at all, he just wanted to keep us walking until the Death Eaters arrived!"

"I don't think so," says Ron. "It's a damn sight harder making stuff up when you're under stress than you'd think. I found that out when the Snatchers caught me. It was much easier pretending to be Stan, because I knew a bit about him, than inventing a whole new person. Old Lovegood was under loads of pressure, trying to make sure we stayed put. I reckon he told us the truth, or what he thinks is the truth, just to keep us talking."