Under Your Spell

A Revelation

Harry felt that all too familiar sickening feeling of leaving his stomach - and it's contents- in the Three Broomsticks as he stumbled into existence on the top doorstep of Grimmauld Place. Steadying himself, he looked around, to find that Ron and Hermione had not yet appeared. They must have seperated accidentally. Sighing, he tapped his wand on the shiny black paint of the door, and heard the dim clunking and clicking as the locks slid back on the other side of the door. At last it opened, and Harry entered, the familiar smell of damp and age invading his nostrils. He flicked his wand at the door, and it slammed shut, igniting the scream of Mrs Black's existence behind the moth-eaten curtains. Harry impatiently slashed his wand, silencing her, as he pulled off his cloak. Finally, he turned to face the empty house.

The house was empty since Kreacher had left to work in the Hogwarts kitchens. Harry noticed, as he navigated his way around that Kreacher's moth-eaten blankets still lingered in the downstairs cupboard amongst several dead mice and items that he had hoarded. Harry smiled with a mixture of revulsion and bemusement, closing the door. He entered what he affectionately named 'the Family Tree room', and stared for a moment at the walls, which were wallpapered in the Black Family Tree. He found himself tracing his finger over the scorch mark above Sirius' italicised name, smiling. Then, stepping back, he found himself faced with Regulus Black (deceased) on the right side, and another scorch mark on the left. Below,  italicised, was the name Ethel Black, and then, curiously, a line running straight down. He followed it with his finger, and was faced with another scorch mark and the name Matilda Black (deceased).

"Her daughter!" Murmured Harry aloud, excitement seizing him like a lasso. At that moment, an almighty BANG! from the hallway told him someone had arrived. Mrs Black shrieked. Drawing his wand, Harry crept slowly into the hall, but as he approached, the petty arguing told him that Ron and Hermione had arrived. 

"... you could have got us killed, Ron!" Hermione cried shrilly, silencing Mrs Black with a sharp crack. "If I hadn't managed to break those anti-disapparation charms, we would be being eaten for supper right now!"

"It's not MY fault!" Ron interjected angrilly, tossing his cloak aside."I got splinched! Of course I was going to lose my concentration a little bit!"

"A little bit?!" Hermione was bristling. "You took us to the other side of the country, Ron!" 

They had not noticed Harry standing in the doorway. Harry cleared his throat pointedly, and they both turned to notice him. Ron's ears turned pink, and Hermione blushed.

"Oh, hi, Harry." Hermione looked at the floor. "Sorry we're late. Ron took us to a Giant settlement in the Scottish Highlands. She cast a filthy venomous look at Ron, who returned it with very little grace. Harry sighed. 

"Come and look at this," he said, and waited for them to follow him into the Family Tree room. He pointed out Matilda and Ethel's names on the tree, and explained what he'd found. They listened carefully. Hermione finally reached into her beaded bag, pulling out an extract from the Prophet. 

"I meant to tell you. I did some research before we left the Three Broomsticks." Hermione passed over the paper, letting her hand linger for longer than necessary. Harry felt an electric shock pass through him as their fingers touched. He shook it off mentally. Get a grip, Harry! He studied it carefully.

FORMER DEATH EATER IN HIDING

Former inner-circle death-eater, Ethel Black is suspected to be in hiding after breaking her alliegence to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named earlier this week. After the apparent demise of You-Know-Who three months ago, and the half-blood infant Harry Potter's triumph, news has been spreading that the Death Eaters are re-forming. A member of the wizengamot, who wishes not to be named, was free for comment. "If it is true that the Death Eaters are re-forming, then Ethel has a lot to be worried about. After the recent admittance of brother Sirius Black to Azkaban following one of the biggest muggle mass murders in wizarding history, and the death of her other brother, loyal inner circle death eater Regulus Black, Ethel needs to watch her back very carefully indeed."

It is rumoured that Ethel has retreated to the muggle community in Spinner's End, favoured by Hogwarts professor, and death eater Severus Snape. Ethel, who recently gave birth to her daughter, Matilda Black three weeks ago to an unconfirmed (but, as a source has informed us) pure-blood father, has not been seen for over a week. The investigation into Harry Potter's existence continues.

Harry stared at the clipping for a moment, taking in the information. Slowly, he raised his head. Ron and Hermione looked at him, watching his every move. 

"Spinner's End," Harry murmured, pacing up and down. "Spinner's.... WAIT!" Ron jumped a foot in the air. 

"Bloody hell, Harry..."

"That's it!" Harry grabbled Hermione's beaded bag, and rooted through it, talking fast. "The letter, the letter..." Finally, he grabbed it. "Look!" He waved the letter in front of Ron and Hermione. They stared at him blankly. "It has no address!"

They stared at the letter in silence, taking it in. 

"What does that have anything to do with it?" Asked Ron, breaking the silence.

"Well, think about it," said Harry hastily, beginning to pace again. "If you wanted to send a letter to someone on your street, you wouldn't put an address on it, would you? You'd hand deliver it, or get an owl to do it. If an owl knows it's coordinates well enough, it doesn't need an address to deliver!" Hermione jumped up, squeaking.

"So we need to go..."

"Back to Spinner's End." Finished Harry, his smile fading. "Back to Snape's house."