2 | CONFESSIONS° HARRY POTTER

8 | THE ESCAPE

ACT FIVE, love
CHAPTER EIGHT, the escape

    Everything was fuzzy. Iris and Oliver drew their wands in an instant and she frantically searched around to find Veles because she refused to leave him behind. Many people were only just realizing that something strange had happened; heads were still turning toward the silver cat as it vanished. Silence spread outward in cold ripples from the place where the Patronus had landed. Then somebody screamed.

Guests were sprinting in all directions; many were Disapparating; the protective enchantments around the Burrow had broken.

"Veles? Veles, where are you?" Iris called out, looking underneath the tables for Veles as she was separated from her brother. Guests barreled into her, knocking her down onto the ground as the masked figures appeared. She looked around for Oliver and saw Ginny yank him out of the way of a figure that was approaching him.

"Iris!" shouted Harry, panic lacing his tone as he looked for her while Hermione called out for Ron. He could hear his heart racing in his chest as he searched for any sign that she was okay.

A streak of light whizzed over Iris's head and she caught sight of Veles running towards her. She opened up her hand bag and he lept into the air, changing into a tiny, black beetle in the process. and jumped into her bag.

"IRIS!" She heard Harry scream her name over the shouting and fighting. Iris turned her head around, frantically looking for any sign of him at all. She saw Remus's head through the crowd before she saw Harry and Hermione. She rushed towards them when Ron did.

Harry breathed out a sigh of relief when Iris appeared beside him. She grabbed the lower part of Hermione's arm while Ron grabbed her free one. Iris felt her turn on the spot; sight and sound were extinguished as darkness pressed in upon her; all she could feel was Hermione's hand as she was squeezed through space and time, away from the Burrow, away from Oliver, away from the descending Death Eaters, away, perhaps, from Voldemort and Rhea . . . . 

"Where are we?" said Ron's voice.

Iris opened her eyes. They were surrounded by people.

"Tottenham Court Road," panted Hermione. "Walk, just walk, we need to find somewhere for you to change." 

They did as she asked. They half walked, half ran up the wide dark street thronged with late-night revelers and lined with closed shops, stars twinkling above them. Harry took Iris's hand and pulled her beside him. A double-decker bus rumbled by and a group of merry pub-goers ogled them as they passed; Harry and Ron were still wearing dress robes. 

"Hermione, we haven't got anything to change into," Ron told her, as a young woman burst into raucous giggles at the sight of him. Iris glared at her. She pulled her friend closer to her and ran off.

"Why didn't I make sure I had the Invisibility Cloak with me?" said Harry. "All last year I kept it on me and —" 

"It's okay, I've got the Cloak, I've got clothes for both of you," said Hermione. "Just try and act naturally until — this will do." 

She led them down a side street, then into the shelter of a shadowy alleyway. 

"When you say you've got the Cloak, and clothes . . ." said Harry, frowning at Hermione, who was carrying nothing except her small beaded handbag, in which she was now rummaging. 

"Yes, they're here," said Hermione, and to Harry and Ron's utter astonishment, she pulled out a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, some maroon socks, and finally the silvery Invisibility Cloak.